Decorating my office

[thyme4change]

I have come to enjoy working at home, but I know I will have to go to my office. Our division President think we are all over-reacting to Covid, and my unit GM likes 'togetherness'.

After working in my own space, surrounded by my own stuff and my own style, I realize how drab and depressing my office at work is. I have a couple of pictures up, but they aren't anything special. My back is to the window, which I am not sure I can change. I have shelves full of three ring binders that I used to use, but that doesn't seem to be a thing anymore. Also I have two huge monitors, which I love, but when people come in they have to stand awkwardly for me to see them.

I am trying to figure out what to do. I will ask if they have a credenza or something and see if I can ditch the shelves. I'm going to think about art. What else can I do to make my office warmer, more functional and more personal?

[stillmovingforward]

*shrug* your work office sounds perfect to me. But what would I know, I'm an engineer 🤣

[anciana]

Can you bring any of your own stuff that made it so nice to work from home to your work office? Small things that make it more comfortable now, like your own pencil holder, stapler, a vase with flowers, computer mouse with your specs? Could your desk in the office be moved, even turned slightly? Could you get a different desk, office chair? Not sure what is possible or what exactly would make it better. It sounds to me that you would just prefer to continue working from home so the whole idea of going back to office is not appealing and it might be difficult to make it as comfortable so you’re going for just palatable 

[Lizard Queen]

My old work place had drab colors, and lots of flipper bins. There didn't seem like I could do much to cheer it up, and I didn't try too hard with things I really liked. Current one has brighter colors, only one small flipper bin, and I brought a couple little brightly colored things my kids made, and hung them from the back wall. It seems a lot more cheerful. So, I guess some artwork that you really like? See if you can turn sideways to the window. I had my monitors moved to the corner, and it made a huge difference for my functionality. I don't know what dumbass designed it the way it was originally placed--they cut out a small chunk of desk so it was in the middle. This wasted so much space in the corner, and screwed up my body because I had to reach too far for the mouse.

[thyme4change]

Jun 14, 2020 11:36:07 GMT -5 anciana said:

Can you bring any of your own stuff that made it so nice to work from home to your work office? Small things that make it more comfortable now, like your own pencil holder, stapler, a vase with flowers, computer mouse with your specs? Could your desk in the office be moved, even turned slightly? Could you get a different desk, office chair? Not sure what is possible or what exactly would make it better. It sounds to me that you would just prefer to continue working from home so the whole idea of going back to office is not appealing and it might be difficult to make it as comfortable so you’re going for just palatable 

I'm trying to think about what I like about being home. I keep coming up with things like "My cats sit on my lap" and my kids wander out and talk to me while they are making lunch. 😍

Actually, I was thinking about some of the pictures my hubs took on our last vacation. We have one of them blown up and hung on our dining room wall. I may look and see if there are any others and I will just spend the money to get a picture I like.

[Happy prose]

I just have some plants, because I don't want to clean stuff. 

[jelloshots4all]

My last office I found items at Marshall's Hone Goods and Kirklands.  A couple pictures and knick nacks type stuff.  Made it less sterile.  Also,  A couple years ago I received one of those digital picture frames (smaller than 8x10) that I can up load pix of my kids and it scrolls every 30 seconds or so.  Easy to add new pix and small.

[NoNamePerson]

I never had anything personal at my office. Didn’t want to have to pick up anything but my purse when leaving.  I even kept office key on separate key ring 

[laterbloomer]

I got to pick the wall colour in my office, it's a nice light blue. I also have a bunch of fake plants on my top shelves and the credenza part of my desk. (I kill live plants) My desk is set up so I face the door, the window is to my right and I have a chair set up for folks that need to chat for a bit. My shelves of 3 ring binders (ya I'm still stuck with them) are on either side of the window. I have a couple of pictures I like and a couple of little sculptures that double as paper weights. It's the right mix of practical and pleasant for me.

[thyme4change]

Jun 14, 2020 16:15:10 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

I never had anything personal at my office. Didn’t want to have to pick up anything but my purse when leaving.  I even kept office key on separate key ring 

That has always been my way too. I usually put like a couple of framed pics of my kids, but those are easy to grab or easily replaced if I have to make a quick getaway.

