How to add colour to a home office

Create an inviting and stimulating area for work and play by adding colour to your home office. Here are 10 stunning home office colour ideas

Home offices might be the most practical room in your home (and the one where you know you need to get your head down!), but that doesn't mean you have to compromise on your style and design choice.

Whether you use your office for your work, life admin or arts and crafts, there are several colour schemes that are the perfect fit for the space. The usual colour rules apply - small spaces should be kept light and bright - but prints, clashing colours and personality can all be injected into your office.

It's easy when you know how...

1/10 Soft green office

soft green office

(Image credit: Future PLC/Simon Whitmore)

Create a calm and collected space to work in by teaming soft green walls with natural wooden furniture. The glossy pot plants and flowing curtains complete this nature-inspired look. A console table can double up as a desk to create an office area in smaller rooms.

2/10 Green feature board

room with white colour and green feature board and lamp

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Wreford)

Create a clear zone for working in by using blocks of colour. Especially effective in clean, neutral rooms, using a board that has been papered or painted on top of your desk will allow you to change your colour scheme as often as you like - great if you're renting.

3/10 Painted blue desk

room with white painted brick wall and painted blue desk and red chair

(Image credit: Future PLC/Mel Yates)

If you'd prefer not to focus on your walls to add a splash of colour, why not turn your furniture into a feature instead? Try upcycling a desk with bold coloured paint, like this teal pine desk finished with patterned wallpaper and a glass top.

4/10 Blue patterned dresser

room with blue patterned dresser and pink lamp

(Image credit: Future PLC/Simon Bevan)

Scraps of wallpaper can be used to transform your home office furniture. Try using strips of brightly-coloured paper to line the back of shelving for a fun and colourful new look that can be achieved in an afternoon.

5/10 Neutral office with feature blind

neutral office with cream wall and lamp on table and chair

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Wreford)

Try using colour in unusual places for a quirky look in your home office. Keep the rest of the room clean and neutral to let your chosen feature stand out, like this red feature blind.

6/10 Light lilac office room

light lilac office room with rounded table and chair

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Brittain)

Choose a favourite colourful accessory, like this purple bird painting, and theme your room around it. The light lilac walls and tonal purple accessories work harmoniously in this traditional home office.

7/10 Organised office with coloured files

organized office with coloured files

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Wreford)

Liven up a mundane area, such as filing shelves, by placing your magazine files in blocks of bold colour, making finding what you need easier and brightening the whole room.

8/10 Indigo office

home Indigo office with table and chair

(Image credit: Future PLC/Simon Whitmore)

If you don't want to create just one feature with your chosen shade why not go for a bold statement look and saturate your office with one colour? Create interest by using complementing tones and quirky accessories.

9/10 White office with bright accessories

white office with bright accessories

(Image credit: Future PLC/Andrew Woods)

Create a fresh and vibrant look by keeping your background colour clean and neutral, then adding lots of bright and bold primary colour accessories. Team with a dark wooden floor for a New York loft feel.

10/10 Yellow and grey office area

yellow and grey office area

(Image credit: Future PLC/Tim Young)

Use soft, complementing tones to create a romantic, country-style look. This pastel yellow works in harmony with the soft grey furniture to create a relaxed space in which to work.

Get more advice on how to add colour to every room in your house with our Colour Week special. Find out what your favourite colour says about you by watching our video.

Holly Walsh
Content Editor

Holly Walsh has been Content Editor at Ideal Home since 2021, but joined the brand back in 2015. With a background of studies in Interior Design, her career in interior journalism was a no-brainer and her passion for decorating homes is still as strong as it ever was. While Holly has written for most of the home titles at Future, including Livingetc, Country Homes & Interiors, Homes and Gardens and Style at Home, Ideal Home has always been her ideal home, and she can be found sharing her expertise and advice across both the printed magazine and the website too.