Home-base

Flexible working arrangements have become commonplace, resulting in many of us re-evaluating our home office situation and contemplating how to create an attractive multi-purpose space.

The line between home and office has been blurred in recent years due to the global pandemic, forcing many of us to work and study from makeshift office spaces within our homes. Suddenly our dining table, garage workbench and the humble couch became the spaces in which we worked. While most are now returning to their workplaces, there still remains a portion of the population that continue to work from home. Flexible working arrangements have become commonplace, resulting in many of us re-evaluating our home office situation and contemplating how to create an attractive multi-purpose space. Sectioning off part of a room to create a designated space is easy with Resene and can make a strong and appealing focal feature.

A nature inspired moodboard

A nature inspired home office

Mood board: Background painted in Sandtex Mediterranean tinted to Resene Concrete, vase painted in Resene Raven, A4 drawdown paint swatches in (from left to right) Resene Concrete, Resene Quarter Tasman, Resene Half Tasman, Resene Cloudy and Resene Ravine.

While it would be nice to have a room solely dedicated to an office space, many of us don’t have that option. No matter how limited our space is at home though, most of us will have a small zone which can be utilised as a workspace, whether it be a nook in our living room, a wall along our hallway or a corner of our bedroom.

Our study wall is painted in Resene Ravine, which is a grey-toned green that adds a sense of tranquillity to the space – perfect for combating feelings of workday stress and fatigue. Resene Ravine looks fresh and modern with Resene Concrete, which is used on the back wall. Alternatively you could try complementary combinations such as Resene Highland with Resene Willow Brook, Resene Paddock with Resene Umber White or Resene Waiouru with Resene Eagle.

To create a strong unified space within your room, paint a desk and shelf tinted to the same colour as the table. Keeping the area tonal creates a harmonious and cohesive look which is important in a workspace and encourages us to approach our work with a clear and focussed mind. Start by priming the desk and shelf with a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat then apply two topcoats of Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel tinted to Resene Ravine. Adding a few pot plants near your workspace is another great way to enhance its overall appearance as well as providing stress and fatigue-busting benefits. Painting the pots in light tones such as Resene Concrete and Resene Half Tasman, helps to blend with the wall behind and enables the greenery to pop.

A green nature inspired home work space

A green nature inspired home work space - 2

Paint: Front wall – Resene Ravine, Back wall – painted in Sandtex Mediterranean tinted to Resene Concrete, Desk – Resene Ravine, Shelf – Resene Ravine, Big pot with olive – Resene Half Tasman, Small pot with angled foot base – Resene Sandtex tinted to Resene Concrete, Stool beside bed – Resene Sandtex tinted to Resene Concrete, Vase on beside – Resene Ravine, Pot on top shelf – Resene Ravine. Accessories: Lampshade and low pot with curved edge from Citta.

Another great way to add interest to your room without overpowering the space is to add texture. We’ve created a textured wall in a neutral colour using Resene Sandtex, a tough acrylic texture which creates the look of natural sandstone. Resene Sandtex can be tinted to an array of Resene colours, or as a basecoat for Resene FX Paint Effects Medium to create a limewashed effect. The Resene Sandtex was applied with a brush using a loose sweeping motion to add further dimension to the wall. Additionally, letting the natural woodgrain texture shine through in your flooring adds another layer of interest to the room. Our sleek wooden floorboards have been finished with Resene Colorwood Whitewash which enables us to achieve a look that is light and fresh, without disguising the woodgrain completely.

Choosing a colour for your workspace is of course a personal choice. You may wish to pick a colour that coordinates with your existing interiors, or your intention may be to express your personality with a colour that you love. Keep in mind that every colour brings a different type of energy to your space. Cool tones such as blues and greens for example, are calming colours which create a peaceful and relaxed vibe. Warm tones on the other hand, such as reds, oranges and yellows have an energising and motivating effect. To create a relaxing mood try a cool colour such as Resene Casper, Resene Emerge or Resene Finch. For warmer earthy tones, you could try Resene Tussock, Resene Tuscany, Resene Wild West or Resene Sunbaked.

Visit a Resene ColorShop and your local team will be able to help you find colours that will coordinate with your space and colour preferences. Grab some Resene testpots of your favourites and see what suits your space.