Personalizing & Organizing Your Workspace with Color

Featured today Staples® Business Hub by Claire Parker, Staples® Contributing Writer

Color psychology (yes, it’s real — we looked it up) reveals that the tones and palettes around us directly affect our mood, productivity and behavior. The color of your office furniture and letter trays — even your stapler — does more than decorate. It inspires.

Color can motivate the best parts of your personality, and, if your desk is a reflection of your best self, you’re likely to be on top of your game during the work week. “You're more likely to want to keep everything organized and neat, since by buying your favorite colors, you’re buying into the idea that your workspace can be beautiful,” says Meredith Zenkel, spokeswoman for office supply manufacturer Poppin. Items such as brightly hued modular desktop trays and tabbed three ring binders binders show personality and are ideal for color-coding high-priority projects or keeping personal items separate from business. “There are so many ways to meet needs and show off personality.”

But of all the colors in the rainbow, and the endless shades in between, how do you decide which ones are best for personalizing your workspace? Here’s our advice.

Choose Your Palette

Start with your personal response to colors. Does pink make you cheery or want to cringe? Does yellow energize you or make you cranky? Although certain colors are popular (radiant orchid, anyone?), let your own preferences be your guide over current tastes and trends.

Next, consider the properties of your favorite colors. Architect and feng shui designer Anjie Cho explains...

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by Anjie Cho