Home Working: Choosing Colours For Your Home Study
For many, home offices have become an essential part of the modern home. With more people now working from home, our studies have become places where we spend a significant amount of time.
Working from home means creating a workspace that is functional, but that also reflects the aesthetic style of your home. Your work environment should make you feel inspired and motivated, or perhaps provide a sense of focus and calm.
Whether you are decorating a designated office room or simply converting a corner of your living space, discover paint and wallpaper ideas to transform your home-working space.
Creating calm: Using neutrals in small study rooms
Neutral schemes bring calm to a study area. Light neutrals help to open up smaller spaces by reflecting natural light. Whilst warmer, earthier hues will bring a palpable sense of comfort to a scheme. Create a relaxing environment by painting your walls and woodwork in a family of related shades from our Stone collection.
Castell Pink and Ferdinand pair beautifully with the deeper accent shades of Nether Red and Arras to deliver this characterful interior. The introduction of panelling adds a textural element that also gives the scheme a sense of order and structure.
Discover more ideas for neutral study spaces
If creating a calm, ordered space is your main aim, consider using a grey palette. Grey is a timeless, versatile colour that is easy to integrate into both modern and traditional homes. Using various grey shades in a tonal combination is a great way to create interest in a featureless room and expand the feeling of space.
To incorporate your workspace within a wider living space, consider introducing a related, deep grey on one part of the wall. This approach will create a defined zone that is quietly segmented from the rest of the room. Knightsbridge pairs harmoniously with Down on the surrounding walls in this scheme.
Be bold: bright colours to transform your study
In contrast, if you need your workspace to motivate you and inspire creative thoughts, use a bold, energising colour palette. Double Drenching is a fantastic way to create instant impact in your study space. Combine two or more related, strong colours (for example, three different blues) to invigorate the atmosphere and help you feel stimulated throughout the day. Tivoli, Woad and Blue Verditer combine with wooden furniture to create this inspiring work environment.
Escape into nature: home study ideas inspired by the outdoors
Wherever your study space is located within your home, it will benefit from the positivity and wellbeing associated with biophilic design. Surround yourself with natural materials, botanical patterns and lush greenery to create a joyful, uplifting atmosphere, perfect for a home working space.
Botanical wallpapers bring the outdoors in, and their trailing patterns allow your creativity to flow. Consider placing an intricate design like our Bird & Bluebell mural in front of your desk. Teamed with complementary paint colours, it will provide a beautiful focal point to uplift your spirit each day. This elegant mural feels fresh and contemporary when paired with coordinating shades like Dorchester Pink, Puck and Green Stone – Light.
A large-scale repeating motif like our Magnolia Blossom wallpaper is ideally suited to a bright, spacious office space. Consider using this wallpaper to frame a window that looks out onto natural surroundings, creating a peaceful view that inspires you while you work. This all-encompassed approach will transform your room into a tranquil, relaxed setting that feels truly connected to the outside world.
Darker Palettes: Opulent Study Design Ideas
To evoke an elegant library feel, team dark wallpapers with sumptuous hues and textural elements. Bayham Abbey – Monarch is printed on an earthy red ground to add an element of opulence to any home study or reading room. Paint the woodwork in Córdoba for an exquisite scheme that delivers focus and luxury.
Pink Interior: Characterful Study Space
A shade associated with beauty, comfort and warmth, pink is an ideal choice for smaller office spaces, adding character without overwhelming the room. Lower George St in the joyful Carousel colourway accompanies our muted, natural green Ambleside on the lower walls. With the addition of Blush on shelving, this scheme exudes a sense of playfulness and charm.
If you’re seeking the perfect pink paint shade for your home working space, consider Mochi from our ‘Sweet Treats’ palette. This comforting, plaster-like hue is a great alternative to neutral, sitting comfortably in both classic and contemporary interiors. Or for a lighter tone, consider Pink Slip with softly contrasting woodwork in China Clay.
Zoning spaces: Modern Homes
For home office ideas that incorporate your workspace into an existing room, use paint to zone the area. Zoning will help you create visual boundaries between home and work, enabling you to switch off when your working day is over.
Introduce blocks of colour to create contrast in otherwise monochromatic schemes. Paint horizontal stripes across your wall in wide bands, with the darker colour on the lower part and the lighter colour above. Tracery II and Light Beauvais is a light, refreshing combination, whilst a classic blue and white pairing like Dock Blue and Celestial White achieves a sophisticated finish.
For something a bit more fun and playful, ideal for a child’s study space, try combining two different wallpapers to create bold contrast. Our Broad Stripe wallpaper is a simple, two-colour stripe design that is easily combined with other prints in complementary colourways. Here, the Pleat colourway coordinates with Road Trip – Pleat to create a personality-filled scheme that exhibits real confidence in colour and pattern.
Explore more inspiring study spaces or request a colour card to create a home working space that inspires you.