The Best Paint Colors For An ADHD-Friendly Home Office -

When choosing the best paint color for your home office, it often comes down to the look you want or the colors that suit your furnishings. However, when you have ADHD, it can involve some serious mental gymnastics.

Common Google searches include ‘How do you stop visual overwhelm?‘ and ‘What colors will help me be more focused and less distracted?‘, to which there are endless answers. And while there are so many other home office vs. ADHD questions we could cover, given my skill set and experience, I figured I could at least help with the above two.

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Why? There are several reasons…

Because I have ADHD with a touch of OCD and a heavy sprinkling of anxiety (a magical trifecta of wonder and joy on the best of days).
I work from home. My days in the office range from 6 to 10 hrs, depending on my hyperfocus.
I’m one of North America’s Top Paint Color Experts (my OCD and hyperfocus have come in very handy).

This is my home office from a few homes ago – I’ve learned a LOT about what I need since then!

This means I don’t just speak from a place of knowledge and learning, I speak from very, very personal experience.

So, let’s talk about what an ADHD-friendly home office might include…

Calming, relaxing paint colors
Minimal visual clutter
A low degree of contrast

Now, let’s talk about why some of those don’t always relate to everyone with ADHD.

ARE CALMING & RELAXING COLORS THE RIGHT CHOICE?

Scientifically, there’s a wide range of calming colors, including light blues, calming creams, and soothing sage greens. PERSONALLY, I’d rather give myself a gasoline enema than paint my home office one of those colors.

Colors aren’t always a ‘one-color-fits-all’ situation.

Eddins Counselling is one of my Online Color Consulting clients!

Sure, if you aren’t neurodivergent, you might lean into those colors for an ‘average’, calming, stress-free workspace. But if you’re neurospicy, you could be more sensitive to your environment, and in fact, thrive in colors that you feel comfortable and safe in – whatever that looks like to you – blue, green, or otherwise.

LONG STORY SHORT: Don’t feel limited to the colors that ‘they’ tell you are the best for you. While they might be best, there could be other colors you love even more if you look a bit outside the box (whether it be a box o’ wine or crayons). Figure out what you emotionally, physically, and mentally respond to.

MINIMIZE VISUAL CLUTTER

Okay, this is an interesting one. At the heart of it, I’m 100% on board for minimal visual clutter. However, the ADHD brain is a big fan of ‘out of sight, out of mind‘. So, all those things tucked away in cabinets and drawers may never see the light of day (even people without ADHD struggle with this).

There are also ‘doom piles’ (I’m currently working on a few doozies). These can be on open shelves or behind closed doors – doom knows no boundaries.

However, that’s a totally different type of blog post that I’m not ready to write (I suggest reading The Good Trade – but finish this one first).

Schlong story short, when creating your ADHD-friendly home office, consider how you organize your space. You might need a few closed cabinets and thoughtful storage solutions that better suit your needs and habits.

No matter how organized it is, this open storage would be the death of me; it makes me twitchy.

As for the topic of contrast…

IS A LOW DEGREE OF CONTRAST BEST FOR A CALM OFFICE?

Low-contrast spaces are well known for creating a calming, focused environment. And it makes sense, as the less contrast there is, the fewer ‘visual distractions’ there are. This works for a lot of people with ADHD.

Could a low-contrast palette be what you need?

This is great for a kid’s study space, but it’s not for THIS color cowgirl.

Absolutely. But if you’re like me, a low-contrast palette could have you searching for something more – I call it grounding.

GROUNDING – one of my favorite words (other than boner, which is also a classic)

By the way, my ADHD came with a very small filter – used intermittently.

LONG STORY SHORT: Don’t assume that what they tell you is the right thing, is right for you. Figure out for yourself what feels good, what calms your system, and what makes you crave being in that space. This could be low, medium, or high-contrast, which we’re looking at next…

CONTRAST & THE ADHD HOME OFFICE

Studies say (womp womp womp) that a low-contrast office is best for someone with ADHD.

BIG FRIGGIN’ WHOOP

You’re not creating a home office to help people with ADHD (or maybe you are, whoops). You’re most likely creating a home office for your cute lil’ neurospicy self.

What type of contrast do YOU like?

To figure out that, let’s do some basic definitions. However, one challenge I’m having (insert OCD here) is that I want to cover everything. However, between various blog posts, the content becomes redundant. This means I need to summarize and deflect where appropriate – cool beans?

