The office is a place where work gets done, but sometimes it’s not the best place to get work done. Poor design and layout and can dramatically decrease productivity in your dedicated workspace. To squeeze the most out of every minute you spend in the office, consider these style tips to change the whole atmosphere for the better.

1. Create a View of Nature or Water

A productive atmosphere is one where you can concentrate on the task at hand. There shouldn’t be anything blatantly distracting in the immediate vicinity, such as flamboyant wall art or loud music blaring in the background. Bland interior design and too many rules and regulations, however, can negatively affect performance in the office as well. To keep the brain juices flowing, incorporate peaceful scenery or moving water into your business atmosphere. Research suggests that viewing green grass or trickling water can actually lower stress levels and enhance focus. If you don’t have any windows or pleasant scenery near your place of business, hang up pictures on the walls or use a scenic wallpaper on your computer to recharge mental energy.

2. Paint the Walls with the Right Colors

If you’re serious about taking care of business, your environment needs to look professional. When it comes to wall colors, overly bright and dark hues are out. The most mentally-stimulating shade is a toned-down orange, but other good ones include subtle greens and blues. White might be clean, but it’s also boring, flat, and not really conducive to concentration.

3. Don’t Paint the Wood

If there are wood panels incorporated into the design of your place of business, think twice about painting over them. Natural wood grain is believed to have the same soothing effect on our minds as peaceful scenery and moving water. Wood is also quite beautiful in its purest form, so don’t downgrade the look of your office with a tacky paint job.

4. Declutter

Keeping your workspace clean is a no-brainer, but many people have no idea where to start. Well, the first thing to do is to remove anything that doesn’t serve a purpose in the space. You can keep all the excess junk at nearby storage facilities while you tidy up the place. Once the unnecessary stuff is gone, all of the remaining items should be strategically placed for the greatest effect. That includes desks, chairs, filing cabinets, decoration pieces, computers, and more. Files should be clearly labeled, and all documents put in the appropriate files for quick access. Decluttering also applies to computer hard drives as well, so do your best to trim the fat.

5. Set a Dress Code

Nothing says a serious business quite like uniformed employees. It may not be necessary to have a very formal dress code as long as everyone is matching. Customers need to be able to easily identify the employees for help, so sameness is good.

The way that a business looks can have a dramatic effect on how you and your co-workers are able perform in it. Believe it or not, little changes here and there can make a world of difference in the success of your business. In the competitive world of entrepreneurship, you should take any advantage.