Motivation at the workplace? Everything is possible – unless it’s mouse grey.

The nose says: swivel chair, carpet tiles, copy paper. The eye says: red poppy meadow, spring bloom, alpine pasture landscape. Pretty confusing. is a tightrope walk between appearance and reality.

An office is not only a work cell for employees but also living space in which people spend many hours a day and which hence should be designed adequately attractive.

The workplace shall and must be a place where people are comfortable and where they are able to act at ease, without stress and pressure. This includes the design of the immediate personal work environment in terms of light, colour, materials, and ergonomic aspects, but also appropriately furnishing the office beyond these aspects. At best, this includes bicycle storage rooms, showers, fitness and power napping rooms, as well as zones for individual recreation now and then. Sometimes it may be sufficient to put a basket with fresh fruit and vegetables in the office, or to offer several minutes of power training in the group, because mental and physical well-being can never be separated from each other. It’s important to let the employee know, both mentally and physically, that he/she is esteemed. The money at the end of the month is not the only compensation we humans need in our employments.

There are a number of enterprises using architecture and workplace design very consciously to position themselves as an attractive employer. One example for such an office is the headquarters of “Österreich Werbung” accommodated in the “Haus an der Wien”. The furniture is bright and unexcitedly attractive. The floor is covered by a high-pile dripping red carpet like back then in Empress Sissi’s bed chamber. In the office, the floor plays the same role as the lampshade in the living room. This is valuable surface reflecting a great deal of light, thus immersing the whole room in cold, warm, or neutral colour. This is an easy way to create an atmosphere. As far as I can see this design medium is highly underestimated.“

The psychology of colors

Colour has an enormous effect on our psyche. Some colours and materials are soothing, some are exhilarant, and others are irritant or stimulative. Thus you can address specific requirements in the office requiring little investment but a good concept.

A study performed by the University of Texas in Austin in 1996 revealed that colour affects not only the employees’ well-being but also their productivity and efficiency of work. The result after four full working days: performance in the coloured rooms was up to six percent higher than in a comparable white room. By the way, the poorest results were achieved in grey and beige rooms.