Interior paint colors for office

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Delft by Sherwin-Williams

“For the ultimate Zoom-ready workspace, we love swathing the entire room in a single saturated hue. In various sheens, Sherwin-Williams’s Delft can create a serene and sophisticated office sanctuary.” —Monica Guarnaschelli, Indigomaven Interiors

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Kelsey Mulvey

Kelsey Mulvey is a freelance lifestyle journalist, who covers shopping and deals for Good Housekeeping, Women's Health, and ELLE Decor, among others. Her hobbies include themed spinning classes, Netflix, and nachos.

15 Paint Color Ideas For Your Home Office -- Ring's End

Having a home office is a top priority for many people as it becomes more common to work from home. Choosing the best home office paint colors and decor can mean hours spent researching home office ideas. Whether your home office is a living room corner, converted closet, or guest room, it’s important that your workspace is organized and helps you be productive. However even though it must be functional, a home office should also be attractive and reflect your personality so you feel good spending time there. So, what is the best color for a home office? We’ve done the research for you and collected our favorite office color schemes – some of them may surprise you!

The Best Home Office Color Schemes Boost Productivity

The most important part of selecting your home office paint colors is to find a color choice you love. After all, you’ll be spending a lot of time there. Some color experts recommend avoiding relaxing office paint colors and going bold to create a dynamic interior design. After all, you’re there to get things done, not to relax.

Painting your home office a different color from the rest of your home sends you a subliminal message that you’ve entered a “work zone”. Your office color scheme helps you make the mental switch between home and work. Even if your home office is just a desk in another space (like a family room or bedroom) you can use a bold office wall color to separate the office space visually.

Paint an accent wall or a small area around the desk a great color to create a distinct work zone that will help you focus. Beadboard wainscoting or a shiplap plank section immediately around the desk is another way to create a visual separation. A separate home office paint color also helps you disconnect from work at the end of the day – when you leave the desk, you’re leaving work.

This home office nook, set off by painted wainscoting in Benjamin Moore’s energizing Turquoise Powder, exudes positivity:

Neutral Home Office Paint Colors

Neutral shades like white, off-white, gray and beige continue to be the most popular color palette for interior design, so it’s no surprise they’re common home office paint colors as well. There’s good reason for this, since many people prefer the sense of calm that a neutral wall color provides. However, color psychology studies have shown that gray, beige and white walls may promote feelings of depression, so they’re not always the best shades for a home office space where you want to feel energized and get things done.

If you do love a neutral, monochromatic office color scheme, add plenty of texture to make the space feel warm and inviting. Layer knitted pillows or throws with an area rug and rugged wood for a tactile, cozy effect. Bright white and pale neutral paint colors let art and accessories stand out, so consider adding a colorful artwork or rug to add energy to the space. Here are a few ways to add texture and contrast, making neutral office wall colors more interesting:

Simply White

In this home office, a black ladder and cork board create a graphic accent among walls and a built-in bookcase painted Simply White by Benjamin Moore:

This office area added texture and dimension alongside Benjamin Moore’s Ballet White paint by adding a natural fiber rug and a shiplap wood plank wall:

Warm neutrals like Benjamin Moore’s Stonington Gray have enough color to contrast with white trim and create a cozy feeling. This home office complements the rich neutral of Shaker Beige by Benjamin Moore with a linen window shade, woven chair and textured rug. A black desk anchors the space:

Relaxing Office Wall Colors

The most serene and relaxing office wall colors are blues and greens. Blue is known to promote calm productivity because it supports emotional balance. However, blues that are too cold can dampen creativity; add warm color accents like coral and yellow to add energy to a blue home office. Green has been found to increase concentration, so it’s been a popular business office paint color for decades. A soft green like Benjamin Moore’s October Mist, with its gray undertones, helps create a neutral background for furnishings. Blue-green colors tend to change with the light throughout the day, so they are a great way to add subtle interest.

Silver Marlin

Silver Marlin by Benjamin Moore is a soft green that has a hint of cool gray undertone, so it changes with the light. In this home office, Silver Marlin looks cool against mid-century modern furnishings in warm wood tones.

