Happy workspaces

The problem with an office cubicle is that it is run-of-the-mill. To make the most of an often limited space, office cubicles tend to be uniform in size and lack personality. It can be rather demotivating to spend long hours in a space that offers no stimulation to your senses.

A chic and unconventional cubicle can serve as a great breakaway space for you and your colleagues to ideate in. It also helps in making you more productive and efficient. Here are some tips that will help give your dull cubicle a facelift, without overstepping the boundaries of office interior requirements:

Display art on your screen
Let’s start by getting rid of that boring bouncing icon on your screen. Take it upon yourself to set a wallpaper that is a bright painting or a breathtaking photo. Show off your photography skills, or your photoshopped ones (digital art is the in thing now). Don’t let your computer screen go dark. Nothing brightens up a space like a great image.
Bring in a planter or twoThis does not mean you pick up a boring brown pot of the first plant you see.

Instead, get creative — use old jars or wide-mouth teacups. Pick plants that require minimal care and sunlight (there are quite a few of those). Prop one or two on your desk and watch nature breathe in some life. If close to zero-maintenance is what you are looking at, then terrariums are what you need.

Fancy display of stationery
Consider getting a magnetic board with small colourful trays to store your
stationery. Alternately, you may consider creating wall pockets to store your
stationery. This gives you the flexibility of changing placements and creating new looks all the time.

A showstopper for your desk
This could be just about anything — from a fancy metal desk lamp to a stuffed
animal to a funky collection of painted bottles or even an aquarium. Dedicate one corner of your cubicle to this showstopper and watch the attention it gets. It’s also the perfect go-to when you need to take a few minutes off work and look at something soothing.

Do up your chair
Have you ever noticed how some offices tend to get really cold thanks to a uniformly low temperature on the air-conditioning? If you happen to work in such an office, you may be able to do something about it. Invest in a small woolly rug that you can throw onto your office chair. Not only will it keep you warm, but it will also perk up your working space.

Jazz up the floor space
Most often, we tend to forget about floor space. Choose a fancy waste basket
instead of the staid office-issued ones. Put in a small colourful foot mat in front of your work chair. And if it is not frowned upon if your office, you may even consider replacing your office chair with a colourful one. An option that doesn’t pinch the wallet too much is to get interesting chair backs that you can slip on.

Your cubicle is where you spend a good portion of your work life. It is only fair that you do it up to reflect your personality. A pretty space to work better from!

(The author is founder, The Purple Turtles )