Home Office Background Wall Ideas for Zoom that aren’t Virtual!

Most of us are adjusting to the new normal of working from home and joining completely virtual meetings. Whether you have a small space in a bedroom or dedicated room, you need a space that feels put together. With a visually appealing home office background wall for those back-to-back Zoom calls.

How can I make my home office stand out?

Today, we’ve put together a collection of inspirational home office ideas to answer precisely those questions. With a few tweaks and personal touches, you’ll go from a blank and boring wall to a personality-infused office. Say goodbye to the virtual background for your meetings! You’ll have all the confidence in the world (even if you’re still secretly wearing your house slippers underneath your desk).

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Bold Walls

If you’re a DIYer, go the bold route by giving your video conferencing background wall a fresh look. A simple paint color change, or a mural is a great way to make a major impact on your space. Creating a paneled or shiplap wall is a little more involved but can give your space an instant update.

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A whimsical blue and white wallpaper provides a pop of color that is so delightful in this dedicated home office. / Source

Deep, green-painted bead-board wainscoting adds depth and interest to these home office walls. Layered with neutral decor, it’s absolutely gorgeous. / Source

Turn a blank wall into a masterpiece with geometric shapes! Paint them directly onto a creamy white wall or use wall decals to provide visual interest. In this small and compact home office space, they make the simple white and wood desk pop! / Source

A neutral color palette shines in this home office thanks to the plaid wallpaper background. This perfectly-cozy and zoom-friendly corner chair is a great work area. /Source

Shelves

Book lovers and fans of the “shelfie” will feel right at home with a background wall of shelves. You can make these more permanent fixtures by going the built-in or mounted route. Or you can opt for moveable standing shelves that can be adjusted or switched to another room whenever needed. Shelves give you total flexibility to display personal mementos, beloved novels, and tchotchkes that will showcase your personal style in a heartbeat.

This home office allows the bold teal sofa to take center stage with a backdrop of all-neutral books and tchotchkes filling its built-in shelves. / Source

With a large-scale painting anchoring the wall, the surrounding bookcases on either side help to add pops of color here and there, turning this grey-based office into a beautiful and homey space. / Source

A former built-in hutch becomes a space to display personal photos, mementos, and books in this stylish and sleek home office. / Source

Built-in shelves give this dark and moody home office an area to add visual contrast with white and cream books, art, and figurines layered together creating a dramatic Zoom background. / Source

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Windows & Natural Light

What’s the simplest way to nail the video conferencing game? Windows. If your office happens to overlook a lakefront view, or even a green-filled glimpse of the treetops, then taking advantage. That natural light is guaranteed to be a winner in terms of a background wall. You’ll be backlit, so add a desk lamp in front of you to keep your face out of the shadows.

With a view out to the deck, this window backdrop is not only perfect for video calls, but it also provides ample natural lighting in this work space. / Source

Oftentimes, the best spaces for video calls are in a beautifully decorated and comfortable chair in the corner of the home; this window backdrop in the living room is no exception and it’s an ideal space to hold virtual meetings. / Source

Simple and stylish, this blue and white home office uses the light of the off-center window as it’s backdrop for everyday tasks. Good lighting is essential in a home office design. / Source

Plants

Straightforward and to the point, plants are a great solution to your background wall conundrum. Dark and leafy, tall and proud, long and trailing – the options are endless. A trip to your local greenhouse will get you a texture-filled video studio that literally breathes life into the air.

A large potted tree adds height and texture to this simple and minimalist home office. / Source

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Embracing maximalist style, this living room relies on a backdrop of layered leafy plants to provide visual interest and a touch of exotic excitement. / Source

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A simple, but lush, green plant brings instant texture and color into this glam home office with a blue wall accent. / Source

In this home office, a trailing plant mounted on a shelf provides a beautiful textured point of interest in the background for video conference calls. / Source

Gallery Walls

If artwork is more up your alley, you’ll definitely want to create a gallery wall. The key to nailing this look, is to get enough pieces together to feel like a cohesive collection. You can go the more eclectic route with a variety of frames, shapes, and sizes. You can keep it more streamlined with identically framed photos, all black and white prints, or a themed collection.

A variety of art styles and sizes feel cohesive in this gallery wall thanks to the overarching black and white theme. / Source

Family portraits get a stylish upgrade with matching white frames and a variety of shapes and sizes of their surrounding mattes. / Source

Colorful and eclectic, this gallery wall defies expectations by using the entirety of the wall’s vertical space. / Source

A bird-themed gallery wall helps to define this office background wall and provide a point of interest within the space. / Source

Personal Collections

Speaking of collections, another great background wall idea is to showcase a personal collection you love. Have boxes filled with vintage glassware, but have never found the perfect display spot? Pop them on shelves behind your desk! Have a total weakness for globes or maps? Create a wall and fill it with your treasures! Personal collections are great reflections of your style, and they’re sure to give your office a dose of needed zest.

A chic pair of gold shelves lined with a personal collection of handbags and shoes provide a glamorous backdrop for this home office. / Source

By mounting a collection of vintage and uniquely patterned plates on the wall, it gives this space a completely personalized look, and the eclectic array makes for a beautiful video backdrop. / Source

Colorful glassware arranged in groups adds a vibrancy to this otherwise-neutral space. / Source

A collection of maps and globes creates an interesting and beautiful display in this office, doubling up as a video conference backdrop that awes. / Source

Organization Station

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with keeping things more work-oriented. Embrace that “office” aesthetic and use it as a chance to display – in an organized fashion – your work essentials. Peg boards, cork boards, hanging file folders – can look ultra chic with the right accessories and color scheme.

A bold metallic wire board makes organization a snap in this home office, and with several hanging potted plants, it provides a stylish zoom backdrop. / Source

All of the office essentials are stylishly placed in their respective areas in this home office, and the organized approach makes it easier than ever to access things as needed. / Source

A sleek gold magazine rack is the perfect accessory to add to an organized and beautiful background wall. / Source

A full cork wall transforms this office into an ultra-functional and stylish haven. / Source

Ready to tackle your upcoming video chats in style? With these inspiring spaces, there’s no limit to the ways you can stand out from the crowd.

By Megan Johansson, Contributor to Carla Bast Design