Thinking of giving your office a new lick of paint? Repainting the walls of your office could improve its visual appeal, enhance your brand image and boost employee morale. However, there are a few blunders you need to avoid when painting an office. Below are 5 common mistakes you should try to steer clear of.
Choosing the wrong colour
When choosing a paint colour, you should ideally opt for something that reflects your brand, while also appealing to your employees. There are a few colours you may want to be wary of using:
- White: This traditional office colour can make a room feel brighter and cleaner, but can also come off sterile and uninspiring. While it’s okay to paint some walls white, don’t solely use this colour.
- Brown: Too much brown may make an office feel dark and depressing. While certain browns may have a rustic appeal that is suitable to some types of business, you should ideally pair brown with other colours.
- Red: Red is the most energising colour that you can choose. In a sedentary environment like an office, it may make workers feel agitated and overstimulated. It is better suited to work environments like gyms and kitchens.
What are some good colours to use in an office? Blues and greens are often some of the best choices, because they’re naturally calming and help reduce anxiety. Small amounts of yellow can also be used to create a feeling of positivity, while purple is often associated with creativity.
To help you choose the right colour, consider asking your employees for their input. After you’ve chosen a colour, consider testing a small amount of it on a wall to see how it looks in different types of lighting.
Using the wrong type of paint
On top of choosing the wrong colour, you need to be careful of choosing the wrong type of paint. If you’re thinking of painting the exterior of your office, make sure that you use exterior paint and not interior paint – otherwise the paint will peel and fade. You also need to consider the paint finish. Satin paints are great for high traffic areas because they’re easy to clean, however their shininess may increase glare from the sun. Matte paint can reduce glare, but is harder to clean.
Skipping surface preparation
It’s vital that you prepare the surface of a wall before painting on it, otherwise the quality of the paint job won’t be as good. When painting a newly plastered wall, don’t forget to add a primer and an undercoat. When painting over a wall, make sure to get rid of any dirt and mildew, as well as filling any cracks and holes.
Hiring the wrong tradesman
Few business owners have their time, energy or skills to paint an office themselves. Hiring a tradesman can ensure that the job is done to a high standard. However, it’s important that you choose the right tradesman. Consider looking for a professional decorator that has experience painting commercial buildings. If your office is quite large, you may even need to hire a team to paint it. Take your time to compare reviews and quotes so that you hire a decorator that is reputable and affordable.
Failing to protect your equipment
You don’t want to get paint all over desks and computers. Make sure that all equipment is adequately covered up before you start doing any painting. You can buy sheets to cover your equipment, or you could plan to move out all your equipment temporarily into self-storage.
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