LOW-CONTRAST PALETTES

A low contrast palette contains smaller shifts in depth. A white/light palette can be low-contrast, but so can a palette with all darker finishes. The idea is that there’s not a significant shift in color temperature or depth across different surfaces.

MEDIUM-CONTRAST PALETTES

A medium-contrast palette has some definition and clarity between finishes. This can be in depth (e.g., white walls, medium-depth desk and cabinets) or in terms of temperature (e.g., green walls, muted, warm wood cabinets).

HIGH-CONTRAST PALETTES

A high-contrast palette offers a noticeable, sometimes drastic shift in depth between different surfaces. It can also be a big shift in color, like cream walls with dark green cabinets.

So many people get stuck on lighter paint colors for an ADHD-friendly home office. However, you can still create a LOW-CONTRAST, calming space with darker shades.

If you want more ideas re: low, medium, and high contrast, you’ll find a link to ‘The Best Blue & Green Paint Colors For a Home Office’ in a bit – read that, and you’ll get even more fun facts!

What color and depth feeds that cute lil’ work-gremlin inside of you.

THE COLORS SUGGESTED BELOW…

This isn’t a normal blog post. I chose these colors for specific reasons…

Hundreds, if not THOUSANDS, of my Online Color Consulting clients have fallen in love with them (with and without ADHD).
While they might qualify as ‘great home office colors for someone with ADHD‘, they could also be the opposite. In all, because this blog post is more personal, I chose these colors because I like them and believe in them. Plus, it never hurts to sample and try something new, using CONTRAST as your new superpower.

These colors might be instant wins for you. Or maybe not. At least get you thinking about what your best workspace looks like. If not, once the color section is done, I have a helpful ‘DO YOUR RESEARCH’ section.

Please note, I only use images that my clients, readers, or myself have taken. For this reason, I don’t always have the EXACT home office images I need – I make do.

If you use my advice, PLEASE SEND PHOTOS – they make my colorful little world go round (no nudes; that’s a different blog entirely).

1. BENJAMIN MOORE PASHMINA AF-100

As far as greiges go, Pashmina is one of my favorites. While some greiges cater to their gray backdrop, Pashmina leans warmer. In fact, my office is painted Pashmina right now (with Benjamin Moore Black 2132-10 on my cabinets and desk). I’d show you images, but it’s currently in doom-pile Hell, and I’m too busy writing.

This isn’t my office, although I think a bar cabinet is a fabulous idea.

Benjamin Moore Pashmina is a light-medium depth, so it’s got some meat on its bones without being too heavy. Mind you, if your home office doesn’t get a ton of light, it could be a bit organic and muddy (which I personally love, but not everyone does).

SIMILAR COLORS TO COMPARE

Never pick a color based on itself – sample and compare colors that are similar, but offer a difference in depth (LRV), temperature, or undertones.

REVIEW: SW Accessible Beige | SW Mindful Gray | SW Amazing Gray | SW Tony Taupe | SW Network Gray

Unfortunately, few colors compare to Pashmina. So, when I say ‘similar’ it’s more that they’re similarly grounded and warm earth-tones…

Sherwin Williams Mega Greige is a flexible greige-taupe with minimal undertone commitment.
Sherwin Williams Balanced Beige is an awesome, light-medium beige with a slightly taupe-gray backdrop.
You can also check out these popular earth-toned neutrals.

CREATE A PALETTE WITH PASHMINA OR SIMILAR SHADES

LOW-CONTRAST: Pashmina and many other earthy greige paint colors go well with medium-depth woods, creating a lower-contrast palette. This is even moreso if the wood doesn’t have a strong undertone.
LOW TO MEDIUM-CONTRAST: With white or cream office furniture, Pashmina offers a medium contrast. If you have Pashmina cabinets, check out a range of warm whites or flexible off-whites for your walls.
MEDIUM TO HIGH: For a high-contrast look, Pashmina pairs well with dark gray-blues and black paint colors, as well as darker, but muted greens or greiges (hellllls yeah).

Benjamin Moore Pashmina Color Review

2. SHERWIN WILLIAMS COMFORT GRAY 6205

Seriously, the name says it all. Even if this color were called Buttplug McUgly, it would still be gorgeous.

