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Art – ‘the expression of human creative skill and imagination. Typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power’. Adding a deeper philosophical meaning to both the culture and aesthetics of your office space, art is something which can be enjoyed by all – something that leaves a lasting impression on anyone entering or leaving the building.
Identify a theme
Before you start picking what kind of colours, or the art it is that you want, make sure that you think about what kind of affect you would like it to have on the people that come into the office. Do you want it to have a calming effect on its surrounding environment? Perhaps you want it to be visually stimulating to evoke greater creativity?
Choosing the right and best-suited office décor can even enhance your work performance, as those that put the effort into personalizing their space are 17% more productive than those that aren’t.
Similar aspects to consider when choosing your theme are whether you want it to have classic, casual, contemporary or formal traits as these can all affect the type of mood you will create, and you will need to identify both, the mood you are looking to create and the particular effect you are looking to get from your art, to get the most successful outcome. Often recommended for soothing environments is impressionists art with soft pastels, or Dada art for stimulating creativity.
Determine colour palette
Colours have a bigger impact on your productivity levels than you may realise, as different shades have greater stimulus than others. No matter what theme you have chosen, considering the psychology of the colours you choose will help have a greater impact on the environment you create. You can then blend these into a colour palette which you can use to make the right choices. If you work in a fast paced market or ever-changing industry, consider integrating bold colours such as red as this can generate motivation as a proactive response rather than being reactive. Colours such as blue and green are more soothing and encourage a calmer and balanced atmosphere. Whilst painting a whole wall in the same colour may not work, adding colourful décor is a great way to incorporate various hues to gain their psychological benefits – items such as vases, plant pots or colourful statues.
Build a gallery wall
Having a gallery wall is not only a great place to add some color and variation to your office, but also a great place to showcase your business values, and what you stand for. By including the company’s brand colors in the color palette, it should be an interesting job finding different posters or prints that embody those values. Maybe try those that have key slogans which match your brand, or even try creating your own! Doing this would ensure that the colors properly match your branding, and that the messages you are putting across will coincide with your vision and values.
When creating a gallery wall, choose aspects that contain dominant hues first, before then adding small splashes of colour for variety and interest. Before installing or hanging the pictures up, try laying them out on the floor first so that you can work out which print you want where and so that the colors have perfect synergy. Typically place the pieces about 1 1 /4 inches apart to give the wall a well-balanced and streamline look.
Art installations – small or large?
Choosing what size art it is you want is also an important step. Whilst having a large piece installed can be a statement piece in your office, in some cases less is more and having smaller items could be said to have a better impact on the space you are creating.
When choosing large forms of art, whether it be a statue or a painting, make sure you look into the background of the painting to ensure that it will have the required affect. For example, the Lowry painting ‘going to work’ could have a positive affect as it motivates and inspires and generates the right kind of culture that you want. Artwork that has the most positive results generally have a moderate amount of visual complexity, as they leave the right lasting impression on the viewer in comparison to art that is not visually stimulating enough or is too complex. Artwork that shows people being cared for reduces strong responses to threatening or stressful situations by reminding us of feeling loved – this state of mind promotes the activation of soothing mental resources after stressful situations. Showcasing this kind of message will also benefit the business, as it will promote the importance of looking after stakeholders which will in turn create a good impression when clients or customers visit the office.