[jelloshots4all]

Jun 14, 2020 16:15:10 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

I never had anything personal at my office. Didn’t want to have to pick up anything but my purse when leaving.  I even kept office key on separate key ring 

One of my former coworkers used to keep a box under his desk (that reams of copy paper came in) and stated he only kept as many personal items in his office that he could fit into that box if he had to be walked out.

[gambler]

Hire a wino

[happyhoix]

One of the upper managers at our facility got on a kick that everyone's office should be identical, with only a small number of office related things on your desk (stapler, computer, keyboard, phone). Nothing personal. At the end of every day, all paper should be filed or tossed. All the drawers should also be standardized, so that, in theory, you could come in and sit at anyone's desk and be able to find the essential office items in the same places in each desk. The optimized work space. 

A lot of the other managers just ignored his lectures on standardized desks and went on with their usual office decor, but I cleared everything out of my office and left just one personnel item - a small painting of a crow wearing black boots. 

Nothing on the walls but a yearly calendar to track everyone's time off. Nearly sterile. 

It's a form of passive aggressive rebellion. 

But it also means I could march out of there with my crow and my purse at any time. 

[tskeeter]

Jun 14, 2020 10:46:00 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

I have come to enjoy working at home, but I know I will have to go to my office. Our division President think we are all over-reacting to Covid, and my unit GM likes 'togetherness'.

After working in my own space, surrounded by my own stuff and my own style, I realize how drab and depressing my office at work is. I have a couple of pictures up, but they aren't anything special. My back is to the window, which I am not sure I can change. I have shelves full of three ring binders that I used to use, but that doesn't seem to be a thing anymore. Also I have two huge monitors, which I love, but when people come in they have to stand awkwardly for me to see them.

I am trying to figure out what to do. I will ask if they have a credenza or something and see if I can ditch the shelves. I'm going to think about art. What else can I do to make my office warmer, more functional and more personal?

When I was working, my office was decorated with photos that I took on our travels.  I found that I could get them blown up for about $3 each at Costco.  The reproduction wasn’t impeccable.  But, for $3, it was adequate.  After all, it was an office, not an art gallery.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Well, I'm a bit different I guess. Let me see if I have any pictures of my office on my phone. If not, I'll take some for you tomorrow. 

I'll have to take some tomorrow morning. I prefer to have a decorated office. I've only been in this one since the first week of January. It's close to being done but not quite. 

[alabamagal]

Since most of us are digital workers, I think it is most important to be comfortable with your computer screen, keyboard and mouse. I like to have my office set up where I can talk to people who come in, not looking over my screen. I used to have keep a bunch of engineering reference books in my office on display, but I never used them (thanks to google) so I got rid of them a while back. As an engineer, we have always been more about comfort than decoration. I usually have only a few pictures in my office, currently just DGD.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

I’m about half way there. I have more artwork to hang up. My shelves are messy! Week! And dear goodness that’s a lot of wires.

[lynnerself]

Before I retired I had large posters up of the places I had traveled to. I had to stop because I traveled to too may places. But there were posters of the Greek Islands, the Grand Canyon, the Eiffel Tower, Polar Bears and the Fjords of Norway.

[taz157]

Chloe - In the middle picture, are those various pictures hanging from a curtain rod?

[taz157]

In my office (which I’ve been in for a handful of times in 3 months since we can WFH), I have a couple cork boards that I’ve put DD’s artwork on. On some of the wall right above my desk, I have a few items that deal with deadlines or other things I look at frequently. I do have both CPA licenses on further down that wall too. There’s also a map of the US with the various locations my job is located at. There is 1 wall that I could place artwork on. I’m thinking of a picture that shows a window looking out to the ocean/beach.

My office has 2 windows looking into our front yard. I do have a big desk that I need to clean up. There’s also 4 bookshelves in which I have stuff on 2 of them and DH has stuff on the other 2. DD also has a small desk in the office too, which she doesn’t used much but it looks nice. The other “wall” is really the entry to our dining room. We had discussed closing it in as 2 walls are most entryways but I like it open. It’s far enough away from the “action” in the house but I close enough if needed.

[jerseygirl]

Chloe I like the plaid rug and table is gorgeous!

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jun 20, 2020 17:23:44 GMT -5 taz157 said:

Chloe - In the middle picture, are those various pictures hanging from a curtain rod?

Yes, curtain rod, ribbon, mini-clothes pins. 

[CCL]

I love your table Knee Deep in Water Chloe