Aegean Teal

Benjamin Moore’s 2021 Color of the Year, Aegean Teal, is a blue with distinct green undertones, plus a hint of gray that keeps it grounded. It’s a complex color that works beautifully on both walls and office furniture. While this medium shade is stimulating, the gray undertones keep it from being too high energy.

Nimbus Gray

Cool wall colors like blue-grays can make the walls seem to recede, helping small spaces seem larger. Benjamin Moore’s Nimbus Gray has just enough blue to give a small home office an airy look, while the gray undertones provide a calm and grounded feeling.

Woodlawn Blue

If your home is painted in a neutral shade like Revere Pewter or Classic Gray but you want color in the home office, Benjamin Moore’s Woodlawn Blue is an excellent choice. This tranquil color has gray-green undertones that make it easy to live with. In rooms with low light, the green prevents it from appearing cold and depressing; and in brightly lit rooms the hint of gray keeps it from being too bright.

Energizing Colors For Creative Offices

Energizing colors like yellow and red are popular business office paint colors for creative spaces. Yellow shades have been shown to increase information retention, and reds add energy to a space; however, bright colors can be fatiguing to the eye so they are often used as accents. Softer versions of yellow and red (like yellow-green and pink) are more suited to use as an overall background color.

Pale Moon

Buttery-yellow Pale Moon by Benjamin Moore is a soft shade that promotes both energy and calm. The sunny warmth of this office corner makes it the perfect spot for creative brainstorming:

Fernwood Green

With distinctive yellow undertones, Fernwood Green is a medium-light green that energizes and enlivens home office walls. It’s a great choice for North-facing rooms since without a hint of gray, it maintains its warm, sunny disposition when natural lighting is cool and gray. Wall paneling also makes a sophisticated addition to add layers and interest to your office and can be painted to any wall color choice.

Touch of Pink and Sunlit Coral

Red may be an energizing color, but it also stimulates the appetite, so painting an entire office red may be a bit too intense. For the stimulating effect of red in a relaxing hue, consider pink for your home office. Pink can be a surprisingly sophisticated, complex color that stimulates creativity without being overwhelming. The warm undertones of Touch of Pink combined with Sunlit Coral (both from Benjamin Moore) create a cozy vibe; without strong blue undertones, these pinks aren’t too soothing for work.

Dark & Moody Home Office Painting Ideas

Immersing yourself in a deep, intense color is a great way to create a cocoon-like work zone. Painting the entire space – walls, trim and woodwork – in the same dark color eliminates the contrast between wall and trim colors, calming the space down. A deep color can help create a sharp division between the office area and the rest of your home decor, so that once you enter the office you can mentally transition to the work environment.

Salamander

Salamander is a very dark green Benjamin Moore shade that has black and blue undertones. Painting an entire room such a deep color makes the corners recede so the space seems larger. But if natural light is lacking, painting an accent wall is a great way to create the same drama without making the office too dark during the day.

Townsend Harbor Brown

Dark brown can be the perfect color for creating a quiet, cocoon-like space. However, for a home office choosing the right shade of brown is important; an office that’s too soothing won’t be conducive to work! Benjamin Moore’s Townsend Harbor Brown has red undertones that have an energizing effect, yet the dark color is still cozy and warm.

Knoxville Gray

Deep blue, charcoal and navy are some of the most popular moody, dark paint colors being used today. They look equally stylish whether paired with a white trim color or used to paint the entire room. One of our favorite home office paint colors is Knoxville Gray by Benjamin Moore; this deep gray has strong green undertones that are more visible in bright daylight.

Eclipse

If navy or dark gray paint colors are too much for the entire office, painting an accent wall is a great way to add drama. In this lively home office, the desk faces a wall painted in Benjamin Moore’s Eclipse, while the yellow-green Rainforest Dew adds energy for creative work.

Bonus Tip! Add a Writable Wall

Besides traditional wall paint colors, Benjamin Moore also offers specialty paints that can turn any wall into a writable wall! Keep your day organized or create a brainstorm space with Ben Chalkboard Paint, available in any color.

