What do you find you can't do without in your office? What were the best purchases you've made to make it a livable space?
This can include (broadly) permanent fixtures (furniture, art), tech, that amazing model of pen or notepad you use, and the food (or drinks) you stock your space with.
My current favorite is a new magnetic glass whiteboard for the wall that makes both meeting with students and brainstorming on my own so much better.
I also have a magnetic whiteboard that has been a real help. I have categories for all my current projects, in different colors of marker. I don't know how I kept track of things before. So much easier when they're staring me in the face!
My other recent addition is a set of really nice pilot refillable dry-erase markers. They're bright, vivid, and erase very cleanly.
A comfy chair with ottoman. It's the visitor chair (with ottoman pushed aside) when there are visitors-- students like it, it makes them feel welcome. The rest of the time it's mine, with ottoman. I like to work on the couch at home and it's almost as good.
Also, for the winter, an electric throw blanket. My office is always too cold for me, and its safer and more energy efficient than a space heater.
And there are always chocolate covered espresso beans stashed in my desk.
I have a comfy Ikea cantilever chair (like this one (https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/sofas-armchairs/armchairs/pello-armchair-holmby-natural-art-90078462/)), and I bought some pretty fabric swatches from Etsy to cover my filing cabinet, on which I put a reading light and a tea kettle. I have a beautiful batik fabrik hanging on one wall, and on the other I've put furoshiki clothes and literary-inspired newspaper art*. My office is still pretty cramped, but when I take the trouble to clear away all the paper from the desk and floor it's a pleasant place.
*Does anyone remember that incredible three-week sequence of the pen-and-ink Moby Dick illustrations from the back page of the NY Times book review? I cut those out first, and have since been adding to them with some of Ella Baron's work from the Times Literary Supplement.
OOoh--I wanna visit your office!
In fact, we should have a "cool offices I have known" tour of Fora offices, past and present.
;--}
M.
I have a bicycle pedaler under my desk for the days I'm there way too long — it keeps my circulation up in my legs and helps pedal away stress.
Automatic pencil sharpener.
M.
A double recliner for both me and the dogs (I teach fully online so I'm home more than I'm in). I wanted one of those Ekornes stressless chairs and was haunting ebay for a used version, but then I realized the dogs wouldn't be able to sit in it with me and they would be unhappy. So I found this on DEEP sale at my local furniture store and we're all happy. I was working from the couch and that wasn't all that comfortable so this is a ton better.
Following, because I still need to make my office feel more lived in and have never been great at this. But right now, a small Keurig and a caddy of coffee, tea, hot cocoa. And a few extra mugs for visitors.
I have a small piece of art from every country I've visited. I keep thinking about a couch and a rug, but I'm up for tenure this year and I still go back and forth about if I'm staying here long term. My current favorite office thing is a magnetic eraser for my whiteboard that holds my color coded master list.
QuoteI have a small piece of art from every country I've visited.
This made me smile, remembering when I worked at a place where people not only had stuff from where they'd worked (most were on project assignments all over the place, the weekly DHL Friday sendouts used a whole rolling cart for pickup) but everyone brought back stuff for everyone else, so all the offices had cool, considerate knick-nacks all over the place (my favorites were the Indonesian stick puppets).
I miss that place. One of the three or four coolest jobs I ever worked.
Thanks for reminding me!
M.
A colleague gave me her mini fridge when she retired. My department office was thrilled because I used to go in and out all day to swap drinks for colder drinks, but now all of my beverages are in my office. For our anniversary last year, my spouse bought me a "chair and a half" that I can rest in to get away from my screen, and it is so comfortable!
Quote from: darkstarrynight on June 21, 2019, 09:51:50 PM
A colleague gave me her mini fridge when she retired. My department office was thrilled because I used to go in and out all day to swap drinks for colder drinks, but now all of my beverages are in my office. For our anniversary last year, my spouse bought me a "chair and a half" that I can rest in to get away from my screen, and it is so comfortable!
I think it really helps to have a reading space AWAY from the computer (which is what my recliner is). I HATE recliners with a passion (I prefer the chair and ottoman look as it's more "classical" so I have one of those in my bedroom for reading in there, but the recliner for the office is very good (and takes up a lot less space when it's down, which was the idea).
