5 ways to transform your home office space

Not so long ago, some homes had a separate office or study, but it wasn’t a requirement for most households. Fast-forward to now and working from home in some capacity is a reality for a lot of us, whether it’s for our 9-5 jobs or getting through home and life admin.

If your home office – or repurposed spare room or small corner nook – needs a bit of a lift, there are a few things to do to make it a more usable space. Having the right set-up will help increase productivity and output, as well as create an environment where you’ll be able to focus and create to the best of your ability. These DIY projects are brought to life with Resene paint and stain and are great ways to add practical and stylish touches to your office space.

This versatile desk allows you to customise its layout to suit your needs for work, study or even hosting a meeting or seeing a client. The two-piece desktop is built from plywood and pine and sits over a thrifted cabinet, so is the perfect balance of upcycling and building. The cabinet is painted in Resene Lustacryl in smart Resene Black and the desktops and legs are finished in Resene Aquaclear satin mixed with Resene Colour Enhance Japan Black. The desk is elevated with a checked pattern painted in Karen Walker Chalk Colour in Resene Milk White and coated with Karen Walker Vintage Wax for an aged look.

Check out our video and step-by-step guide to learn how to make a versatile desk.

Top tip: If you prefer a more natural wood look, apply Resene Aquaclear directly onto the timber or mix it with a lighter shade of Resene Colour Enhance. For a relaxing Hamptons-style look, swap the Resene Aquaclear for Resene Colorwood Whitewash or one of the Resene We Speak Beach colour stain washes. These will add a lovely soft washed look to your timber, which is still easy to wipe clean.

This DIY desk is completely customisable to suit what’s on your to-do list for the day. Walls painted in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Half Fossil, trims and chairs in Resene Lustacryl in Resene White, desktop and legs in Resene Aquaclear satin mixed with Resene Colour Enhance Japan Black and cabinet in Resene Lustacryl in Resene Black, Karen Walker Chalk Colour in Resene Milk White and Karen Walker Vintage Wax.

Write on!

Visual learners especially feel more organised and in control of what they’re doing when they can see everything on their agenda. Instead of buying whiteboard or blackboards for the walls, you can actually paint your own with Resene FX paints. The best part is they can be layered to be dual-purpose boards.

Resene FX Magnetic Magic creates a magnetic surface using iron oxides, and needs to be overcoated to prevent rusting. The perfect topcoat for this is Resene FX Chalkboard Paint, as it makes your magnetic wall into a handy two-in-one. Resene FX Write-On Wall Paint is a two-part clear coating designed to create a whiteboard effect, so notes and important dates can be written and rubbed out as required.

Let there be light

Do you do your best work at night? Make your own cool lamp to get you through to the wee hours. This Memphis-style lamp is painted in Resene Turbo – a perfect example of the style. It adds a splash of bright colour to help bring some fun vibes to your home office and is a cool way to add some ambient lighting to the room in the evening. It’s made from PVC piping and uses a light suspension kit with a switch – both are very easy to find at your local hardware store. When choosing your LED bulb, take note of the pipe diameter and be sure to select one that will fit.

See our article to find out how to make a PVC pipe lamp.

Magnetic chalkboard painted in Resene FX Magnetic Magic and Resene FX Chalkboard Paint in Resene Green Meets Blue, weekly planner painted using Resene testpots in Resene Anglaise, Resene First Light, Resene Half Secrets, Resene Moon Glow, Resene Surf Crest, Resene Travertine and Resene Willow Brook with topcoats in Resene FX Write-on Wall Paint, walls in Resene Pale Leaf and shelving brackets in Kaitoke Green.

Lamp painted in Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen in Resene Turbo.

Floating shelves

If you’re lacking space in your home office, floating shelves are a great storage option for your books as well as the perfect position for houseplants. When you’re deciding where to place your shelves on the wall, it’s recommended to have them at eye level, where they become a focal point of the room. These ones are built from kwila sleepers and finished in Resene Aquaclear mixed with Resene Colour Enhance Japan Black.

Follow our instructions to make your own floating shelves.

You’ve been framed

If you’d like to frame your degree or other qualifications for your office – or even your children’s artwork – you can build the frame yourself. This clever design allows you to easily change what’s on display, depending on your mood, as the back of the frame is attached to the wall and the front can be lifted off whenever you feel like swapping out the picture or certificate inside. It’s made from light pine and sealed with Resene Aquaclear mixed with Resene Colour Enhance White, which gives it a professional looking finish that will suit most homes.

If you prefer a coloured frame, prime the timber with Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat then apply two coats of your chosen colour in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel or you could use Resene testpots.

Check out our guide to making an interchangeable picture frame.

Floating shelves finished in Resene Aquaclear mixed with Resene Colour Enhance Japan Black and walls painted in Resene Half Spanish White.

Frame coated with Resene Aquaclear mixed with Resene Colour Enhance White.

Office colour scheme ideas

When it comes to painting an office, colour psychology plays a big part, as it does in the rest of the home. There are four colours thought to increase productivity – red, blue, yellow and green. An accountant has different requirements than a graphic designer, so it’s important to ascertain exactly how you’d like your office to make you feel. Focused? Inspired? Or a mix of both?

Greens and blues are office design favourites as these soothing shades lend a sense of wellbeing, ranging from lowered blood pressure and heart rate to improved efficiency and concentration, great for minimising stress. Greens are a great choice as they can be both calming and invigorating, depending on which shade you go for. Try hues like Resene Emerge and Resene Secrets.
Blue is considered an intellectual colour and represents trust, logic, communication and efficiency. Try hues like Resene Breeze and Resene Escape.
Depending on how adventurous you feel, yellow is an incredibly uplifting colour that represents creativity and confidence. Beware of using too bright a hue or you’ll risk becoming over-stimulated. A small touch of a bold yellow like Resene Turbo painted on accessories with a Resene testpot is often all you need to lift a space.
If your office is a nook in a living area, a change of flooring or a colour block painted on the wall can help separate the space from the rest of the room.
Consider the finish of your paint – higher sheen finishes like Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss will be more stimulating and flatter finishes like Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen more calming.
Your walls aren’t the only place to add colour. Try painting your desk or even the floor. Repaint metal filing cabinets, shelving, your desk and chair to bring the look together.