Home Office Paint Colors: The Best Colors for a Productive and Calming Work Space At Home
Looking for the best paint colors to maximize productivity or create a calming work-at-home space in your house? Here are the best paint colors from Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, and Farrow & Ball for your home office.
Home Office Paint Colors
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Chances are like most people you are suddenly working from home now (and will for an indefinite period of time!) Well, if you’ve been putting off making your home office nice, this is the perfect time to paint! We are embarking on our own home office renovation during this time as well! I find it always helps to do something when I am anxious!
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I’ve rounded up the best home office paint colors for ultimate productivity and calming below (and ones that won’t drive you crazy!) My advice is this for picking a home office paint color–don’t just pick one because of the color psychology. Pick a paint color that makes you happy and goes with your home decor. Although, I’ve included the color psychology associated with each paint color below, ultimately, what makes you happy is a pulled together home! So take the color psychology recommendations with a grain of salt!
Related: See the best tips on picking out a whole house color palette!
Here are the main color families listed below:
- Green
- White
- Gray
- Charcoal
- Pink
- Blue
Under each color family, you’ll find the best specific wall colors, examples of real rooms with the colors listed, and tips on choosing one! Any of the paint colors listed below are a great choice for a home office and have been proven to look good and help you focus in your home office.
How to Choose the Best Home Office Paint Colors:
Choosing a home office color is a personal choice. While it might be tempting to go all in for the “most productive paint color ever,” I’d advise balancing that sentiment with designing a room that goes with the rest of your house. We are currently designing our home office which will also serve as a den. Because we want it to be both productive and cozy, we’ve chosen to use blue and white as the two main colorways. It will flow with the rest of our house, and it will help me focus!
Related: See my best tips on picking out a whole house color scheme here!
How many times have you forgotten a paint chip at the paint store? Save yourself time and understand the colors you are using in your home better with these–plus they’re available with free shipping!
Below, I’ve rounded up the best bluish-gray paints from each of the top paint manufacturers, included my personal comments and recommendations on it, shared complementary colors, and the LRV of the paint color.
How Color Affects Your Mood:
The psychology of color has been studied for many years, and lucky for us it’s one of the easiest things to change in a room! Simply by painting the walls (or even a single wall) you can completely change the overall feeling in a room!
1-BM Wythe Blue/ 2- BM Decorator’s White/ 3- BM Hale Navy/ 4- Farrow & Ball Green Smoke/ 5- Farrow & Ball Pink Ground/ 6- BM Sherwood Green/ 7- Farrow & Ball Middleton Pink/ 8- BM Soft Fern/ 9- BM Palladian Blue/ 10- BM Simply White/ 11- BM Edgecomb Gray/ 12- SW Angelic
1. Green
Green can be calming, balancing, and energizing. It is also traditionally associated with ambition and money–both great things for an office space! Whether you want greenish-hued grays, bluish-greens, or earthy green tones. There are plenty of green paint colors perfect for home offices!
2. White
White can be a blank slate perfect for creatives who crave a distraction-free room. It can also be energizing. While it’s not great for sterile work offices (think big corporate office buildings), at home with plush comfortable furniture, it can be fantastic! Warm whites work particularly well because they give just a hint of warmth (see the best warm white paint colors here.)
3. Light Gray
Light grays are a nice restorative neutral paint color good for productivity and focus! Warmer than whites, and lighter than dark colors, light grays are the perfect middle ground if you are undecided!
4. Dark Gray/ Charcoal
Dark colors like dark gray aka charcoal can be great for creating a focused environment enabling you to draw inward and focus on the task at hand.
5. Pink
Warmer pink shades like coral and peachy pinks can be great for improving energy and focus. Plus, pink has been correlated to boosting creativity so it’s a fantastic feminine workspace color if your job takes creative thinking (or you just like a feminine palette!)
6. Blue
Blue is a fantastic paint color long known for being soothing and relaxing. What it also can help with is keeping you calm and productive!
Best Green Paint Colors for Home Workspaces:
Green is the color of money, so green is a natural choice for a money-making space like a home office. Lest you think I am telling you to go paint your office kelly green, take a look at the color recommendations below–most of them are softer greens with a hefty dose of gray to make them calm and balanced! Green is also associated with power, ambition, and balance–all helpful traits for a home workspace!
1-Farrow & Ball Green Smoke/ 2- BM Soft Fern/ 3-BM Sherwood Green/ 4-BM Carolina Gull/ 5-Behr Pinecone Hill/ 6-Farrow & Ball Pigeon/ 7-BM Mountain Air/ 8-SW Clary Sage/ Photo and design by Chris Loves Julia
Now, let’s get into how to choose the right green paint color.
The best green paint colors have plenty of undertones that lend it an air of sophistication. While I love a straight kelly green, I believe it’s best used in small doses like an accent piece instead of an entire room. My favorite green paint colors listed below either have a sagey hue (have plenty of gray and a nice earthy tone) or a smidge of blue.