Comfort Gray is a light-medium depth green-gray with some blue. I don’t even CARE that those are keywords for a calming, focused office space – this color is amazing (and I don’t even like blue-green-grays that are lighter).

It can also look grayer or slightly bluer than this – sample it in your own space and compare it to others.

COMPARE SIMILAR SHADES

Because it’s NOT a one-color-fits-all situation, if you like Comfort Gray but are unsure, check out…

Benjamin Moore Gray Wisp, which appears less blue and more green.
Sherwin Williams Sea Salt (review HERE) takes a lighter approach.
Benjamin Moore Smoky Green might not look as different in the above image, but it’s MUCH bluer.
For more color and blue hue, Sherwin Williams Rainwashed (review) is great.

SW Sea Salt | SW Rainwashed | SW Silver Strand | SW Creamy | SW Agreeable Gray

CREATE A PALETTE WITH COMFORT GRAY OR SIMILAR SHADES

LOW-CONTRAST: Your best shot at low contrast will be a wood stain with a similar depth and no strong orange, yellow, or red undertones.
SOFT, MEDIUM-CONTRAST: White office furniture for a calming, coastal look with a soft, medium-contrast. Add in wood tones for more contrast and balance. You can also paint your walls a white that suits your lighting.
HIGH CONTRAST: Comfort Gray and other blue-green paint colors also pair well with a wide range of wood stains. This offers a contrast between warm and cool. The darker and stronger the stain on your wood, the greater the contrast (e.g., a dark cherry or red wood would have higher contrast).

Sherwin Williams Comfort Gray Color Review

3. BENJAMIN MOORE REVERE PEWTER

While I don’t always love lighter grays for home offices (they can be super underwhelming and drab), Revere Pewter often pops up.

While the above decor would be too busy for me, the color palette works for many!

Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter is a light (almost light-medium) warm gray with a muddy, earthy green undertone. Unlike some colors that are best on walls or built-in desks/cabinets, it looks great on any painted surface.

Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter Color Review

COLORS THAT ARE SIMILAR…

If you’re considering Revere Pewter, compare it to a few similar shades to see how each shifts in your room’s natural lighting/exposure and interior lighting.

Benjamin Moore Rodeo (review HERE) is kind of like a lighter, less green-inclined shade.
Sherwin Williams Amazing Gray (review HERE) is a bit darker and a touch more greige.

CREATE A PALETTE WITH REVERE PEWTER OR SIMILAR SHADES

If you love colors like Revere Pewter, consider which type of CONTRAST suits your mood.

LOW-CONTRAST: Revere Pewter does well with soft, warm shades of white. While it can be very fussy with off-whites, the odd one sneaks in.
MEDIUM-CONTRAST: Revere Pewter is pure magic with a wide range of wood stains. Light to moderate stains will have lower contrast. Dark wood stains will add more.
HIGHER-CONTRAST: If your idea of a good time is getting high…contrast, check out darker gray-blues or darker gray-greens with Revere Pewter. It also suits colors like Iron Ore and Cheating Heart (both are coming up).

Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter Color Review

4. BENJAMIN MOORE CHEATING HEART 1617

Come to MOMMA! While you might not paint your walls Cheating Heart (or you might), it’s a badass, beautiful color for desks, built-ins, and cabinetry – I even painted the door going into my office this color!

Benjamin Mooore Cheating Heart is a skookum, dark shade of navy blue blended with gray-black. It’s grounded and gorgeous. I’m probably doing it for my new cabinetry and desk, but they have to color-match it and haven’t got it right yet.

Benjamin Moore Cheating Heart Color Review

COLORS THAT ARE SIMILAR…

For a more navy blue hue, Sherwin-Williams Cyberspace (review HERE) is wicked pretty.
Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron (review HERE) is the kissin’ cousin of Cheating Heart (which is illegal in some states).

Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Wrought Iron…

CREATE A PALETTE WITH CHEATING HEART OR SIMILAR SHADES

Good lord, where do I even BEGIN?

LOW-CONTRAST: For a low-contrast approach, consider color-drenching; using Cheating Heart on your walls, cabinets, trims (maybe even ceiling, if it’s not textured). I don’t love color-drenching, but you do you, boo. Shea did it perfectly in her home office.
MID TO HIGH CONTRAST: Cheating Heart looks gorgeous with a ton of tan paint colors as well as a wide range of greiges and taupes. These would all be reasonably high contrast, although the darker you go, the lower the contrast will be.
HIGH-CONTRAST: For a high-contrast palette, my favorite choices are warm whites and gentle off-white paint colors.

