Your home office can be many things. A sanctuary of concentration and productivity, a makeshift desk space in a previously unused room or perhaps a shared space for multiple members of your household to work, learn and complete tasks in peace.
Whatever the circumstances, you need a space that works best for you – a space that suits your interior design goals and serves your needs. An important but often overlooked first step in transforming your home office into such a space is the colour. So, what’s the best colour for a home office?
- New Neutrals
- Feeling Blue
- Paint The Town Red
- Go Green
- Shades of White
- Tonal Touches
Featured photograph: Photo by Faizur Rehman on Unsplash (licence). Images illustrate room planning or materials; they are not Revival product photographs.
New Neutrals
Colour can change how a room feels; the right shade depends on your taste, the light in the room and how you use the space. A neutral colour scheme may seem like an obvious place to start when planning the design of an inviting, relaxing home office that’s easy on the eye.
The joy of neutral colours is they’re easily paired together, combining to create a level of depth that feels natural and makes a more subtle statement. Our top picks for warm neutral shades include Joa’s White, Dead Salmon and Elephant’s Breath by Farrow & Ball.
Paint finishes and cleaning guidance vary by product, so check the manufacturer’s advice before choosing a shade for your home office. It’s the perfect choice if you value sustainability. For those wanting to opt for a more cost-effective brand, Dulux has a range of complementary warm neutral shades such as Almost Oyster, Egyptian Cotton, Malt Chocolate and Muddy Puddle that help create the perfect home office environment.
Feeling Blue
Blue can create a calm look, especially in lighter shades. Test a paint sample in your room, since natural and artificial light can change how the colour appears.
If your home office needs to serve as a soothing and productive space, light blues, such as Benjamin Moore’s St John Blue, are an obvious and airy choice for good reason. For a richer, more sophisticated look, a matte or mid-sheen deep blue, such as the shades Cerulean, Oxford or Indigo from luxury eco-paint brand Graphenstone, are ideal.
To add an extra pop of colour in your home office, look for a comfortable office chair that complements the shade of blue, along with a reliable, sturdy desk made from the finest materials to complete your work.
Paint The Town Red
Red can make a bold feature colour, but it may dominate a small home office. Use it on one wall or through smaller accents if you want a warmer look. If your room has limited natural light, use red in small doses and balance it with lighter neutrals.
If you choose a red feature wall, keep the remaining colours simple so the office still feels balanced.
Little Greene has several fantastic shades of red wall paint, including Atomic Red, Bronze Red and Drummond, as well as a red wallpaper with a classic, 70’s french-feel design called Lavaliers Atomic.
Go Green
Everyday life can be stressful, so why not reduce stress in your home office space? Muted greens can create a soft, natural-looking backdrop. Test a sample in your room to see how it looks in different light.
Benjamin Moore’s Pale Oak is a neutral, green-toned off-white which gives the clean look of white at first glance and calming undertones of green. For bolder options, Farrow & Ball’s deeper Studio Green and Duck Green are excellent options, with Cooking Apple and Calke Green acting as lighter and more vibrant choices.
Green walls aren’t the only way to bring the calmness of nature into your home office either. A few houseplants can add colour and natural texture to your workspace if you enjoy having greenery nearby.
Shades Of White
White is a crisp, clean, contemporary colour choice for any room of the house. It provides a blank slate for decor and for the mind and lends to an appearance of bigger and brighter rooms. That’s why white, in all it’s subtly different and numerous shades is the ideal colour for multipurpose home office spaces.
If your home office space is shared between more than one member of your household for multiple purposes, a white or off-white shade could be your best option.
Pointing by Farrow & Ball, and Cloud White by Benjamin Moore are classic examples of strong off-white colour options, or you can choose to paint your office an existing shade of white already present in your home to marry the shared spaces.
Tonal Touches
Strong colours such as yellow, purple and black can stand out in a home office. If you are unsure, use them as accents against a neutral wall and test paint samples under the light you use during the day and evening.
Make use of the colour wheel to pair your chosen accent colours well and be sure to research the colours you’re considering using. If you like yellow, use it as a small accent and check how it looks in your room’s lighting.
Easy ways to add touches of colour are by:
- Choosing furniture, accessories or soft furnishings in your chosen accent palette.
- Using flowers or plant pots to add colour and a natural detail.
- Refinishing or up-cycling furniture to include your colour of choice. For example, you could paint the top of a small side table or storage piece in your accent colour.
Your home office is probably an area you’re spending a lot of time in right now, whether it’s for work or a getaway to escape from the outside world. Although, you may also be thinking about the potential of other rooms in your home.
If you’re planning a wider refresh, compare your paint samples with the furniture, flooring and natural light already in the room. For a bedroom project, you can also request wood finish samples or visit our Nottinghamshire showroom to see how solid wood finishes look in person.
Bringing Your Room Scheme Together
Whether your dining room needs redecorating or you want to spruce up your bedroom space, finding home inspiration that suits your style doesn’t need to be difficult. Choose a few materials and colours that work together, then check them in the room before committing to the final scheme.
Book a showroom visit to explore our beds and furniture in person.
