The color of your office could affect your productivity and even your mood, a growing body of color psychology research says.

Workplaces are becoming more mindful of the influence the wall colors on their employees, Lasse Karvinen, head of product at Framery, a Finnish company that designs silent work “pods” for offices, told Forbes.com.

Beige and light grays continue to be popular colors in designing modern workplaces, but more offices are also incorporating blues and greens—and for a strategic reason too.

Greens, in particular, have become a popular color in workplaces, Karvinen says. “Green is said to create a level of alertness and is often incorporated into health care spaces for this reason,” he notes. “So it’s interesting to see that being tied into today’s workplace. I also feel many are turning to green as it continues to gain strength from its association with a shift toward eco-consciousness.”

Also, more workplaces are adding in blues. Blue is usually associated as a more relaxing hue, but researchers say it won’t make your employees sleepy.

“While blue might be perceived as a more relaxing color, blue light—specifically around the 17,000k color temperature—is actually better at making people feel more energized, or at least less sleepy,” Ben Hamley, future of work lead at JLL Asia Pacific, told Forbes.com. “This is because it suppresses the body’s natural production of melatonin, a hormone that helps to regulate our circadian rhythm, the pattern that determines when we naturally sleep and wake. You may have noticed newer phone updates will give you the option to ‘shift’ the color of the LEDs in the screen to be more reddish at night so you won’t be kept awake at night by your TikTok feed.”

The first open houses of the year are drawing out the crowds, real estate pros report. Low mortgage rates—which dipped even further this week—may be driving some of that activity.

An open house in the Atlanta area last Sunday for a newly renovated, three-bedroom, two-bath house for $335,000 drew a crowd of about 34 people during a two-hour time span. Listing agent Melissa Fuentes says she’s conducting two second showings this week and expects an offer by the end of the week.

The home attracted homeowners and investors alike. “With the market value the way it is right now, there’s a lot of people jumping on the same kind of real estate that I’m looking to invest in,” Michael Tartly, who is looking for an income property in the Atlanta area, told CNBC.

Economists have already predicted that January could be a hot selling month this year across the country and lower mortgage rates are certainly helping to kick off a winter selling season, they say.

The average rate on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to its lowest level since October this week, at 3.69%, Mortgage News Daily reports.

The continued strength in consumer sentiment about the housing market “attests to the intention among consumers to purchase homes,” says Doug Duncan, Fannie Mae’s chief economist. Fannie Mae’s housing sentiment index, a survey of consumers, remained near an all-time high in 2019, fueled by a 16 percentage point annual increase in the share of consumers who believe it is a good time to buy.

A decline in mortgage rates—down by more than 1 percentage point for fixed-rate loans compared to November 2018—is buoying higher sales activity, says Frank Nothaft, chief economist at CoreLogic. Nothaft adds that any slowdown in home prices in early 2019 likely ended in late summer. He predicts prices to rise well into 2020.

Ornate landscaping and weaving in a blue color palette are two big trends for yards in the new year, according to the National Association of Landscape Professionals. The association recently released its list of the top landscaping trends in the new year.

“Foundational landscape elements remain on homeowners’ wish lists, but modern updates and technology are now a top priority,” says NALP CEO Britt Wood. “With a wave of design and technical innovations, our members report that ornate hardscaping, contemporary features, lush gardens, and smart irrigation are all trending and will influence landscape designs across the country in 2020. This year’s trends showcase how homeowners of all generations desire a striking, custom, and well-maintained outdoor space that benefits their community and the environment.”

Here are the five trends that the NALP predicts will be hot this year.

Ornate, geometric hardscaping. Intricate patterns for hardscaping—hard materials or structures built into a landscape—are trending. These include waves, chevrons, lattices, and basket weaves. “From walkways and patios to retaining walls and fire features, homeowners are looking to integrate popular home decor patterns into their hardscape designs,” the NALP notes.

Contemporary and transitional designs. Contemporary, simple designs, which might be reflected by a contemporary sculpture or modern fire or water feature, are popular. “Multi-season functionality is essential as more homeowners are selecting elements that can survive a range of temperatures, such as native plants, heat lamps, and protective structures,” the NALP says.

Shades of blue. Rich tones of blue are dominating paint forecasters’ choices for 2020 color of the year, and these cool colors are also heading outside. Homeowners are bringing in more blues, using sculptures or water features. In gardens, plants like blue fortune, delphinium, hydrangea, globe thistle, or grape hyacinth are adding touches of blue, too.

Gardens. Homeowners continue to add gardens into their landscapes. But they’re eyeing gardens that cater to their personal needs, from creating edible gardens for farm-to-table dining to planting gardens that produce favorite fruits, vegetables, or herbs. In smaller spaces, owners are adding container gardens, vertical gardens, or “interiorscaping” to create an outdoor garden oasis, the NALP says.

High-tech water solutions. One-click, remote irrigation systems are gaining popularity. These systems deliver just the right amount of water to a landscape and can save owners money in the long run. These irrigation systems can be controlled from anywhere with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and smartphone apps.