5. SHERWIN WILLIAMS EVERGREEN FOG 9130

It was a toss-up between Evergreen Fog and Benjamin Moore October Mist. However, Evergreen Fog usually wins me over.

Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog is a light-medium (close to medium) shade of green-gray. With a smoky, soft approach, it’s a gorgeous shade whether you have white furniture or wood trim.

If you like the above sample of Ballet White (review), check it out too!

You might also check out Benjamin Moore October Mist (review) for shart n’ giggles…

This gorgeous green is a light-medium depth that offers a gorgeous contrast with white trim or wood finishes without looking too try-hard.

Benjamin Moore October Mist Color Review

Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog Color Review

CREATE A PALETTE WITH EVERGREEN FOG OR SIMILAR SHADES

LOW-CONTRAST: There aren’t any really low-contrast combos with Evergreen Fog, as it has a decent green hue. Your best bet is a wood stain with a moderate depth, without any strong red, orange, or yellow undertones.
MEDIUM-CONTRAST: White office furniture for a medium-contrast look with personality. Or, if Evergreen Fog is on your cabinets, SO many warm off-whites pair well with it.
MEDIUM TO HIGH CONTRAST: Evergreen Fog pairs well with a wide range of wood stains. The stronger the wood stain is (depth and color), the higher the contrast will be. The more muted and moderate the stain is, the lower the contrast. You’ll get a reasonable contrast from warm white paint colors, too, but definitely not ‘high’.
I probably wouldn’t pair Evergreen Fog with any other ‘colors’ (non-neutrals)

6. SHERWIN WILLIAMS IRON ORE 7069

Iron Ore is a stunner. If you’re like me and want a grounding dark color, Iron Ore offers drama and depth without the sharpness of black.

This isn’t a home office, obviously, but again, like compliments and week-old bottles of wine, I’m grateful for what I get…

Sherwin Williams Iron Ore is a soft black paint color with a very subtle green undertone. This makes it gorgeous on desks and cabinets. Or, you might paint it on your walls, which is what I did in our last home (and wish I had taken more photos). This is all I’ve got…

SIMILAR COLORS TO COMPARE WITH IRON ORE

Just because I think it’s the next best thing since Cornuts and Starbucks drive-thru doesn’t mean you agree. Compare Iron Ore to…

Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black (review HERE) for a clean, dramatic black look.
I might also look at Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron (review HERE), which is soft like Iron Ore, but leans into blue.
Actually, check out my top 8 black paint colors; several are worth exploring.

CREATE A PALETTE WITH IRON ORE OR SIMILAR SHADES

LOW-CONTRAST: Your best way to create a low-contrast palette is to color-drench your room. Also, pay attention to how light or dark your flooring is. While it’s not AS important as it’s so drastically beneath our sightline, the details can add up.
MEDIUM-CONTRAST: Hmmm. I might go for a stony, earth-toned neutral (medium depth) to pick up Iron Ore’s more organic backdrop.
HIGH-CONTRAST: Oh, definitely check out warm white paint colors, along with flexible, warm off-whites (my fave).

7. BENJAMIN MOORE STORM CLOUD GRAY 2140-40

Benjamin Moore Storm Cloud Gray is a gorgeous, medium-depth gray that’s heavily blended with green – a slightly cool green (green-blue).

I love that, with the right wall color, it offers a slightly organic, grounded look without being overly dark or dramatic. Mind you, you might use it on your walls, in which case, it partners well with a range of finishes.

The Best Neutral Paint Colors for a Home Office

SIMILAR SHADES TO COMPARE WITH STORM CLOUD GRAY

Don’t get me wrong, Storm Cloud Gray is gorgeous. But it never hurts to sample a few similar shades…

Benjamin Moore Gray Horse is similar, but lighter, if you don’t want your room too dark.
Sherwin Williams Cornwall Slate is an awesome alternative.

CREATE A PALETTE WITH STORM CLOUD GRAY OR SIMILAR SHADES…

LOW-CONTRAST: Your best way to create a low-contrast palette is to color-drench your room. While you could try a few light-medium greiges, I’d be careful.
MEDIUM-CONTRAST: Explore wood stains that are muted (their stain color isn’t too red/orange/yellow).
HIGHER-CONTRAST: Again, check out warm white paint colors, along with flexible, warm off-whites (my fave).

