Break Free from Boring Beige When You Refresh Your Workspace
Blank cubicle walls feel oppressive. Everywhere you look, it’s beige.
That can drain your creative energy.
Liven up your personal workspace and escape the drab. Even a small change can make Monday mornings feel a lot less, well, Monday-ish.
Try these tips for decorating your workspace.
A Photo Collage Pinned to Your Office Partition
It’s not a groundbreaking idea, but it is an old standby. Grab a box of pins and a stack of your favorite photos and go to town.
Achieve the perfect layout by organizing your photos before you start pinning them to your cubicle wall, or create a design on the fly.
Don’t have photos from your family vacay? No problem. Printing a few stock photos of paradise or other cool places from a free website like Pexels.com or Pixabay.com are a great stand-in.
Make Modern Office Partitions Work Harder
Today’s office partitioning solutions can multitask as effectively as you do. Transform your plain wall into a brainstorming space or mood board to help you with productivity.
A sheet of clear acrylic from your local hardware store becomes a dry-erase board, where you can jot notes, sketch ideas, or visually map out projects. Because it’s so lightweight, you can attach it to office partitions without weighing down the fabric covering. And if it extends above the partition height, it doesn’t block light for your cubicle neighbors.
Creating Zones in Your Space
Even in a single cubicle, you can create distinct areas that serve different purposes. It’s a concept called “micro-zoning.” Think of it like having different rooms in your house, but on a smaller scale.
One section might be your “command center” for focused work on your laptop, while another could be your “inspiration station” for creative thinking. The distinction doesn’t need to be dramatic; subtle changes in decor or organization can signal different uses for different areas.
Seasonal Switch-Ups
Nobody wants their workspace to feel like a time capsule. Creating a simple rotation system for your decor keeps things fresh. Plan your decor theme to align with changing seasons or major holidays.
Wreath hooks slide over the top of your office partition wall, so you can hang a decorative wreath and change it out with the seasons. Simple holiday banners are easy to attach. Party supply stores also sell patterned disposable tablecloths that you can use like wallpaper.
Put Color Psychology to Work
Although you can’t paint your partition walls, you can still use color to your advantage. Most modern office partitions come in neutral colors that match anything you add to your cubicle. Choose a pop of color that coordinates with the partition but also evokes an emotion or feeling in you when you look at it. This is the premise of color psychology.
Blue shades can help you focus, while green helps you feel more balanced. Yellow can boost your creativity. Red can make you feel competitive.
The trick is to introduce these colors through your desk accessories, like in a lamp shade, a mouse pad, or small art pieces.
Curtains Add Privacy Between Office Partitions
If you have a full-height office partition that separates you from your colleagues, but you desperately need privacy to stay focused, an easy-to-hang curtain can help block off your line of vision.
Use a small tension curtain rod and a lightweight curtain to create this barrier. You can either move the curtain rod altogether or simply slide the curtain back against one wall to “open” your cubicle back up.
One caveat: check with your supervisor or office manager to ensure you’re following your city’s fire code.
Create a Cohesive Look That Matches Your Modern Office Partition’s Style
In a corporate environment, office design says a lot about a company’s brand. Your employer may have chosen modern office partitions as part of their brand identity. If your workspace is easy to see from across the room or near where visitors enter, choose cubicle decor that complements the modern office partition’s style.
Hallmarks of modern decor style are clean lines, a strong color palette, and minimalism. Your cubicle decor can complement the look. For example, choose a task lamp with straight lines instead of an ornamental one. Opt for picture frames that match your company’s color palette, so items on your desk in full view don’t feel like a distraction.
Office Partitions Are Your Friends!
Although you may dread sitting in a cubicle at work, the truth of the matter is that office partitions are there to make your day better. They insulate you from ambient office noise and give you a customizable canvas that can inspire you.
By implementing these design ideas, you can make your workspace somewhere you actually may want to be.