- Farrow & Ball Smoke
- Benjamin Moore Soft Fern
- Benjamin Moore Mountain Air
- Benjamin Moore Carolina Gull
- Behr Pincone Hill
- Farrow & Ball Pigeon
- Farrow & Ball Oval Room Blue (sort of a greenish-blue)
Greenish-Blue Paint Shades:
Farrow & Ball Oval Room Blue by House that Lars Built
This stunning workspace by House that Lars Built shows the power of a calming blue tint and a slightly green paint color! Paired with the geometric patterned painted floor and the modern lines of the desk and mirror, this work space is meant for a boss!
Looking for more of a teal paint color? Try NM Carolina Gull to get a similar look as the teal office walls above. It’s a lovely and versatile bluish-green that will keep you feeling balanced and focused!
Earthy Green Paint Tones:
If you are looking for an earthier paint color like those shown above–try Benjamin Moore Soft Fern. It’s a lovely relaxing sage paint color that pairs well with wood tones and beiges! Its earthy tones keep it grounded and will help you stay focused and productive, or if you want something deeper, try Behr’s Pinecone Hill shown below.
House on Longwood Lane– Behr Pinecone Hill
House on Longwood Lane shows how stunning a deep earthy sage green paint color looks on built-ins in this fabulous home office. The mix of natural colors interwoven with the plants, and the brown hues from the oriental rug and the leather chair make it a gorgeous room!
Grayish-Greens:
My favorite paint colors are ones with a lot of gray in them. Below, you’ll find two stunning examples of home offices that are greenish-grays.
Chris Loves Julia– Farrow & Ball Pigeon
Bria Hammel Interiors Farrow & Ball Smoke
1-BM Simply White/ 2-BM Classic Gray/ 3-BM Revere Pewter/ 4-BM Edgecomb Gray/ 5-BM Decorator’s White/ 6-Farrow & Ball Pigeon/ 7-Farrow & Ball Middleton Pink/ 8-BM Hale Navy/ 9-SW Sea Salt/ 10-BM Soft Fern/ 11-BM Wythe Blue/ 12-Farrow & Ball Green Smoke/
White Home Offices:
- BM Chantilly Lace
- BM Decorators White
- BM Simply White (what we have used in our home)
- BM White Dove (my favorite white paint color)
Related: See how to pick the best white paint for your home here!
If you are a creative or love colorful home furnishings and decor, you may feel like you want a nice crisp workspace for your office that serves as a blank slate. Traditionally, productivity experts have not encouraged people to painting office walls white because they would feel too sterile and hinder work performance.
I beg to differ, however, since white walls can be beautiful with comfy and colorful home furnishings. The main reason experts don’t like white is because most work spaces are in sterile office buildings. A home office is much more comfortable. See the rooms below–they say anything but sterile and boring!
The key is having the right color white paint (see my complete guide on the best white paint colors here) and using colorful rugs, fabrics, and artwork.
The office space above shows how a nice wood toned desk and file cabinet can warm up an office, and the blue area rug adds a hefty dose of color.
Kaleidoscope Living– Falling Snow by Behr
Kaleidoscope Living (formerly Designer Trapped in a Lawyer’s Body) shares her home office above. The white walls serve as a blank canvas and let the bold artwork do the talking! What you get is a lovely home office where creativity takes the center stage.
Casa Watkins shares her basement home office in the picture above. While she might have white walls, the office is anything but personality-less! With a wallpapered ceiling, a bold rug, and colorful accessories, she has created a beautiful and vivacious workspace!
Eva Amurri Martino’s workspace shown above is mostly white (I would wager it’s BM Decorator’s White.) Although she has mostly white furniture and rugs, the room is far from sterile and boring. The colorful curtains (the same fabric we used in the girls’ bedroom–available here) brings personality to the room and a pop of color that’s echoed in the pink chandelier, wastebasket, and decorative accessories.
1– BM Edgecomb Gray/ 2- BM Simply White/ 3- BM Decorator’s White/ 4- BM Classic Gray/ 5– BM Revere Pewter/ 6- Farrow & Ball Pigeon/ Design by Bria Hammel Interiors
Light Gray Home Office Walls:
If you want a neutral airy feeling office with just a little more warmth and substance that white walls, light gray walls might be the best bet for you! Below, are a few of my favorites which I’ve used time and time again in my own home!
- Benjamin Moore Classic Gray
- Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist
- Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray
- Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
- Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray
- Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray
You can see in the fabulous offices below, that neutral walls doesn’t have to mean neutral looking! These spaces maximize productivity while still looking fantastic!
A comfortable and stylish desk chair adds a splash of color and ties in nicely with the oriental rug which pulls the room together. Don’t forget about adding fresh (or faux) flowers–here are my favorite artificial ones!
A more neutral office space than the others, this one still looks anything but spare. With a mix of beige, light brown, and white, this home office provides a neutral space that is functional and stylish. If you are tight on space, using a secretary desk like the one above provides storage and a place to put your laptop!
Polished Habitat’s feminine light gray office space
The Polished Habitat’s feminine home office shows that you can have a girly aesthetic without pink walls. By employing a pink oriental on the floor, pink throw pillows, pink artwork, and a fun upholstered pink stool, she shows that color can be added in a variety of ways!