8. SHERWIN WILLIAMS ANONYMOUS 7046

While atypical for many rooms, Anonymous lights up my heart. However, so does a good bottle of wine, Starbucks, and Cornuts, so I’m pretty easy to please.

Sherwin Williams Anonymous is a solid, grounding, medium-depth greige paint color with a glorious green undertone.

While sadly, this next image isn’t a home office, it’s a great look at how pretty Anonymous can be…

Sherwin Williams Anonymous Color Review

Here it is in the powder room of one of our last homes….

The lighter gray is Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray, the staircase accent is Benjamin Moore Gibraltar Cliffs (amazeballs).

SIMILAR SHADES…

Oh, if you love Anonymous, PLEASE, check out the slightly darker, Sherwin Williams Porpoise (review HERE)
Sherwin Williams Adapative Shade is a nice alternative if you want a bit more green.
I also love the grounding, organic look of Benjamin Moore’s Cromwell Gray.

CREATE AN OFFICE PALETTE WITH PORPOISE OR SIMILAR SHADES…

LOW-CONTRAST: Porpoise does some of its best work in a low-contrast space. To get this look, aim for darker, grounding woods that aren’t overly colorful. You can also consider color-drenching – it ain’t my jam, but you do you!
MEDIUM-CONTRAST: Consider light to moderate greige paint colors or even some muted shades of tan.
HIGH-CONTRAST: Oh, heck yeah, grab yourself some glorious warm off-white paint colors as well as some warm whites to sample and compare.

9. SHERWIN WILLIAMS NETWORK GRAY 7073

While not everyone loves grays these days…WHO CARES! This is your home office, and you’re the one who matters.

I’ve talked about Network Gray and home offices before, as it’s a gorgeous, grounding shade.

Not as light and washed out as lighter shades of gray, but not overly heavy, Sherwin Williams Network Gray is a soft, medium-depth stormy gray with balanced undertones that wink nicely at blue.

SIMILAR SHADES TO SAMPLE & COMPARE…

For a bit more commitment to a blue undertone (and some green), Sherwin Williams Mineral Deposit is awesome.
If Network Gray is a bit darker than you want, Sherwin Williams Online is the fix for that, as it’s about one tone lighter.
Definitely check out Benjamin Moore Adagio as it’s a great alternative.

It’s easier to hide a compact home office in a big cabinet like this.

Sherwin Williams Network Gray Color Review

10. CALMING BLUES & GREENS

Many of you will naturally gravitate towards or NEED more traditionally calming shades of blue and green. And I get it – you gotta do what FEELS right for your specific lil’ brain.

Remember, you might very well want and NEED what Google suggests – a low-contrast palette, blue, green, or cream, and minimal distraction you do you, boo.

In this case, please read this blog post…

The Best Blue & Green Paint Colors For a Calming, Focused Home Office

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Once you’re done reading this blog post, you might have an idea of what you like. In the very least, my goal is to get you going in the right direction.

From there, the best thing you can do is…

Log into Pinterest (life saver)
Create a file called My Amazeballs Home Office
In the ‘search’, type in Home Office
Start saving offices you love. You don’t need to love every feature, it’s about loving the ‘overall look’ and imagining yourself working in that space.
Once you have about 20 (or more) saved, start looking for consistencies in depth (light vs. dark), contrast (the difference in depth between different finishes), and COLOR!

Here are some things to consider…

Do you lean toward dark desks and cabinets, or toward light, white ones? What colors come up most often (there might be several)?
Does wood play a big role in the desk, desktop, flooring, or another feature?
Are these offices more colorful, neutral, or in the middle?
Do the walls and desk/cabinets blend in a bit, or is there a noticeable difference?
What wall colors show up most often?

QUICK SUMMARY (TL;DR)

Don’t just do what the ‘experts’ say. Pay attention to your personal needs when choosing paint colors.
Consider contrast (low, medium, and high) when creating your palette.
Look at a range of colors, including dark blue, black, greige, and beige, some of which are atypical choices.
If those don’t work, check out the blog post on the best blue and green paint colors for a calming home office.

The Best Calming, Stress-Reducing Paint Colors

How to Choose Paint Colors When You’re An Overthinker

Get the best paint color advice with Kylie M’s Online Color Consulting