With more people than ever working from home — not to mention studying or all those hours spent on the internet — a space for a home office is increasingly becoming a essential part of the home. If you’re like most of us, sometime you need all the motivation you can get to sit down at your desk. If this sounds like you (be honest), you might want to give some thought as to what colour your workspace is — you’d be surprised what a difference it can make.

When it comes to choosing a colour scheme for a home office, there’s a lot more to it than deciding what matches the curtains. Some colours have the ability to motivate while others can distract. If your mind tends to wander from the task at hand then you should use soft, muted colours to relax you and hone your concentration. But if you're have difficulty getting down to business then go for brighter colours to give you an energy boost.

A scheme that's heavy on white is ideal for a smaller work area as it will help create the illusion of a bigger space. Stick with a muted or tinted white — a bright white that dominates the colour chart can strain your eyes when combined with bright lights (often necessary for working). Instead, keep the pure whites for trimmings.

Warm colours (think oranges, yellows and reds) are great for people who need a bit of stimulation in their work zone. These colours are active and appear to move towards you creating an intimate and cosy space. But rather than going for bright and bold, go for warm and muted. True, bright colours are invigorating, but they also tend to be distracting when it comes to working.

Cool colours (think blues, purples and greens) are passive and tend to recede. They’re great for calming the nerves and can help with concentration. These colours are ideal if you need that extra concentration booster.