How to Decorate an Office Cubicle for Fun
Jazz up a work cubicle to create a more welcoming and playful place to spend so many hours of the day. Engage the senses and arrange playful three-dimensional toys or decorative items on the desk. Small spaces offer a challenge, as going overboard with color or wall collages creates a crowded feeling. The New School University's website advises cubicle decorators to consider others when making decorating choices. To decorate for fun, choose a theme and add selected items sparingly. The more things that do double duty in a small space, the more the cubicle offers efficiency as well as fun.
Things You'll Need
- Background fabric (if allowed)
- Persian rug or other attractive floor covering
- Humorous or decorative pushpins
- Colorful, upbeat wall calendar
- Amusing photographs
- Classic poster, such as the "Hang in there, baby" cat
- Colorful cardboard monitor frame
- Small toys, such as bobble heads
- Fake aquarium (optional)
- Sand garden (optional)
- Tabletop fountain (optional)
- Carnivorous plants (optional)
Instructions
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Write a list of some fun things you might want to add to the cubicle. Think about things that make you smile, whether they're aliens, happy faces, stuffed animals, goofy pictures of family members and pets, toys, etc. Nix anything that might infringe on others, such as items that make unnecessary noise.
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Ask permission to add background items, such as fabric to cover the walls and the office chair.
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Make the cubicle more cozy with a Persian rug for a magic carpet effect. Or choose another rug pattern that makes you smile.
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Place decorations in key positions. For example, add a frame to the computer monitor--office supply stores carry frames for this purpose that stick on without damaging the monitor. They come in many colorful themes. Place a plant on one side of the computer, toward the back wall, where it's visible without interfering with the work area.
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Stick posters, photos and upbeat or whimsical mottoes on the wall with humorous pushpins, such as smiley faces or aliens. Create a well-designed, uncluttered effect by putting up one central image, such as a poster, flanked by a limited number of smaller images, such as three to five items on each side of the poster. The fewer items on the wall, the more focus each receives.
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Add a lively element to the decor, such as a fake aquarium with moving fish, a desktop fountain, a sand garden or a desk toy. The kinds of desk toys that don't make noise, such as a pendulum that draws in sand or other hypnotic moving items, make a more considerate choice than toys that clack or make other obtrusive noises when touched.
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Clip a mobile, the kind that attaches to a crib, to a cubicle wall to add some movement to the space. This makes an effective alternative to a hypnotic desk toy if desk space is limited. Select a mobile with a theme or type of animal you find soothing, such as stars, fish or birds.
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Set up whimsical rubber stamps, stickers or other fun items for personalizing file folders and notes. Choose stick-on notes, folders and desk organizers in a favorite color.
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Tips & Warnings
Adding too many things in a small area can get in the way of the functional aspects of the space.
Put a clear mat on the rug to protect it, and so the office chair will roll easily.
Bear in mind the effect of decorations on visitors and co-workers. Avoid anything that might be offensive.
References
- Photo Credit Empty Office Cubical image by TekinT from Fotolia.com
