Six Tints to Avoid Utilizing in Your Domestic Workspace at Home
Six Tints to Avoid Utilizing in Your Domestic Workspace at Home
Whether you work from home full-time or occasionally use your house as a makeshift office, the design of your home workspace significantly impacts your professional image and productivity. Cultivating a polished room that reflects your personality, achievements, and expertise involves thoughtfully picking out accessories and decor. Establishing an efficient workspace necessitates selecting a design aesthetic that bolsters your focus.
Speaking of design aesthetics, the paint color you choose for your home office plays a crucial role. Instead of going with a bold color, it's often better to opt for a softer, more neutral shade. We consulted with interior designers to uncover the worst colors for a home office and reveal the better hues to employ for your ideal workspace.
- Nadia Watts, founder and principal designer of Nadia Watts Interior Design
- Christina Boschetti, founder and principal designer of Widell + Boschetti
- Stephanie Mahaney, founder and principal designer of Stephanie Rae Interiors
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Loud Yellow
If the undertones are right, yellow walls can produce a warm and cheery workspace—but select the wrong shade, and you may find yourself feeling uneasy and anxious.
"Yellow can be inviting, but it can also be overpowering," says interior designer Nadia Watts. "If you're set on it, choose a yellow with some green or gold, like a rich honey yellow or a unique goldenrod. These yellows have more depth and warmth and will blend well with a variety of other colors."
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Traditional Orange
Orange stimulates energy and productivity, but like yellow, it requires careful consideration. A genuine orange (like the one in your fruit basket) is typically too vivid—especially as a backdrop during video calls. "Orange is the most 'unprofessional' of all the colors," says interior designer Christina Boschetti. "Unless it's in your company logo, avoid this color."
If you're determined to infuse orange into your space, Boschetti recommends a shade with warm, deep undertones. "Try an orange with some brown in it, such as rust, clay, or spice," she says. "If you prefer a lighter appearance, opt for a more muted or yellowy orange, like apricot or honey."
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Bare White
White is a significant factor in home offices. "I enjoy having a white office," says Watts. "It offers a clean backdrop for arranging color palettes and working with textiles, wallpapers, and finishes."
However, if you spend hours at your desk, cold, white walls can leave your workspace feeling unfinished. Instead, consider developing a cohesive aesthetic that highlights your personality—especially during video calls. "White is too minimal and can be too harsh," says Boschetti. "We recommend a softer color with a neutral undertone that gives off a warm and inviting vibe."
Watts suggests employing shades with a gentle undertone. "There are certainly more alluring colors to select from that will still give you that neutral look," she says. "Try a warm beige, light yellow, or a pale lavender."
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Vibrant Kelly Green
Most hues of green contribute to a tranquil, organic atmosphere that keeps you focused and productive. The exception? Bold, intense hues, like Kelly green. "Kelly green wouldn't be my initial choice for an office," says Watts. "I prefer a green with a bit of shading, like jade green, minty green, or green with blue undertones."
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Intense Primary Blue
While avoiding red and yellow's primary shades, Watts naturally distances herself from pure, intense blues too. "I aim to establish a sanctuary-like atmosphere in an office—a place to escape and focus," she says. "Hale Navy from Benjamin Moore is one of my favorite colors to use in an office. However, I would advise against a true cerulean or navy blue in favor of a darker, richer blue or a light blue."
If navy feels too somber, Mahaney recommends creating a custom shade. "Use classic tones, but soften them if they feel too dominant," she says. "I love mixing white with strong colors to create a more subdued hue."
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Vivid True Red
A genuine, primary red—think fire engines, apples, cherries—stimulates your brain, creates an unflattering backdrop, and elicits an unfavorable impression. "Red is too intense, and can cause color reflections," says Boschetti. Instead, choose a shade with deep brown undertones or a softer pink that hints at your preferred berry hue.
Incorporating Home Design Decor from Martha Stewart can help create a polished office space that reflects your professional image. Choosing the right Interior Paint Colors Palettes is crucial, as bold colors like bright yellow or intense primary blue may be overpowering and unprofessional, according to interior designers Nadia Watts, Christina Boschetti, and Stephanie Mahaney.