Re-Imagine Your Home Office With Color

Working from home? While you’re probably enjoying the convenience and perks of a remote work situation, you may also be seriously reevaluating your home-office design. As a matter of fact, a home office has become one of the top requests on Home Buyers wish lists.

A few tips for designing your home work environment:

Lighting – Natural lighting is always best, for your eyes as well as production. If possible, place your work surface adjacent to, not facing, a window for maximum exposure to natural light. If this isn’t possible, and even if it is, invest in good, directional lighting and most importantly, light bulbs that produce a glow similar to organic outdoor light. Even with the right lighting your eyes can tire easily. Give your eyes a break every 20 minutes or so by looking away from your computer screen.
Eliminate Distractions – Declutter your desk and the floor around it, but be sure to keep well supplies within arms reach on well organized shelving.
Comfortable Seating – Perhaps the most annoying distraction when you’re trying to work, is an uncomfortable chair. If you spend a bit extra on nothing else, make sure you’ve invested in a comfortable chair.
Color – You might think this would make little difference in a home office but believe it or not, experts have determined that color affects not only our mood, but creativity, productivity, and emotional reactions. More on color below.

Whether your office is in a designated room or merely an alcove within a large space, the right configuration and decor can make all the difference in your productivity. Good design starts with color. Consider painting your home office area with one of these work-friendly shades, recommended by marthastewart.com:

Beige-gray. Are you having trouble focusing while working from home? Color experts at Sherwin-Williams recommend using a soothing shade of beige-gray to help prevent your mind from wandering. Another plus associated with this shade? It goes with everything, so you won’t have to rethink your entire design scheme.

Dark blue. Set your office apart from the rest of your home and create a luxurious, studious atmosphere with a deep, dark blue. According to the color experts at Benjamin Moore, a dark, muted blue provides a meditative atmosphere that enhances concentration, and it’s also a great backdrop for camouflaging computer and television screens. And believe it or not, dark blues like navy are actually quite neutral and provide you with lots of design flexibility

Warm white. On the opposite end of the spectrum, warm shades of white will ground your home office and create a clean space and limit visual distractions. These tones are easy on the eyes and also provide a blank canvas-type of feeling to help boost creativity.

Earthy green. A subdued shade of muted green will add a calming tone to your home office, perfect for work situations that are fast-paced and often frenetic. These quiet, relaxed hues are also very versatile and blend well with any existing or future design themes.