Do you work from home, perhaps using the small space under the stairs as your office space? It’s not ideal, as it’s probably dimly-lit, a bit cramped and not very inspiring, not to mention too close to the kitchen where noise, food smells and distractions beckon.
Perhaps it’s time to refurbish the upstairs guest bedroom and turn it into an office? Just think of the peace and quiet, not to mention the space you could have. Here, Dakota Murphey an independent content writer working alongside Kent-based kitchen specialist David Haugh, gives you 6 great decorating and furnishing colour schemes to spur you on.
Black and white
Let’s try a little black and white now for an office that’s cheerful and bright as well as calm and cosy. White walls to begin with, with a few framed family pictures in black and white. A modern desk with black legs and a white top, together with a few stacked wire drawers. Now add a black and white Angelpoise style lamp, black and white curtains and a charcoal-grey couch. The desk chair could be steel, painted black or white, and the carpet a shade of grey.
Great in white
Or you could go for the reverse and make the room all white. A bright space is great to work in, lifting the spirits and sending energy levels soaring. You might like to start with pure white curtains that have a slightly transparent look and feel. Then a desk that’s long and sleek, with a high-gloss finish in a creamy shade of white. The office chair could be in complete contrast – maybe a high-back wooden chair in black, with a white sheepskin rug thrown over it. Walls painted a grey-white work well and to accentuate all the whites in the room why not go with a carpet that’s a deep shade of ivory. Perfect! Now, get to work!
Calming blue
Here’s something that’s completely different but great for an office. A room that’s mainly blue – a deep, almost navy-blue – with one wall that’s covered in wallpaper in direct contrast to the blue – a gold pattern with blue leaves, perhaps, or a deep, orange pattern with dark-blue motifs. The carpet should calm things down and be plain-coloured, a light blue-grey would work well, or even a pale sky-blue. The desk should be painted blue to match the walls, so too the bookcase that’s fitted to the wall in front of desk, but the desk chair, with high-tech chrome legs and a plastic bucket-seat should be a bright canary yellow. A two-seater couch in blue with yellow cushions, or a comfy armchair, upholstered in a blue and yellow pattern to match the walls and desk chair make a perfect finish.
Black is black
Believe it or not, dark colours work well in an office. Black walls, a free-standing wooden desk with a comfy black leather chair, dim lights and private corners give off a wonderful ambience. Together with concentrated pools of light from a central light fitting and a chrome desk lamp, it could be the ideal spot to handle tough client negotiations and burn the midnight oil. A grouping of photographs on one wall, a small dark sofa and a dark Persian rug completes the picture.
Green and white
This office space may take a little more time to put together. The colour scheme is a combination of green and white. First, you need to construct a bookcase of three shelves that runs the entire length of the room. For a high-tech feel, fit a few chrome spotlights to the frame. You can make the desk from MDF board and paint it with a white lacquer, or a high-gloss enamel paint. The desk must also run the full length of the room below the bookcase and have drawers and cupboards. Paint the walls a pale green, or use grass cloth wallpaper in a sage or lemon green colour. The couch could be upholstered in matching green and white, with cushions of dark blue and green. A white-framed, glass-topped coffee table works well and the desk chair could upholstered in a light caramel-brown leather. Fit a dark green Roman shade to the window to add a masculine touch.
Mellow Yellow
Yellow is all the rage right now, so how about a yellow desk in high-gloss paint that’s fitted to the wall? Make the curtains the same yellow but with a pattern of white circles or squares. Fit a light, sandy-coloured carpet with geometric designs. A black leather desk chair and a large circular central light-fitting in a shade of white make a good contrast. Paint the bookcase and cupboard a bright yellow and finish the room by adding a chair or two in light mushroom and a small table painted a deep pink.
