With so many folks working remotely, home offices are in use more than ever. It helps to see how others space plan and choose paint colors so we’re peeking at inspiring offices at home. Whether you are starting from scratch or hoping to improve your current configuration, find smart tips ahead.
Paint Colors & Lovelier Work Spaces
Planning & Color Stories for Home Offices
1. What are Your Workspace Needs?
Before collecting a single aesthetic idea, identify your needs. Don’t be distracted just yet about what the “look” will be. Instead, assess your needs for how the available space must function. Creative finishing touches come a bit later.
For example, I personally need my work supplies organized. To keep them organized, I need supplies contained in open bins not file cabinets. While out of sight in the photo below, I have baskets on the lower shelf of a nearby console.
What Colors Make Sense for Your Space?
I can’t seem to think as clearly in spaces with energetic or saturated colors. Subdued, subtle, neutrals help me remain focused. This office/dressing room/closet where I occasionally get work done is painted SW Agreeable Gray, which can be sampled easily with Samplize (link below this image).
Color is personal. The ideal color palette for me may be all wrong for you. All the greige may lull you…not always the mode you need to feel energized to work!).
Self-awareness is important to understand how you respond to color. If this neutral below feels too sedate for walls, and you’re going for a calm, low contrast look:
Consider a bolder neutral like Pantone’s 2025 color of the year which just may provide a rich answer to your desire for comfort:
2. Space Requirement
How much space will you require? Have a slew of documents or tools to spread out? Maybe you need the spaciousness of your formal dining room table. Do you rely on a single laptop only? A small bedside desk may make sense.
Where will you feel productive? How important is quiet focus for you? Will you meet with clients or offer services from your workspace? Spare bedrooms, closets, quiet corners, stair landings, and even outbuildings are all possibilities. Underutilized space in halls, nooks, foyers, or pantries may also work.
Will there be adequate separation? It is truly a bonus if you are able to step away from the space and forget about work! Is the office area removed from noise, pets, and people?
3. Ideas for Carving Out Workspace at Home
Need privacy within the room? Sometimes a screen or bookcase provides the right bit of separation to define a zone for work.
Corner desks. Is there a corner to work in a living room, great room, or den? Sometimes a corner desk will bring coziness to an otherwise dim corner.
What’s the best view for you personally? Think about arranging furniture so your view is not cluttered with distractions. What to do about a view of a blank wall? Keep reading.
Closet office possibilities. Sometimes it makes sense to utilize closet space. (Can the belongings in it be stored in under-bed roll outs to make space for workspace?) The closet doors will keep work out of sight when closed, and small closets offer vertical space for shelves, cabinets and supplies.
A power strip run from a nearby outlet is often adequate, and you can creatively personalize the nook (bring a hanging plant into the mix!).
Small Home Office Furniture
4. Home Office Furniture
Space saving desk solutions. There are innovative desk solutions to discover including Murphy style, floating, and wall-mounted convertible desks. They can sometimes prevent your workspace from taking over your home’s square footage.
Even though this is a kids room, you’ll get the idea of how a wall-mounted desk conserves space:
If you live in a smallish home without a dining room, maybe a new desk can also double as the dining table.
Here’s a streamlined possibility that would work as a multi-purpose surface:
Browse Desks that Will Feel Native to the Space. Rather than limit yourself to “office furniture” searches, look at pieces that won’t stand out from the rest of your furnishings. If you work from a small laptop, a smaller scale secretary or writing desk may function well next to a bed.
Modern and minimal styles like this industrial one keep the look airy and light:
Smart closet desk DIY. Need an affordable custom desk in a closet? An off the shelf laminate countertop from warehouse stores may be a smart solution. Wood supports on walls at either end within the closet can support such a countertop desk.
5. Lighting
Don’t underestimate smart natural and artificial lighting. If you have worked in a space with insufficient light, then you know. Ugh. Best exposure? Southeast or easterly exposures. Also, be sure you spend some time testing out lighting for visual conferencing.
Task light matters. Adjustable lamp heads and and task lamps with arms to direct light where you need it make a huge difference. Look for desk lamps with bases that function as wireless charging stations for added convenience (just picked up a desk lamp with built-in charger at Homegoods for $12!).
Floor lamps are unsung heroes. Don’t forget about ambient light. For example, floor lamps can transform dark corners and create a pleasant mood with a comforting glow.
6. Cords & Organization
Corral that clutter. What helped me get a handle on home organization, including office stuff? A no-nonsense book to help me identify my organization style called The Clutter Connection (Mango, 2019) by Cassandra Aarssen. Is your issue maintaining order once you have spent a bunch of time getting organized? It may be you need this book to help you put in place the just right organization systems for your personality, not the organization book author’s.
Manage unruly cords. A cable management box with a power strip inside keeps cords and cables tidy.
7. Tech & Tools
Plan to scan if you can. Unless hard copies are essential, consider scanning for digital copies. A wireless printer also keeps things visually calm.
Noise pollution. Resolve noise issues for improved concentration and professionalism. In addition to noise-canceling headphones, sound-deadening panels or carpet to absorb sound may help. Upgrade a hollow-core door to a solid one. Paint walls with special sound-proofing paint (yep, it exists). Need to mask annoying sounds? Consider a white noise machine.
Personalized Home Offices
8. Workspace Decor Ideas
No fuss decorating approach. Your workspace’s décor should (1) feel unfussy and (2) increase well-being. Color, art, and accessory ideas follow.
Neuroaesthetics. As if we even needed neuroscience research to confirm it…viewing art is good for health and wellness. In fact, art is effective stress-relief (Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2019). Adding artful layering to your space is worth the thought and energy.
Choose colors mindfully. Love color? A 2016 study in Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal concluded green and blue are perceived to be the most relaxing colors in work settings. Bear in mind that yellow and purple can be highly distracting for lots of folks, and calm neutrals work well for creative types.
9. Add Organic Touches Such As Plants
Biophilic design. Why were 9,000 trees incorporated into the design at Apple’s Silicon Valley campus? Plants increase feelings of well-being and heighten productivity. Plus there’s more. Living with plants can improve memory! While you’ll still hear chatter about plants cleaning the air, the science says they don’t…but they do impart a sense of fresh air.
Foliage and focus. A 2008 University of Michigan study found natural environments may help to replenish our capacity for attention and focus. I’m guessing that means that even a faux ficus is helpful.
Décor for workspaces beyond plants. Keep soft textures in mind since they dampen sound. Consider botanical prints or artwork with natural, organic motifs.
Is space limited for art? Paint an accent wall an earthy green such as Benjamin Moore Flora or one of these:
I hope these tips increase your confidence about creating or improving your workspace at home!
If you don’t have a Pinterest board devoted to home office ideas, it’s also a savvy way to organize your plans! Also, PIN THIS POST for future reference.
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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References
The Clutter Connection: How Your Personality Type Determines Why You Organize the Way You Do (Cassandra Aarssen, 2019).
Experimental Biology and Medicine (October 21, 2019), Megan E. Beerse, Theresa Van Lith, Scott M. Pickett.
“The Effects of Colour in Work Environment: A systematic review” (July 2016); Nattha Savavibool, Environment-Behaviours Proceedings Journal.
“Toward a Brain-Based Theory of Beauty” (July 6, 2011); Tomohiro Ishizu, Semir Zeki.
“The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting With Nature” (December 1, 2008); Marc G. Berman, John Jonides, Stephen Kaplan, Association for Psychological Science.
