Paintaroom

Painting Your Workspace

Welcome to our series we’re calling “paintaroom.” Over the next few weeks we’ll be discussing the merits of painting individual rooms in your home or office, and some proven tactics that will ensure you love the job.

We want to begin by discussing your workspace.

Like it or not, this is where you’re going to spend the majority of your time, especially if you work from home. Regardless of the purpose of the space (earn a living or pursue a hobby), a workspace should inspire you.

Color is one of the biggest elements in energizing a room towards any given emotion (red to invigorate, blue to calm, etc). Just because no one but you goes into your workspace doesn’t mean that you should ignore it.

Cusctom Colors

Ah, humans. We’re creatures of habit. Believe it or not, sometimes those habits are psychological in nature, and not just physical. What we mean is that colors can have a tendency to push us in emotional directions.

To get you started, here are a few tips.

First, you should almost never paint small spaces vivid colors, like red. Colors like red do two things: they inspire a lot of excitement, and they contribute to appetite. What you don’t need is to be in your office or workspace and constantly be hungry or hyper. 

There is an exception, and that is if your office is part workout room. Red in this case can be very compelling.

Better colors to use in a workspace are more mellow, or neutral tones. Colors like blues, greys, or even greens promote a more relaxed, laid-back atmosphere.

Get Inspired

Stop for a moment and consider what inspires you? What’s first prompted you to purpose a room in your home into an office or workspace? 

Let’s talk about a few color choices that you may not have thought of.

Deep Greens

If you resonate deeply with the renaissance or nature, then a deep green could be right for you. Greens work well in rooms with exceptional amounts of sunlight. Since green is the color of nature and growth, it’s often best to accent the room with plants that offer yellow accents.

Pointing

Farrow & Ball produces a beautiful off white color they call pointing. It’s warm and delicate, as they say, and we agree.

It’s the closest thing you’re going to get to a real life Instagram filter.

Blue Grey

Deep and moody greys with hints of blues make for incredible accent walls. We recommend using deep colors to offset light in rooms that get lots of sun, or maybe have aggressive overhead lights.

The grey almost feels like an off-black until the light hits it, then it pulls the whole room together. This is perfect for a slightly larger work space.

Light Greys

Lighter greys with hints of blue are perfect for office spaces that are too white. Playing with different tones of grey can create rich ombré effects. 

In our office space, we have a nook. We’ve found that if we accent a wall, we should avoid using this around corners and instead opt to use color on a larger standalone wall. Alternatively, you can paint the entire office and revel in delight.

Accent The Color

Using plants, hanging pictures, or installing fun lighting can make or break a room. Floor lamps do much to splash light onto your newly painted wall. We’re believers in that they should be set up everywhere, as opposed to overhead lighting (with the exception of recessed lighting).

Recessed Lighting

Speaking of which, recessed lighting is one of the most intuitive uses of lighting you can install. Often its best used for spotlighting, but strategically installing several recessed lights can easily fill a room with light.

If you aren’t using floor lighting, opt instead for recessed lighting that bounces off of walls.

Research Work-Space Design

Just because you didn’t study design in school doesn’t mean that you can’t find all of the information you’d ever need to DIY. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what color, accents, and lighting work best for you and your office, but don’t be afraid to lean on the professionals now and then.

Coastal Painting has been a successful leader in the industry for +20 years. For ideas on how to bring in professional advice, give us a call for a free consultation and quote.