Quote from: backatit on June 22, 2019, 04:54:04 AM
Quote from: darkstarrynight on June 21, 2019, 09:51:50 PM
A colleague gave me her mini fridge when she retired. My department office was thrilled because I used to go in and out all day to swap drinks for colder drinks, but now all of my beverages are in my office. For our anniversary last year, my spouse bought me a "chair and a half" that I can rest in to get away from my screen, and it is so comfortable!
I think it really helps to have a reading space AWAY from the computer (which is what my recliner is). I HATE recliners with a passion (I prefer the chair and ottoman look as it's more "classical" so I have one of those in my bedroom for reading in there, but the recliner for the office is very good (and takes up a lot less space when it's down, which was the idea).
Fitting this massive chair in the office caused me to shuffle around some other things (including the mini fridge, which moved across the room). Also, a colleague moved to another country and gave me her floor lamps, so I actually have four different lamps in my office. I can turn off the big light and put the four lamps on for a cozy feel. I also got three different rainbow-y rugs for the floor for color.
Hands down the best purchases for my office have been an osscillating fan and a Bose speaker. I hate a stuffy office and crappy sound equipment.
My best office purchase was my standing desk. I have one of the motorized ones, so it's really easy to raise and lower my desk. That desk is followed closely by a multi-adjustable, ergonomic chair.
This thread reminds me that I need to step up my office game. I have been in my office for 5 years and it is just about as drab and institutional as the day I moved in....
I did get a magnetic white board and an espresso machine, which are both awesome, but my office is quite Stark.
Quote from: Kron3007 on June 25, 2019, 09:59:12 AM
This thread reminds me that I need to step up my office game. I have been in my office for 5 years and it is just about as drab and institutional as the day I moved in....
I did get a magnetic white board and an espresso machine, which are both awesome, but my office is quite Stark.
I've been waiting for tenure to step up my office game. I'm the only TT woman in the department.
Quote from: happylittletrees on June 23, 2019, 07:24:51 PM
My best office purchase was my standing desk. I have one of the motorized ones, so it's really easy to raise and lower my desk. That desk is followed closely by a multi-adjustable, ergonomic chair.
Me too. The sit-to-stand desk is great when I'm in in my office for long stretches. The chair is all mesh, so it doesn't trap sweat and make my butt stink like my old one did.
The fan and microwave oven are also essential.
Quote from: Biologist_ on June 25, 2019, 12:35:12 PM
Quote from: happylittletrees on June 23, 2019, 07:24:51 PM
My best office purchase was my standing desk. I have one of the motorized ones, so it's really easy to raise and lower my desk. That desk is followed closely by a multi-adjustable, ergonomic chair.
Me too. The sit-to-stand desk is great when I'm in in my office for long stretches. The chair is all mesh, so it doesn't trap sweat and make my butt stink like my old one did.
I have a very stark office, but I love my motorized, adjustable desks with a great ergo chair.
Quote from: drbrt on June 25, 2019, 10:17:12 AM
Quote from: Kron3007 on June 25, 2019, 09:59:12 AM
This thread reminds me that I need to step up my office game. I have been in my office for 5 years and it is just about as drab and institutional as the day I moved in....
I did get a magnetic white board and an espresso machine, which are both awesome, but my office is quite Stark.
I've been waiting for tenure to step up my office game. I'm the only TT woman in the department.
Yeah, I just got tenure so I have no excuse now.
I do have some pretty solid office plants, so I guess I have something, but something on the walls would be good I think.
Quote from: Kron3007 on June 26, 2019, 05:52:33 AM
Quote from: drbrt on June 25, 2019, 10:17:12 AM
Quote from: Kron3007 on June 25, 2019, 09:59:12 AM
This thread reminds me that I need to step up my office game. I have been in my office for 5 years and it is just about as drab and institutional as the day I moved in....
I did get a magnetic white board and an espresso machine, which are both awesome, but my office is quite Stark.
I've been waiting for tenure to step up my office game. I'm the only TT woman in the department.
Yeah, I just got tenure so I have no excuse now.
I do have some pretty solid office plants, so I guess I have something, but something on the walls would be good I think.
I have the condolence plant we get for family deaths, but I really need to step up my plant game too. I had a watermelon peperomia in there but it did not like my office. I think maybe a wandering jew or a bloodleaf for some color. I don't really get direct sun so a lot of the fancier plants are out.
