Thanks this is a great idea for a small office.

I'd love to see something different from the standard white wainscoting, which of course always looks great. But I'd like your office to be different from the norm, so I'd consider olive green wainscoting with khaki walls and ceiling. Or coral wainscoting with with light mossy walls. Maybe a medium blue/green on the wainscoting and light lime walls.

You get the idea, I hope. Give us a clue as to your favorite colors and we can dream up some lovely office colors for you. But first you must repeat after me, "Dark color do not make a room look smaller"! We don't really want you office to be dark, but we do want it to be interesting!
Carolyn Albert-Kincl, ASID

I agree would like something different , the wall color above the the paneling/wainscoting, is a olive green color the bottom is the dark panel which appears dark. I am not afraid of color.

Are you speaking of what colors are currently in the room? What colors do you like? What colors are closeby that we need to consider?

Yes.The colors that are currently in the room .the hallway leading into the office is chocolate I like grays /green /blue.

Great, then I suggest you try Sherwin-Williams SW7039 Virtual Taupe on the wainscoting and SW6211 Rainwashed on the walls and ceiling. This will give you a medium taupe/brown that should coordinate with your hallway, plus a watery blue/green on the walls above. If you don't like that, let me
know and I'll suggest something else.
Carolyn Albert-Kincl, ASID

Love the idea of taupe too and Rainwashed is Gorgeous! I went on that note and browsed some pics. Found a room close to the Virtual Taupe Carolyn suggested---note how beautiful dark walls showcase creamy off-white furnishings and art in watery blue/green hues. I'm going to suggest one hue more toward greige such as SW 7046 Anonymous and SW 7044 Amazing Gray. If your floors are light/med---paint the wainscoting the Darker (Anonymous) hue-upper AG. If the floors are dark-do just the reverse...I think the ceiling painted SW 7057 Silver Strand would give you that soft dreamy blue/gray color you like. Good Luck and keep us posted. :)[houzz=]

Great idea ,I love the beautiful dark walls and would like to try these colors. Thank you Natalie.

Another combination I have used and like is one with light orange walls and dark greenish/brown wainscoting. It's SW 6353 Chivalry Copper on the walls and SW2841 Weathered Shingle on the wainscoting.

Here's a part of the office wall

The room is 8x9, floor is a lighter wood color.