Emily Ley’s former home office is classically stylish with its white built-ins, light gray walls, and blue and white accessories.
Emily Ley’s current home office shown above shares a similar aesthetic–stick with what works! By adding a beautiful blue oriental rug, and a plush office chair, she grounds the space making it feel very balanced!
Young House Love’s – BM Edgecomb Gray
YHL’s wonderful home office is the at-home workspace is a bright and cheerful greige office is both welcoming and energizing! See my full review of their paint color, BM Edgecomb Gray here.
Related: Best Greige Paints for Your Home–Is It Right For You?
Charcoal and Dark Gray Office Walls:
Dark gray or charcoal walls are very en vogue for offices. Perhaps their moody look helps you turn inwards and focus, the offices below show that dark walls can be great for focusing and recall a sort of “gentleman’s study” chic aesthetic!
Best Charcoal or Dark Gray Paint Colors for Offices:
- BM Kendall Gray
- BM Chelsea Gray
- BM Nightfall
- SW Tricorn Black
- BM Iron Mountain
- Farrow & Ball Downpipe
- BM Wrought Iron
Driven By Decor shows that moody and dramatic offices are great for productivity in her gorgeous home office! (Paint color BM Nightfall)
Pink Home Workspaces:
A pink shade can provide an inspiring and playful atmosphere for a home office. Stick to lighter pinks if you want to create an “airy” feeling. Undertones of orange will help it feel more grown up than regular light pinks. For example, Farrow & Ball’s Pink Ground or Middleton Pink are two fantastic light pink paint colors with just a touch of orange which will boost your mood and creativity!
>” data-pin-title=”6 Best Paint Shades for Creative Home Offices”>1-Farrow & Ball Pink Ground/ 2-Behr Citrus Delight/ 3- BM Pink Fairy/ 4- Farrow & Ball Middleton Pink/ 5-Behr Noble Blush/ 6-SW Angelic/ Design by Alice Lane Home Collection featuring Farrow & Ball Pink Ground
Best Pink Paints for Creativity:
- Farrow & Ball Pink Ground
- Behr Citrus Delight
- BM Pink Fairy
- Farrow & Ball Middleton Pink
- Behr Noble Brush
- SW Angelic
Related: The Best Light Pink Paint Colors
Pink Home Office Ideas:
PMQ for Two’s – Behr Noble Blush looks!
PMQ for Two shoes how to style beautiful built-ins with a fun splash of pink paint, creating a gorgeous and fun home office!
While, Lemon Stripes has a light coral wallpaper on her walls, you could easily use a light pink shade of paint to get a similar look. She grounds the space by employing a beautiful blue oriental rug, and adding splashes of gold with the desk and the stylish bookcase.
Our Fifth House’s sophisticated pink home office (from her sixth home) mixes a fun mix of gold, white, and black and white! By grounding the space with the black and white geometric rug, the wood tones on the gorgeous burl wood desk, and the dark office chair, she pairs two high energy colors in a winning duo!
Rain on a Tin Roof’s –Behr’s Citrus Delight
Rain on a Tin Roof shows how fabulous light pink walls go with blue and animal print creating a vivacious home office perfect for design!
Blue Paint Colors for Home Offices:
Blue paint colors are calming and are great for creating a relaxing place where you can focus on your work. Light blues are very soothing, and are good for focus; while dark blues are energizing and also fantastic for concentration. See the best picks below!
1-BM Hale Navy/ 2- Farrow & Ball Parma Gray/ 3- Farrow & Ball Oval Room Blue/ 4- BM Wythe Blue/ 5- SW Sea Salt/ 6- BM Palladian Blue/ Design by Brooke Crew Interiors
Best Blue Paints for Concentration:
- Benjamin Moore Hale Navy
- Farrow & Ball Parma Gray
- Farrow & Ball Oval Room
- BM Wythe Blue
- SW Sea Salt
- BM Palladian Blue
Related: See the best blue-gray paint colors here
Blue Office Ideas: At Charlotte’s House
At Charlotte’s House shares her bright blue and white home office which is full of energy and fantastic for creativity–just look at her house–she is one of the most creative people I know!
Life on Virginia Street -Hale Navy
Life on Virginia Street shows how lovely and energizing a navy blue accent wall can be in her home office with dual work stations.
Related: See the best navy blue paint colors here!
Brooke Crew Interiors – Farrow & Ball Parma Gray
Brooke Crew Interiors shows a soothing home office in this Greenwich, CT project that is perfect for focused work!
Related: See the best light blue paint colors here!
In conclusion, what office color is best for your home really depends on the type of feeling you want it to evoke. All of the colors listed above are fantastic colors for boosting productivity and focus in your home workspace. For me, I like our home office to be an extension of our home (albeit a quieter extension of our home–and free of my four small children 🙂 For that reason, we chose and blue and white color scheme with lots of neutral colors to be soothing, and blue for focus.
Whether you want a green office, a pink office, or a dark gray office–hopefully the specific paint color suggestions give you an idea of the best paint colors for your room!