Carpets and Color Psychology — Choosing Carpet for Your Home Office
Working from home can be a tricky balance — you want a space that can function as a productive office during your work hours but doesn’t clash too much with the rest of your home in your down time. But don’t worry! We’ve got some tips for you to set up the best home office you can create, customized for your personal style and needs.
Should You Use a Colored Carpet?
As with most home decor questions, the answer is “it depends.” Dark, deep jewel tones are coming into vogue in the carpet world. Shades of forest green, maroon, and deep teal provide a luxurious look, but they can make a small room look even smaller, so they might not be a good fit for your space.
Lighter, more pastel colors of carpet are a good compromise, providing a pop of color to a room without overwhelming it. And of course, neutral carpet colors like beige and tan are a nice bright backdrop to the rest of your decor. Gray carpet has become popular, from very pale, cool grays to rich, warm shades that give any room a cozy feel.
What Colors Should You Use?
If you decide to go with a colored carpet — or just want some color tips for walls, furniture, or decor in general — the field of color psychology can give you some useful pointers. It all depends on the type of space you want to create.
The Creative Office
To get the creative juices flowing, consider a light teal or turquoise color. A soothing blue-green makes a great contrasting backdrop for neutral tones and white trim and will help you turn your office into a studio where your imagination can run wild.
The Energetic Office
Orange is a great color for brightening up a space and promoting mental energy, but bright orange walls will give you a headache. Tone down the neon colors without losing the upbeat look of orange with shades of coral or peach, which will give you a stimulating space without being overwhelming.
The Calm Office
For a serene, relaxing space that will help you focus and help mitigate stress, shades of pale blue are best. Some people find blue too relaxing, interfering with their ability to stay productive, but a soothing blue-green can keep energy flowing without losing the spa qualities of the color.
The Focused Office
Like orange, red can be an overwhelming color if it’s overdone — it’s a warm, energetic color that can even make a room’s temperature feel higher. We’re not suggesting that you outfit your entire office in red, but a deep red carpet, red accent wall, or red decor can inject a spark of energy and excitement into your office space.
The Simple Office
For some people, the home office is a simple home base with few frills — more a place to get organized than a place to relax. For an office like this, a simple beige is neutral enough to eliminate distraction, but warm enough to keep you engaged and comfortable.
What Kind of Carpet Should I Use?
The first thing to consider is that unless your home office also doubles as a guest bedroom, the comfort of the carpet is less of a priority than elsewhere in your home. Instead, you’re likely to be rolling around an office chair, placing heavy furniture, and wearing shoes in the office.
For durability and smooth rolling, you’ll want a low-pile carpet. A short pile lets chairs roll more easily and resists furniture imprints. A looped Berber pile is generally lower-profile than a cut-pile residential carpet, making it an ideal choice for a home office space.
If you do decide to go with a Berber style, a level-loop carpet is probably a better fit. Loops of the same length will create a smoother surface and reduce the risk of snags. For a home office that doubles as a guest bedroom, consider a cut-and-loop carpet style — it’s slightly more dense than a cut pile, but has a softer look and feel than level-loop.
Other Things to Consider
Regardless of what kind of carpet you buy, you should put a plastic mat under any rolling chair to prevent damage and “zippering” — when one loose thread can lead to a chain of pulled loops.
Some people who work with very delicate electronics should also look into anti-static carpets, since small sparks can damage machinery. Typical carpets are already equipped with anti-static technology and the vast majority of consumer electronics can handle a few sparks, so this is only a concern for a select few.
Finally, unless your office is completely separate from the rest of your house, you’ll probably want the decor to match the rest of your home. Subtler colors can make a unique space in your home without clashing too much with the environment you’ve created.
Whether it’s a creative studio or a sanctuary for productivity, your home office is your personal enclave inside your house. Make it your own!