Not everything is black and white when it comes to colour schemes – or, in the case of Cardiff City F.C, blue and red.
When you’re kicking around ideas for the colour scheme of your new office refurbishment it is worth heeding the lesson learnt at the fallen Premier League club.
Vincent Tan, the James Bond villain lookalike owner of the Welsh club, was totally colour blind when it came to the emotional attachment City fans had to the colour blue, even though the club’s long-standing nickname ‘Bluebirds’ somewhat gave the game away .
But, having been relegated from English’s top flight and the millions of pounds of lost revenue that comes with it, Tan’s face may be the only red thing left – apart from the club’s balance sheet – after he revealed that he may be prepared to reverse his controversial decision of two years ago.
Tan hoped changing Cardiff’s kit colour to red would make the club more marketable in Asia, with red seen as a colour associated with luck and success in the region.
Whether you think this is a load of old baloney or not, there is no doubt colour schemes make an important statement about your business and the message you are wishing to convey.
People are drawn to different colours and, often, the response to a colour is so strong it can create a sense of belonging or appeal to a specific location or place.
When it comes to office interiors, you need to consider the effect it will have on employees and visiting clients. For the former you want to use colours that help create a sense of belonging.
By making the office a place where they want to be, it goes without saying employees will work more productively. Shades of colour that reflect light are particularly appealing in this respect, as it is a scientific fact that the lighter the room is the more likely you are to be switched on.
For clients it is all about giving off the right impression. Does the colour scheme match the perception you want people to have of your brand? For some visitors a yellow wall, for example, may be like a red rag to a bull – if you excuse the mixed metaphor!
The Total Interior Contracts quick guide to colour scheme
Black: You mean serious business i.e. the front door of Number 10 Downing Street
White: Sleek and sanitised
Green: Community spirited and calm
Red: We’re loud and proud, ‘people persons’
Yellow: Clarity and wisdom
Purple: free spirited
Blue: abundance and prosperity, tranquility
Orange: Vitality and endurance
