Embrace some neutral small office ideas to make your workspace more calm and serene. Sticking with neutral colors and design choices is especially great for smaller spaces because it opens up the room and takes advantage of the space without over-cluttering.
Keeping a light and bright neutral workspace can help with motivation and productivity as well as look good. Plus, if you're in a rental and stuck with neutral features, this decor will complement the environment perfectly.
We spoke to design experts to get all the best small office ideas to give your workspace a makeover. These neutral decor additions will match just about any design style or preference.
8 neutral small office ideas
When creating your workspace, keeping things neutral can create a lighter and calmer environment. Whether you’re working with a small bedroom office or looking for ways to transform a section of your living room into a workspace, we share the best neutral small office ideas. Plus, expert insight on how to design your space to make it functional and stylish.
1. Mix natural wood and white
Instead of going with an all-white look, combine natural wood finishes with white furniture and accents for an elevated neutral small office. This adds more dimension and warmth to your space. If you're using a real wooden desk, like this writing desk from Target, just remember to keep your wood clean and polished for the best result.
Plus, you can draw inspiration from the wood color when choosing accents and storage items like woven baskets, vases, and even rugs. This gorgeous Threshold decorative cane basket from Target would look gorgeous with any neutral desk.
"Natural materials like wood and rattan really compliment neutral colors like cream and beige, no matter what room they are in," says Lucy Searle, Content Director, Real Homes.
Lucy Searle has written about interiors, property, and gardens for over 30 years, starting within the interiors departments of women's magazines before switching to interiors-only titles in the mid-1990s. In 2018, Lucy took on the role of Global Editor-in-Chief for Realhomes.com, taking the site from a small magazine add-on to a global success. She was asked to repeat that success at Homes & Gardens, where she also took on the editorship of the magazine. Lucy is now Content Director across Homes & Gardens, Woman & Home, Real Homes, and Ideal Home. Lucy is a serial renovator and also owns rental properties in the UK and Europe, so brings first-hand knowledge to the subjects she oversees.
2. Add wainscoting to the walls
When working with a neutral color palette, you can keep things minimalistic by adding texture to your wall instead of wall art or decor vignettes.
Wainscoting is an excellent option because it is sleek and neutral but still adds a little depth to your space. Plus, you can easily DIY wainscoting at home without too much effort.
Wainscot applications can range from simple in design to intricate installations and range from 34” to 54” in height based on the style of architectural design.
Regardless of design, you'll find that PVC bead boards, V-groove, and nickel gap options are easy to use and install. Royal PVC trim & moldings are beautiful, durable, and easy to work with.
3. Turn books around
Books are one of those things people who WFH always have in their office but they can also add color and clutter to your space. When working with a neutral small office, it helps to display the books on a shelf with the pages facing out to minimize the colors and create a more neutral palette.
This bookshelf idea also works with stacked books on a desktop surface and coffee table, too. Just make sure you're investing in the right bookshelf before getting started. This neutral white bookshelf available on Amazon would look good in just about any office space.
4. Utilize rack shelving
Keep your design features simple in a neutral small office. Shelving ideas work great for office storage, but they're also a desk solution for a small space. Rack shelving allows you to customize the placement of your shelves for a functional setup that serves your office needs.
"Rack shelving above a desk is a great solution because you can store all your office essentials while still creating a place for displaying decor items you may already have around the house," says Searle.
Use the space directly above your desk to install the shelves with brackets in a small alcove or nook, using the Boaxel shelving unit from IKEA for ample room for storage.
5. Add plants for a pop of color
When decorating a neutral small office, houseplants for small spaces are the best way to add pops of color. Greenery also invites the natural world into the office, which can help reduce stress, improve productivity, and is even linked to increased creativity.
If you don’t have a ton of natural light in your office, you can opt for a faux houseplant or a grow light such as the Aspect™ LED Growlight from Soltech. But don't worry — we found everything you need to know to avoid killing houseplants.
"I absolutely need to have houseplants all around me in my home office," says Emily Lambe, Deputy Editor, Real Homes. "They add so much vibrancy and life to the room, plus they help break up the all-beige look going on in my rental."
