Your home office should be somewhere you can concentrate, feel comfortable and get things done. While your desk, chair and lighting all play an important role, the artwork you choose can also help shape how the space feels.
The right wall art can make a home office feel calmer, more inspiring or more focused, while also helping to make the room feel considered and personal. And if your office has a blank, narrow or awkward wall, choosing the right proportions can make an especially noticeable difference.
Choose Artwork That Supports the Way You Work
There is no single type of artwork that makes everyone more productive. Instead, think about the atmosphere you want to create and the type of work you do.
If your work requires long periods of concentration, you may prefer artwork with a relatively simple composition and a calm colour palette. If your work is creative, more expressive artwork or geometric patterns can introduce visual interest and give the room a more stimulating feel.
For a broader starting point, explore our office wall art collection for artwork designed to suit home offices and workspaces.
Consider the Psychology of Pattern and Shape
Pattern can change the energy of a room, too. Geometric artwork introduces repetition, structure and movement, which can make a home office feel more dynamic and visually stimulating.
Geometric patterns can work particularly well if your office feels plain or lacks architectural detail. Used selectively, they add visual interest without needing to fill the room with decorative objects. Explore long geometric framed canvas artwork for designs that can bring structure and rhythm to an office wall.
The shape of the artwork matters as well. Research into environmental psychology suggests that the visual qualities of our surroundings can influence how we experience a space, so consider whether you want your artwork to feel calming, expansive, structured or energetic.
For more on how different artwork orientations can affect the feeling of a space, read our guide to the psychology of horizontal vs vertical wall art in interior spaces.
Make the Most of Narrow and Awkward Office Walls
Home offices often have difficult spaces that are easy to overlook: a narrow wall beside a bookcase, an empty section next to a desk, a tall gap between furniture or an awkward wall that doesn't suit a standard-sized picture.
Rather than leaving these areas empty, look for artwork that works with the proportions of the space. Vertical wall art is particularly useful for narrow walls, corners and nooks beside bookshelves. Its taller proportions draw the eye upwards and can add a sense of movement to an otherwise overlooked area.
Vertical artwork can also help make use of wall space without interfering with your desk or storage, making it a practical choice for smaller home offices.
Choose Horizontal Wall Art Above a Desk
For a wider wall above a desk, horizontal artwork can help balance the width of the furniture below it. It can also work well above a small sofa or reading chair in a larger home office.
Our horizontal wall art collection includes elongated artwork that can suit these wider spaces, helping you avoid the common problem of choosing a small piece that gets lost on a large wall.
When deciding on a size, consider the furniture underneath the artwork as well as the wall itself. A piece that is too small can make a large office wall feel unfinished, while an appropriately scaled piece can make the entire workspace feel more balanced.
Create a Workspace That Works for You
The best home office wall art isn't necessarily the artwork that is considered the most productive. It's the artwork that helps create an environment where you feel comfortable, focused and motivated to work.
Whether that means a calming landscape, a structured geometric design, a tall piece of vertical wall art for an awkward nook or a long horizontal artwork above your desk, consider the space you have and how you want it to feel.
With the right artwork, even a narrow, awkward or overlooked wall can become an intentional part of your workspace.
See How Our Artwork Looks in Real Homes
Looking for inspiration? Explore our customers' artwork in their own homes to see how different sizes, orientations and frames can look in real spaces.