Alternatively, just add a coating of Benjamin Moore Notable Dry Erase Paint to any wall for an instant dry-erase board.

Whether you work in your own home full time or just need an office nook now and then, your home office should reflect your personal style. The best home office paint colors create an environment where you can focus and be productive. If you work in a creative field, look for an energizing color like Aegean Teal. If you love neutral colors, add sophistication and warmth with an up-to-date greige like Edgecomb Gray.

Our favorite designer tip for an easy way to test paint swatches is to paint a large poster board using a Benjamin Moore 16 Oz Paint Color Sample and move it around the room to see the color in different lighting conditions. Once you’ve settled on your color choice and are ready to order your paint, check out our Interior Paint Guide to help you find the right sheen and product for your home.

Paint is one of the easiest and most affordable DIY home office projects, and our 15 favorite Benjamin Moore colors are the perfect place to start!

Deep red-pink

6A Tegelsten

6A Tegelsten

Popular design brick shade

7C RED ROOF

7C Red Roof

Bagine

8A IVORY 9000 IVIRY IVIRY IVORY WHITE WHITE WHITE WHITE WHITE 9000 IVIRY IVIRY IVIRY WHITE minimal pink

9A CHAMPIGNON

9A CHAMPIGNON

Trendy dusty pink, easy to combine

10A NUDE TINT

10a Nude Tint

natural beige, easily combined

11A Rose

11A MARMOR Rose

Natural pink marble

12A NOGAT

13C ROCK GRANIT

Natural Rock Shade

14C ROBUSTA

14C ROBUSTA

Noble Deep Brown Accent

15A BISCUIT

20C ROOF Flis

Traditional warm brown

21c Wasa Brown

21C WASA Brown

Old woody dark brown, easily combined

22A ARCTIC

KRISTALL

23A KRISTALL

Rock Crystal

24A LATTE

24A LATTE

Soft creamy undertone, easy to combine

Neutral gamma, snowy white

52A MIST GREY

52A MIST GREY

Neutral gamma, light tone

53A Neutral Grey

53a Neutral Grey

, Poluard

55A STONE GRAY

55A STONE GRAY

Neutral tones, stone gray

56C DARK GRAY

56C DARK GREY

Neutral gamma, dark gray

57A Feather White

57a Feather

Soft swing Poh

58A FOGY 9000 9000 GRETCHEN GRITCHEN GEITCHEN GEITCHEN GEITCHEN GEITCHEN GEITCHEN GEITCHEN GEITCHEN -grayscale, light tone

60A CASUAL

60A CASUAL

Warm gray tone, light medium tone

61A WARMHALL

61A WARMHALL

Warm gray tone, soft undertone

62A City STRET

62A City STRET

Heat-gray gamma, saturated half -Ton

63C PEAT

63C PEAT

Heat-gray gamma, peat

64A ICEBERG

64000 64000 64000 9000. LIGHT GRAY

65A LIGHT GREY

Cool gray, light

66A DOVE GRAY

66A DOVE GRAY

Cool gray, dove

66A0002 67A Steel Grey

Cold Gram, steel

68A ASFALT

68A ASFALT

Cold Gamma, Poluton

69c IRONY

69C

Cold Grammarm, saturated medium tone

70C SLAT 70C SLATE GRAY

Cool gray range, deep dark gray

71A MICKEY'S GRAY

71A MICKEY'S GRAY

Neutral range, light midtone

72A LOFT GRAY

77C Carbon Black

Neutral gamma, natural black

78a Polar White

78a Polar White

Natural Polar white

79A PXLS

79000

Natural-gray, 9000 9000 LD, easily combined is easily combined

80A LYST BONE

Natural ivory

81A BEIGE GRAY

81A BEIGE GRAY

Dull gray beige

92A ECRU

03

104c Sea Green

104c Sea Green

Medied marine green

105c Dolmen Stone

105c Dolmen Stone

Glue-Greek stone

106a 0002 106a PoLAR OWLAL 9000-BUBLUTO-BOLUBOUT ICE

107A GLOWING ICE

Ice Crystal Luminous

108A Nettsky

108A Nettsky

Twilight Blue

109A TWILIGHT

115a Glacier

115a Glacier

Blue Blue, is easily combined

116a Island Mist

116a Island Mist

Lightly radiant pale blue

BRIS

BRIS 9000 27A Bris 9000 27a Bris 9000 bris 9000 bris 9000 bris.

