Let's talk greens

[radiatordrama]

I am decorating my home office and I am stuck on what colour to choose. I am leaning towards a strong green. It is a north -facing room with a garden view.

I have bought samples of Jewel Beetle and Hopper (Little Greene). I previously used Edward Bulmer Invisible Green and I am tempted just to use it again.

Does anyone have thoughts or inspiration???

Photo attached. An anthracite column radiator is now under the window and there is also a skirting board.

A friend of ours has just done her home office, and I think it’s extremely clever.

she has used an off white/grey colour on the walls which makes everything photoed/video conferencing calls (including her) look great - she is 64.

She has made it as impersonal/but professional as possible, it’s her office, she has pens/pencils/rule in a mug (same colour as walls) on window ledge which has all being glossed the same colour, the radio, a small plant, and small lamp is on it too.

The Flooring, desk, filing cupboards/cabinets are all the same colour, and her chairs (2) are the same colour as the walls.

The inside of the door is glossed the same colour as the window.

It doesn’t look like the rest of the house, the rest of the house is vibrant colours, beautifully decorated showcasing some stunning pieces of furniture, but her office is where she makes her money, and if using “influencers decor tips” to make herself look better on camera, that’s the way to go.

I like Farrow & Ball breakfast room green, it's a cheerful green so would be good for a dark room, I think. Want it for our study but my husband wants blue 😥

I can see that this may be sensible...tricky, I had been planning on a space that brings me joy, but a space that brings me money could also be nice 😅

I've gone for the bring me joy approach given I spend a huge amount of time in that room. I chose a Johnstone's paint from a decorating centre, Brewers I think. green silk is the colour name.
I painted the window reveals yellow as I don't get a lot of natural light so it makes it feel a bit brighter. My ceilings are not even as it's an older house so I have also only taken the colour up to the height of the top of the window, as though there's a picture rail, then it's white above, same as the ceiling. I painted that cut line free hand so it's not too crisp.
I thought about painting the ceiling a pale sky blue but didn't do that in the end just because I already had a lot of white paint so for ease, speed and cost it was easier to use that.
Furniture is pale wood. I love it all.
When I find some art I love I'll be hanging that, and I've a few small pot plants dotted about.
I always use one of the provided backgrounds on zoom calls anyway so no one except me will see it.

@radiatordrama

You need to think about light if you are working in there. The paints are dark for an office in my view. I prefer the Acorn colour from Little Greene. You also have a dark floor. The dark combinations are more dining room colours to me. I'd go lighter and have dark green accessories. It's a small window too. So how will you light your working zone?

Gloss paint? Just no. Eggshell for wood and metal all the way. Also same colours on all doors in the house. Are you putting the work station under the window? Or against a wall? What will this look like? What colour? Built in or freestanding? What about storage? How would the room be kept tidy?

My home office is Dulux Overtly Olive and it’s lovely, I find it very calming but also a nice modern colour.

Do you use online zoom calling, or once you are in your office, that’s it, no one sees you.

You have a dark floor, a small window which is near the ceiling, and dark walls in my view will make the room feel “enclosed” in my opinion.

You will need a lot of well placed uplighters, down lighters etc to light a darkish room well, not to cast shadows etc.

Covid has changed my working practices now, and I will never forget my first zoom call, My family were home so I set up in the gazebo, I put a freshly laundered, and ironed olive green bedsheet as a backdrop, to go with the comfy chair which was green and the frame is black, I even dressed to colour co ordinate, and loads of colleagues asked who was in an aviary - the wild green parrots were going potty for some reason.

Now I’m more laid back with it now, I personally have a desk in the hallway, and behind is a plain whitewashed wall and that’s it.

Our study is a collection of billy bookcases which some free and some were of eBay, which has cost us probably £30.

Our desk is a partners desk, which we were given years ago, we have a sofa, a small solid dining table with two chairs, and I have just bought two new office chairs which cost a lot of money, but they are comfortable.

We (Me & DH) love our study, it’s comfortable, clean, peaceful, it has everything we love in there, and you get a lot done in there. The kids (grown up) think it’s a mess, but I do a zoom call once or twice a week, so a small desk in the hallway with the laptop is perfect for me, if I was zoom calling constantly like my friend who has used “influencer decor” we would have to rethink and probably go down that road. But luckily for us, we don’t and our home study/office is like most people’s, perfect for the person(s) who it belongs too.

Let us know how yours ends up.

Our north facing rooms are a very soft peach that almost playd with the light and makes if feel warm, almond white, jewel aqua marine (bathroom) and bright pink (bathroom) all these colours reqlly work. The kitchen is natural hessian and while it looks nice in the kitchen the does feel dark and dreary.

The floors are actually a blonde oak. They are covered in this photo.

The room is 3.3 x 3 and the window is actually 120cm wide.

My working plan is white ceiling, colour washed skirting and doors, matt as possible.

I will have Ivar bookcases filled with books on basically all walls, just unfinished natural wood. My desk will be against one of the walls adjacent to the window. It's an old oak schoolteacher desk.

I will have a ring light for zoom calls on my desk and possibly a desk or floor lamp. But nearly everything I do is on a computer with external monitors.

Now you’ve shown the true floor covering/colouring, your colour choice for the walls is totally understandable and I’m sure it will look superb. Thanks for the handy tip about the “ring light” that’s clever xx

@ScroogeMcDuckling thanks! Your separate Zoom station is a really good idea. Something else to consider 🤔

@radiatordrama

Yes. The floor is much lighter than it looked in your first picture. I still prefer a softer grey/green or a lighter green. However now I've seen Acorn by LG I'm keen on it for a bedroom!

@Twiglets1 Breakfast Room Green IS very nice...

Update: I think I am going with Garden by Little Greene

Update: finally got my desk into the room. There will also be bookcases etc in the end.

Looking nice. Thank u for the uodate