Home Office Colors – Creating an Exciting Workspace!

The thought of having a home office has gone from a temporary situation to a career solution! Many of us set up home offices as a way to get by, but now, we realize that we will be working at home in one way or another for the long term! I have written about home offices before, but now it’s time we take a closer look, “dig deep,” and think about how we really want this room to work for us in every way! 

According to an extensive research survey, it is understood that about 26% of Americans were working remotely through 2021. It is expected that the numbers will remain the same for the foreseeable future and only slightly dip once the pandemic is a distant memory. What does this mean for everyone out there working remotely? Well, as a color expert, it tells me that the “temporary office spaces” need to get some not-so-temporary updates. Remote workers need to use color, design schemes, and even plant life to create an environment that can boost their energy and support a positive emotional work experience in whole new ways! 

Home Office Colors – A Need for Inspiration

We all have an archetype ingrained in our minds when we picture the workspaces (hopefully) of the past. For me, it’s this:

• Wall-to-wall greige carpeting
• White fluorescent overhead lights humming
• White or pale gray walls
• Brown desks
• Flat-gray cubicle walls

GEEZ! Prisons or even hospital rooms can be more inspired. Well, I’m kidding, but you know what I’m saying! There’s no reason that a modern-day office space should look like something out of a drab, early 1980’s corporate training video. 

Many businesses have discovered the need for inspired colors and design elements in modern offices. Thankfully, companies will hire professionals like myself to bring supportive energy to a floor or entire building. I have chosen colors for offices several times, and it really does change people’s desire to be in the office.  How can employers expect inspired performance if a workspace is void of positive enrichment?

---

Are You a Little Lost on Exterior Paint Colors and What Works Best for Your Residence? 

Click to Learn More!

---

Creating a Supportive Environment

Have you found yourself working at home more than you ever thought you would? Workspaces at home are more pleasant if they are thought through. Home office colors do not need to be sterile, flat, and uninspired, far from it. Let’s outline some options you can take to bring positive, productive energy into your workspace. 

• Obtain some new furniture 

This suggestion has less to do with home office colors and more with the home office itself, but it’s equally important. Don’t just “deal with” home office furniture you don’t like. If you’re sitting in an old uncomfortable office chair with no back support or using an old card table or bookcase as a desk, it’s time to treat yourself to some new furniture. Now, when I say “new furniture,” it doesn’t mean it has to be something store-bought, but it needs to be new to you and inspire you in some way. Whether it’s more comfortable or simply has a more enjoyable presence in the space, your office furniture should help you, not punish you. You should also feel good every time you walk into the room and reconnect with the furniture you will be using!

• Surround yourself with what you love!

This is where you need to think outside the proverbial box! If you don’t want to feel like you are in an office, skip the sleek office work surface and go with a heavy farmhouse table! Nowadays, a computer can go almost anywhere, so make sure your space is comfortable for you so that you can spend all day there and not think you’re “in the office.”  Are you a coffee drinker? Put a coffee machine in the office, so you don’t have to go to the kitchen repeatedly throughout the day. It might be a space to work in, but you should decorate it like a space you would want to hang out in whether you’re working or not!

• Add color to define the space 

Our working/productive mindsets are different from our relaxed mindsets, and we crave visual identifiers to recognize when we are entering spaces with different intentions. What do I mean by this? If you’re limited in space for your home office, as many people are, there are ways to define the workspace with color, so your home office and your TV room don’t blend into an amorphous room, void of intention. 

I’ve seen wonderful work done to create a positive office space, even if that space is unconventional or limited. Whether it’s a corner of a room next to the windows or a cozy space that’s tucked away beneath the stairwell, paint color experts have found ways to create well-defined areas of color to define your space and promote productivity. 

In designing your space, I suggest giving your workspace an identity with all pieces working together. Are they contemporary with soft grays and metallic accents? Carry that vibe from the table to the lighting to the chair you’re sitting on. The same applies if you are in a dark woodsy room. Continue the design with a stained wood table that blends beautifully with all of the woods in the room. 

• Accessorize with color

Accessories and decor that showcase your personality are another effective way to add color inspiration to the space. Are you into retro movie posters, funky vinyl figurines, neon clocks? Well, use them as accent pieces for your home office! Without even picking up a paintbrush, you can add pops of color and energy to the home office with even the smallest of items. Whether you are a tea drinker or coffee lover, drink it out of a mug in your favorite color, so you start your day off with a smile!

• The colors and feel of your home office

What do I recommend for home office colors? Colors that make you feel good, whatever that means to you. Make it personal! Brighter airier colors will reinforce the feeling that the room is stress-free. Keep your spaces uncluttered, and the room will feel like its purpose is positive and not something overwhelming and stressful. Another suggestion is to include as much daylight as possible. If plentiful daylight is not possible, add lighting you love for the same effect. Remember your goal is to create a space you are happy to spend time in!

How Have You Created Your Home Office?

So, I’m curious, for those working from home, have you made colorful and inspired changes to your home office in the last two years? Have you noticed a change in your productivity, mood, or attitude? Please share your thoughts on home office inspiration; I’d love to hear from you. 

If you’ve enjoyed this article, please see my accompanying piece, “Working From Home? Try These Productive Colors to Enjoy Your Home Office.”