118A BALTIC

Subdued grey-blue undertone

119С DEEP OCEAN

119С DEEP OCEAN

Exciting shade of the deep sea

120A FRESH DUFT

Soft shade of the coastal wave

126s Whales

126s Whales

rich dark blue, easily combined

127a GEYSER

127A GEYSER

Sine

128 128 128 HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE HAZE IS

129A NORDSTRAND

129A NORDSTRAND

Cool sea breeze

130A STEEL BLUE

130A STEEL BLUE

Trendy lilac gray undertone, easy to combine

The best paint colors for walls and ceilings according to a professional.
The world's best-selling interior and exterior colors.
The best shades of grey: from almost white to almost black.
How does color change in different lighting conditions?

When choosing a paint color for the interior or exterior of your home, it's a good practice to familiarize yourself with the palettes of the most popular and best-selling colors. Such palettes are formed on the basis of the choice of both professional designers and owners of apartments and houses, and help not to drown in the ocean of thousands of available shades of paint and varnish products. This can often be a great starting point when looking for the perfect color. nine0003

Below is a palette of the 50 most popular and best-selling paints of the famous Sherwin-Williams company. Of these, we select 12 of the most versatile and reliable gray and analyze them in more detail. There will be descriptions and tips for using a particular color, with explanations of why this color is more appropriate in certain places and conditions. The “pluses” and “minuses” of the selected colors will also be taken into account.

In this article, we rely on the great experience of US designer Cindy Alred. nine1189 We give her the floor:

Repose Gray

The number one color in the world in all paint companies. Of course, this cannot be said with absolute certainty, but I would be very surprised if I knew that this was not so. Repose Gray is a fantastic warm light gray that I highly recommend to my clients because it is perfection when it comes to painting all the walls in the house with neutral light tones.

Pros : Versatility. This gray is especially good because it not only looks beautiful during the day in natural light, but is also one of those rare colors that look great in the dark under artificial light. When changing the color temperature of the lighting, unpleasant shades do not appear.

Cons : In rooms with plenty of natural light, Repose can produce a very faint bluish-gray cast.

By the way, all the colors on the Repose Gray fan card (card 244) hit the bestseller list, which is not surprising, because this set is just great. These are stunning and versatile colors and you will see some of them below. nine0003

Sea Salt

This color is almost as popular as the previous one. The vast majority in the poll named it as their favorite Sherwin-Williams color. You can safely go for it if you are looking for a soothing and serene spa color.

Pros : Calm and serenity. When properly lit, Sea Salt is one of the most beautiful shades of blue-green-gray.

Cons : Has a chameleon effect and can be finicky in certain lighting conditions (usually areas with lots of natural light). It is very important to do a test run first. This color looks best in rooms with little or no natural light (bathrooms, bedrooms, etc.). nine0003

Worldly Gray

This is another trustworthy warm light gray that is very close to Repose Grey, but slightly warmer and darker. I often recommend it to clients instead of Repose Gray as the overall color for the whole interior if there is a lot of natural light in the room, as the former can look too white in such conditions.

Pros: In rooms with lots of natural light, Worldly Gray is ideal and versatile. nine0003

Cons : This color will appear darker in places with little natural light, and may look a bit heavier than a traditional warm light grey.

Crushed Ice

I first met Crushed Ice recently when I was redecorating my living room. I chose it as a replacement for Repose Gray (our number one), which looked a bit lighter than I'd like in this space. And in the end, I just fell in love with him, so I can confidently recommend you to try this color. It's a little lighter, a little cooler, and has a little more pigment than Repose Grey. nine0003

Pros : Crushed Ice is a stunning warm light gray that sits between a light (with barely visible color) and a medium tone. A rare gem in the range of intermediate neutrals.

