If you're trying to remodel an office to increase the productivity of your workers, you have likely seen the studies on how wall color can affect mood. But there's another factor in the office space that can have a profound effect on how people feel while they're in there: the color temperature of the lighting. Take a look at how using bulbs from specific temperature ranges can change how your employees handle their days in the office.

Cool to Warm Light

Plain white light is available in different temperatures, or shades, that change how a room looks -- you can see these temperatures any time you buy a lightbulb. At one end of the spectrum is daylight, considered a very cool white because there's so much blue in the light, even though we see the light as white. The other end of the spectrum is considered warm because the light has more orange and red tones.

These warmer lights cast a cozier glow in the room -- not something you want when you need your workers to think fast. A 2007 article in the "Journal of Circadian Rhythms" noted that cooler light was better for productivity, so for areas where you want people to be on their toes, getting things done, a daylight or other cool-white lighting setup is more appropriate.

At first this might look strange because of publicity about how bad blue light is. However, this has to do with exposure to blue or white light during sleep or in night shifts. In those cases, blue light wavelengths can lead to more depression and health issues than sleeping in the dark. But in a daytime office situation, you're not trying to ensure your employees sleep soundly. In fact, you want the reduction in melatonin that blue light can bring.

Customized Lighting

An article from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School notes that switching light temperatures as the day goes on may be a good strategy. Not only should you tailor the temperature to the room -- for example, using a middle-temperature light in a conference room to convey friendliness while still enhancing alertness -- but as the day goes on, the light temperature should drift toward warmer, more relaxing tones. Productive employees during the day should still be able to relax and slow down once they leave the office.

For more information, contact Dhillon Lighting Inc Calgary or a similar company.