Emily Lambe is the deputy digital editor at Real Homes. She graduated with a degree in journalism from Rochester Institute of Technology and has been writing ever since. Emily writes about all things decor, fragrance, organization, and other home essentials.
6. Create a monochromatic look
If you want to add some color but still keep everything neutral, a monochromatic look is a great option.
This is a good solution for small nook offices or even offices built into a closet. You can paint the walls, shelves, and tabletop and then add accent pieces to break up the color a bit.
Just be sure to avoid the worst paint colors for small spaces to avoid giving yourself a headache. Stay away from bright pure white, vibrant yellows or reds, and really dark tones to make a small room look bigger.
7. Add texture with a faux fur rug
Neutral small offices can really benefit from some pops of luxe decor. Fun area rugs are a great way to bring different colors and textures into a small office space.
In a neutral small office, consider something bold without adding color, such as a faux fur sheepskin rug or shag carpet. If you don’t have the space for a full-sized rug, you can also consider adding a small sheepskin throw (such as the IKEA Ullerslev sheepskin) to the back of your desk chair or an office chair.
Another way to elevate your space is by incorporating natural materials, as warm wood tones and greenery can “make a space feel like it has a pulse,” says Interior Designer, Hannah Kirk.
You can also shop our favorite Amazon rugs and the best Target rugs to see the more options and the team's top picks.
Hannah Kirk is an interior designer and owner of Kirk's. She offers interior design services including home renovations, niche styling and retail store design.
8. Paint a minimalist mural
Just because you have a neutral office doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun with your design and decor. Pick up some paint in terracotta, like this warm red color from Lick, and tan, like this mid-beige color from Lick, to create a neutral, modern mural for an accent wall.
You can create one large arch on your desk wall to anchor the tabletop or paint a few arches in alternating colors in a small nook with a potted plant for a calming vignette.
While this might sound daunting, the good news is that it's not too difficult to design your own DIY mural at home. Just sketch everything out first then add more and more layers slowly.
Best neutral small office buys
Price: $127.99
If you like the look of rack shelves as a desk, the 17 Stories Lachae Desk is a great option. Rack shelves inspire this desk, except it features a larger tabletop surface, allowing a little more space to spread out. The desk features a sleek and minimal design that is perfect for small spaces, too, as it doesn’t take up much floor space.
Price: $88.12
Add some texture to your neutral office with the SAFAVIEH Handmade Sheepskin Aybek Genuine Pelt Rug. This faux sheepskin rug comes in 20 different sizes, including several runner options that can work nicely in a smaller space.
Price: $23.84
Houseplants help alleviate stress in the workspace and add a nice pop of color. A snake plant is one of the best houseplants for an office because it requires very little maintenance and doesn’t need much light. Also known as Mother-In-Law’s Tongue, the Costa Farms Live Snake Plant comes potted in a neutral white plant pot, ready to place in your office.
FAQs
How can I make my small office look nice?
“If you’re working with a smaller space, I recommend having fewer items that are larger in scale,” says Kirk.
“Although it sounds advantageous, having a large desk and one large shelving unit can create more of a grandiose feeling that opens up the room,” she adds.
What is a neutral color for an office?
According to Kirk, you can’t go wrong by layering beiges, whites, creams, and black. “Black offers a grounding element against the lighter tones and often enhances the crisp, bright room by adding just the right amount of tension,” she explains.
How do I make my small office cozy?
To cozy up your space, Kirk recommends incorporating natural materials like linen curtains or handwoven rugs. “You can always introduce some imperfect decorative accents — things with an earned patina,” says Kirk.
She adds that, sometimes, when everything is brand new, it can feel cold and unapproachable, so mixing old and new is key.
Creating a neutral small office space is about a lot more than just choosing neutral color schemes. In addition to focusing on color, there are several ways to makeover a small office while keeping things neutral.
You can add texture through rugs and wainscoting, add a pop of color with houseplants, and turn your books around to keep things functional without the added color of their jackets and bindings.
Additionally, more minimalistic approaches to storage furniture can also lighten up the space and create a more neutral vibe.