Cons : Crushed Ice looks better in areas with moderate natural light. Not the best choice for rooms without windows.

Dorian Gray

This is another fantastic neutral warm gray in the midtone range. I used it on my client's range hood and it looks beautiful. Dorian Gray also works great as a neutral color for furniture. nine0003

Pros : Found on the same color fan card (244) as Repose Grey, but only two shades darker. A very versatile color for walls and cabinets.

Cons: Too much natural light can cause Dorian Gray to become colder and no longer look like a warm grey.

Dovetail

If you're looking for something darker than a neutral mid-tone warm gray, then Dovetail is a great choice. It is well suited for interior doors and cabinets. It is unlikely to be suitable for painting all the walls in the room, but the accent wall of this color will look beautiful. nine0003

Pros : Dovetail is a win-win option when you want to add contrast to a room, but don't want to use very dark tones so as not to lose the overall lightness.

Cons: Dovetail may take on a warmer tone in artificially lit rooms. Although it doesn't hurt him too much, he remains handsome. Drift of Mist It's a very subtle color that I consider to be an almost perfect neutral. nine0003

Pros : Drift of Mist is one of those rare colors that solves the problem when neither white nor more saturated colors are suitable.

Cons : There is a very slight hint of muted yellow (very faint). This is what distinguishes it from white, softening to neutral. And, although I do not like the presence of yellow, but this color I could use at home.

Peppercorn

No wonder Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn is on the bestseller list because the color is unheard of good! This overcast dark gray has tremendous depth and is perfect for an accent wall, closets, and some very small spaces. nine0003

Pros : Peppercorn is one of the most trusted dark grays. It always looks good on walls, cabinets and interior accents.

Cons : No problems come to mind with this color. He always looks great.

Iron Ore

The next sample is a beautiful very dark gray with a brown tint that has become a popular choice for finishing interior doors, cabinets and facade elements. Truly an amazing color! nine0003

Pros : Iron Ore is a stunning deep and heavy color. It adds instant contrast to a space if used sparingly.

Cons : When using this color for exterior elements, be careful to make sure that it blends harmoniously with the overall color of the facade, even if it is almost white. Indoors, this is less true, but the bright sunlight outside brings out the Iron Ore tones strongly.

Black Fox

Another fantastic dark color on the bestseller list that is very similar to the previous one is Black Fox. But while Iron Ore tends to be dark gray, Black Fox is more of a very dark brown.

Pros : Very rich dark, perfect accent color for walls, interiors and facades. Very versatile.

Cons : In windowless rooms with artificial light, Black Fox can have a rather warm undertone, but still be beautiful. nine0003

Tricorn Black

Of the black colors I most often prefer Tricorn black in my projects. First of all, because it really looks like black. And small brown-gray undertones save him from excessive roughness and harshness.

Pros : This is a very versatile and reliable color for both interiors and exteriors. If you are looking for the best black color, you can go for it, because it is really beautiful. nine0003

Cons : I've never had a problem with this color. He won't let you down. The taupe shade complements almost any color when used as an exterior finish or accent color.

Mindful

I have been using Mindful Gray for many years both on client projects and for myself. I think Mindful Gray is one of the prettiest and safest warm grays and is great especially for furniture.

Pros : Extremely versatile warm gray that looks best in cabinets and other furniture and fronts. It's a little heavy to get a warm gray on the walls, but it's fine if you're looking for a warmer, mid-tone gray.

Cons : In rooms with a lot of natural light, Mindful Gray can look cold, but still not lose its splendor. However, if you want a warm gray that stays warm even in these lighting conditions, then Mindful Gray is not the best solution here. nine0003

Most of the Sherwin Williams colors featured on this list are simply gorgeous. I haven't worked with many yellow/beige tones so I didn't rate them in this review.

And one more thing. Before using any of the colors I've given excellent marks to, be sure to test them in the room and lighting they're intended for. Lighting can change color drastically and I wish you weren't disappointed! nine1184