My office - a little color help??

grapfruit wrote: Ok, here's a few pictures of my office (from the front door).

It looks like a jail cell because it's so WHITE. All the walls are white and the ceiling of course. It's just so stark and blah. The carpet is a bluish grey (typical office carpet).

I want to paint, pretty much just one wall. The place is too big (w/big heavy cabinets on one wall) to paint the entire room. So I was thinking an accent wall or something. Anyway, any help would be appreciated. here's the pictures:


This is from the front door and (obviously) is the front desk (will be my assistants')
You can see there are "cut outs" from the cinder blocks. I'm thinking maybe just painting the "cut outs". I don't know, maybe I need to do the entire wall.


Another from the front door. This shows how long this room is (there's another office behind that door and then a storage area and bathroom)


Pictures by front desk.

sparkys2boys replied: what is the trim color I am seeing.. it's hard to tell.. is it a yellow color?? Or an off white??

C&K*s Mommie replied: What about a light blue (not baby blue) but a light blue?

I worked for a time in a super small cash room that was painted a light blue and it was serene (despite the stress of the job), and seemed larger than what it actually was. Blues, I think, are known for having a soothing effect.

mom2my2cuties replied: Hey hun ....I have an idea, but I will need to work on it in Photoshop (So I can show the finish properly) I will post it for you later, but just wanted you to know can check back later.

Faux finishes also seem to really help a room if you do the proper ones.

CantWait replied: I say light blue, or yellow. They'll make it look bright and bigger.

Maybe even a sage green.

grapfruit replied: The trim is a gross yellow color. Almost like socks that are sweaty and need washed. Ok that's gross, but that's what it "says" to mean. LoL.

I think I'm leaning towards the blue. I've thought about green, but I think that the carpet would clash a little. Maybe I should take some pics w/the carpet in it so you can see. (and I could turn the other light on so you can actually SEE).

I'm just amazed the other agent had an office her for like 5 years and did NOTHING to it. I won't even tell you about the bathroom. Put it this way, I just went ahead and bought a new toliet seat.

Since I don't want to paint the entire room (just that wall behind the desk). Do you think whatever color I pick to put on the wall I can extend by painting the rest of the rooms TRIM that color? Does that make sense or does it just make sense in my head?

grapfruit replied:
Hmmm, I maybe interested in doing some faux finishes, just because they look neat. I think the room needs more character....What do you think would look good?

I'm so horrible at this stuff!

luvmykids replied:
I think that would look nice, it would help tie it all in together instead of just having one wall with color and thats it. I kind of like the idea of just painting the cutouts, you could always try it and if you don't like it then go ahead and paint the rest.

grapfruit replied:
Another thought I had was doing the bottom (below the chair rail) in whatever color and then doing above in strips. Not bold knock you out strips but strips in the same color as the bottom, just different finishes. SO you only see them when the light is hitting them just right. My friend did it in her daughter's room and it looks amazing.

mom2my2cuties replied: My personal favorite Faux Finish is Antiquing...but if it is already a small room, that might not work Because it looks a tad bit dark.

CantWait replied: I would really keep it as simple and professional as possible since it is an office. Especially if you have people coming in and out on a regular basis.

MommyToAshley replied: I had a friend that had cut-outs like that. She bought a big sheet of mirror for each cut out and then put white moding around it. The wall itself was a dark color.. I can't remember exactly, it was like a burgandy. But, it looked awesome. It was in a home though. I don't think I'd do burgandy in an office.

Instead of the mirrors, you could paint the walls one color and pain the cut-outs a lighter shade of the same color or a coordinating color and then hang some pictures.

If you didn't want to paint, you can get some really neat finished with a wallpaper, more specifically weatherd stone. I have a few clients that are in the decorating field and I always love the pics of weathered stone. Here's a few examples:

MommyToAshley replied: Another one

MommyToAshley replied: ... or wallpaper like this. I think it gives the professional banker/broker/realtor type feel.

grapfruit replied: Hmm...I like all of your ideas! I think on tuesday, when my assistant starts we'll pick out some paint colors. We already have to look at a church out of town, so it'll be a nice trip. I'll scan them so you guys can see what I picked out.

You guys are so much help! Thank you so much!

grapfruit replied:
How about an insurance feel?

MommyToAshley replied:


Insurance too.

JadensMama05 replied:
That's what I'd do.. but sage green is my favorite color and I find it very relaxing and calming