When selecting the colour palette for your medical fitout, you need to understand the fundamentals of colour psychology.
In this article, we explore the importance of colour psychology when designing medical and dental spaces.
What is the psychology of colour?
Colour psychology is the study of how colours influence our feelings and behaviour.
- Blue is symbolic of calm and reduces stress.
- Green is associated with harmony and has a comforting effect.
- Red is symbolic of passion, urgency, and in some cases, blood.
- Orange is symbolic of energy but may also trigger feelings of anxiety.
- Yellow is associated with happiness but may also evoke a sense of danger.
- Pink is symbolic of compassion and has a calming effect.
- Purple is associated with playfulness and can promote a meditative atmosphere.
- Black is associated with mourning and may evoke sadness.
- Brown and wood tones are grounding and reassuring.
- Grey is professional and calm but can also feel dull or cold.
- White is symbolic of purity and cleanliness but can also feel clinical and cold.
Since people respond differently to each colour, colour psychology has become a critical factor in healthcare design.
Why you should avoid using red in a medical clinic
We highly recommend avoiding the use of red in your clinic fitout. This will help you maintain a clean medical environment and also minimise the risk of patients becoming stressed at the thought of blood. Due to its association with danger and emergencies, red is also known to evoke a sense of stress and urgency.
Instead, consider a palette of blues, greens, and neutrals.
Benefits of colour psychology in healthcare design
Colour psychology is a powerful design tool that allows you to influence emotions, perceptions, and physical responses. The key advantages of colour psychology in healthcare are outlined below.
Welcoming environment
Did you know that approximately 90% of first impressions are based on colour? Using colours strategically enables you to create an inviting environment for patients and staff. In your clinic, we recommend incorporating warm and soft tones to promote comfort and calm. In welcome areas and receptions, consider blues, greens, and earth tones for your palette.
Positive stimulation
Energising colours like orange and yellow can have a positive effect on your patients and staff. By using cheerful colours in children’s areas or hallways, you can improve the overall clinic mood.
Reducing boredom
In waiting areas, creative use of colour can provide a positive distraction and reduce boredom. Whether in a piece of art, furniture, or the wall colour, colours can be a fresh mood booster for your patients.
Staff wellbeing
Medical staff often feel stressed and burnt out, particularly when their surroundings feel stale or clinical. To provide an energising work environment, try to integrate vibrant colours and break up the monotony of whites and neutrals. For example, consider adding more orange, green, or blue to the staff room design.
Thinking about refreshing your practice?
If you’re unsure of the steps you should take to make your practice more appealing you can either contact the team for a no-obligation assessment or download our inspiration guide for ideas.
Colour in medical clinic design
In healthcare design, colours can be used to evoke the right emotions in each room.
Reception areas
The reception sets the tone for a patient’s visit to your dental practice or health clinic so it’s vital that the space feels welcoming. To ensure your medical clinic is recognisable, we recommend incorporating your brand colours as well as warm neutrals, blues, or greens.
Lounge areas and waiting rooms
In a lounge space, we recommend using warm neutrals and earth tones. These colours promote comfort and relaxation, making wait times less stressful. In addition to these colours, it is also important to incorporate soft textures and furnishings.
Treatment rooms and surgeries
The priority with any patient room is to make your patients feel calm, comfortable, and safe so we recommend soft blues, greens, and neutrals.
Imaging and sterilisation rooms
For clinical rooms, cleanliness is the highest priority. In these spaces, we recommend sticking to soft neutrals that are easier to keep clean and promote concentration. If you want to boost staff productivity, incorporate one vibrant colour like orange or yellow.
Staff rooms
When staff take a break, they need a peaceful retreat to switch off and recharge. We recommend choosing soft neutral colours in these spaces, though you can add a few small pops of warm blues, yellows, or oranges to promote energy.
Hallways and bathrooms
In your medical or dental clinic, hallways and bathrooms serve as an in-between space. While these are not the primary areas in a patient’s visit, they will contribute to the way they feel. With this in mind, we recommend using a consistent colour scheme with the rest of your patient spaces as this will create a cohesive experience and help to build trust.
How to develop a colour scheme for your medical clinic or dental practice
When deciding on a colour scheme for your dental practice or healthcare facility, we recommend choosing a primary colour, a few secondary colours, and one or two bold accent colours. These colours must feel cohesive while still providing an element of contrast for visual interest. The following examples are great for medical environments.
Light and refreshing
If you want your practice to feel bright and fresh, combine citrus yellows and oranges with soft blues, greens, and neutrals.
Warm and moody
If you want your space to feel inviting and less clinical, choose a palette with rich browns, earthy greens, and soft neutral tones.
Energising yet calming
If you want your clinic to promote both relaxation and productivity, consider pairing vibrant orange with deep forest green, warm sage, and a creamy neutral.
Soothing blues
This palette combines a series of blues with warm-toned neutrals. Reminiscent of a beach, this will make your space feel calm and peaceful.
Fresh and pink
Incorporating pink accents into your practice promotes a sense of nurturing, peace, and safety. Pink blends well with navy blue, brown, white, gold, and grey.
Fitout design for medical environments
If you’re planning to fit a dental clinic or medical clinic, our experienced team is here to help. We provide turnkey fitout solutions for healthcare, including design, build, and equipment. We will support you at every stage of your journey, from initial planning to the opening day.
- Strategy planning
- Branding and identity
- Location feasibility
- Lease or purchase negotiations
- Resource and building consent
- Radiation compliance
- Office-based or day-stay surgery compliance
- Sterilisation and reprocessing compliance
- Equipment compliance
- Sign-off and approvals
- Practice initiation and opening
We are committed to providing you with high-quality and cost-effective fitout solutions. We know how to bring your vision to life while also ensuring an enjoyable, seamless process along the way. Get started by contacting the team today!
