Color help for Home Office

12 years ago

I'm redoing my husband's home office and need paint color advice. The room is 11x13 with 2 windows. The south window is 50" wide (trim included), the west window is 36".

The trim will be BM Vanilla Ice Cream to match most of the other trim in the house.Vanilla ice cream

He has a 3 piece corner desk & bookshelf unit that is probably closest in stain to the Minwax red chestnut

3rd row, 3rd from left

I'm considering this rug Rustic Blocks Rug probably in the 7x10 size but would the 7x7 be too small? I have a 9x12 now and I'd prefer to get the front of the furniture & file cabinets off the rug. The current rug is a solid color and looks grungy so I'm thinking a pattern will be good.

I'm having the wheeled office chair recovered but will probably leave the 2 visitor chairs the same. I haven't picked the fabric for the chair yet. I'm going to ask about the cost of recovering the visitor chairs but unless they're giving it away, I doubt I'll spend the money. They are still in excellent shape. They are covered in a solid burgundy, kind of twill fabric.

I bought the smallest size rug to bring home to use as a sample. The binding is black and the edges have a lot of black.

Using that I pulled 3 Behr paint cards as possible colors. I am not wedded to Behr, I usually use BM but it was convenient to get the rug & pick some paint cards right there. I am considering jumping on the gray bandwagon so I picked Pier UL200-4. I also grabbed Juniper Ash UP220-21 and Wasabi powderUL200-16. I also bought sample jars and will paint white board to see how these colors look next to the wood.

Any thoughts on those colors in this room? With the trim color? Will they be too dark, too light? What should I do for the ceiling?

For the windows I'm getting rid of the TDBU shades and using ivory sheers that match the vanilla ice cream color. I'll probably add stationary panels for color and/or pattern.

I'm really open to any suggestions. I don't care for yellows but I'll consider them if someone offers a compelling case. In case it matters, the room does not have any overhead light, all illumination is desk and floor lamps (and I need more of those now that I think about it).

Thanks for your help.

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Comments (7)

suero
12 years ago
How about a grayish green, like BM Weekend Getaway.

Here is a link that might be useful: 473- Weekend Getaway
likewhatyoudo
12 years ago
My husbands new office. Black desk, black bookcase and brown recliner. Walls are SW Khaki Shade looks wonderful. Still have some work to do in there but he likes it so far.
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hhireno
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks for the suggestions. They both have potential.

rt, I hope my finished office looks 1/2 as nice as yours.

My biggest issue will be all the stuff that he keeps in there. I keep hoping that once the room is refreshed he'll be willing to sift through his stuff and we can condense it a bit.

A girl can dream.
susanka
12 years ago
We just painted our office SW Cherish Cream and really like it. It's rich (not really a cream) and looks good in all variati0ons of light through the day and in artificial light in the evening.
les917
12 years ago
It seems as though your rug choice, furniture stain color and fabric on the guest chairs are all warm. I think a grey would be a nice choice, but not sure about the Pier. I would need to see it next to the rug and furniture, as it might read a bit cold and dark with all the other heavy colors in the room.

Sorry, I don't see the Juniper Ash at all. The Wasabi has a real yellow green undertone to me, not sure I see that with all the reds in the room.

Your choice, of course, but I don't see sheers in the office. I would think panels alone, or perhaps matchstick or woven wood roman shades, would be a nice look.

You didn't tell us what the flooring is, so I am thinking it might be wood. That matters in the color choice as well.
hhireno
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you susanka. I bet that is a pretty color in multiple light conditions.

Les,
The Wasabi powder was way too yellow once I saw a larger sample (but I love the name). The Juniper Ash is lovely, in the larger sample, but not right for the space. The Pier was too dark.

The floor is stained oak, rather orangey, as was common 40 years ago. I have no plans to refinish it.

I was thinking sheers because I want filtered light but don't need total privacy. And they're inexpensive.

Turns out my husband never knew how to operate the TDBU shades correctly. Now I find out! Maybe he won't have a problem with a cordless roman shade.

Thanks for your input.
hosenemesis
12 years ago
Thanks for the photo, rtwilliams. I have a small room with black furniture that looks oppressive, and I have been stuck on what color would work to bring the room together. Beautiful room.
Renee