Quote from: drbrt on June 26, 2019, 06:42:52 AM
I have the condolence plant we get for family deaths, but I really need to step up my plant game too. I had a watermelon peperomia in there but it did not like my office. I think maybe a wandering jew or a bloodleaf for some color. I don't really get direct sun so a lot of the fancier plants are out.
The administrator of the adjunct office at one of my jobs has an interior office (no sunlight at all) and the most amazing selection of plants I have ever seen. She has an African violet that is easily 2' wide and flowers almost all year. She says the plants grow because she talks to them.
My (at-home) African violet is 4" wide and hasn't flowered in 3 years.
AR.
Quote from: AvidReader on June 26, 2019, 08:07:19 AM
Quote from: drbrt on June 26, 2019, 06:42:52 AM
I have the condolence plant we get for family deaths, but I really need to step up my plant game too. I had a watermelon peperomia in there but it did not like my office. I think maybe a wandering jew or a bloodleaf for some color. I don't really get direct sun so a lot of the fancier plants are out.
The administrator of the adjunct office at one of my jobs has an interior office (no sunlight at all) and the most amazing selection of plants I have ever seen. She has an African violet that is easily 2' wide and flowers almost all year. She says the plants grow because she talks to them.
My (at-home) African violet is 4" wide and hasn't flowered in 3 years.
AR.
African violets are hard to keep alive, period, so there's that.
The Powers That Be in my institution inspect our offices a couple times a year to make sure that we haven't brought in anything dangerous (like plants, or fish, or small appliances). So far my illicit extra bookcase has gone unreported. Gah.
Here's mine:
Music CDs for listening while working at my desk. I've got a good pair of headphones too.
Package of various colored Post-it notes
Package of various colored gel ink pens
Yummy drinks and lots of chocolate. After a long drive to the library, it's nice to open a chilled bottle of coffee or tea from the fridge in the morning.
Finally, lots of good books!
My favorite thing about my department is that they really get list-making. There is an entire cupboard in the supply closet for post-its and list making supplies, so I don't have to get my own.
This super-soft folding chair:
https://www.target.com/p/sherpa-butterfly-chair-cream-with-gray-legs-room-essentials-153/-/A-54284495
It's my writing chair; I like to lean back, put my feet on my regular chair, and write on my laptop. I find it much more calming, and if I need to wake up or use the bigger screen, I can switch to my real desk. I will confess it also served as an excellent venue for resting when I really needed it, specifically during pregnancy or when I came in for class while still recovering from a cold or stomach bug. If someone I need to impress is coming in (so I need to look more professional), it easily folds up and gets hidden behind the door.
Now the rest of my office is a mess. I still need to hang stuff on the walls etc. I just got tenure, so no more excuses.
A superautomatic espresso machine: add beans and water, push a button and it makes a perfect cup of coffee. I have it in the lab and I supply the beans; I have good coffee while working, and my lab is happy and can get their caffeine fix without paying too much for terrible coffee in the cafeteria. More than worth the price of admission.
Tea kettle, gigantic whiteboard, and lava lamp.
Art on the walls, including a large antique quilt that dominates the space. Other than that, Japanese office supplies, particularly very fine point pens (.28 and .3) in reasonable--not garish and not red or black--colors.
I leave my county to go pen shopping, but I live within reasonable travel distance of some really spectacular Japanese stationary stores.
A second monitor for my desktop computer. Once you've gone to dual monitors, you will wonder how you ever survived with only one.
Quote from: mythbuster on July 18, 2019, 10:20:00 AM
A second monitor for my desktop computer. Once you've gone to dual monitors, you will wonder how you ever survived with only one.
I have two external monitors plus the monitor in the laptop. When I work at home, I only have one external monitor plus the one in the laptop.
Quote from: Biologist_ on July 18, 2019, 03:33:29 PM
Quote from: mythbuster on July 18, 2019, 10:20:00 AM
A second monitor for my desktop computer. Once you've gone to dual monitors, you will wonder how you ever survived with only one.
I have two external monitors plus the monitor in the laptop. When I work at home, I only have one external monitor plus the one in the laptop.
About 15 years ago at my former institution, the department was transitioning from CRTs to LCD monitors. A grad student grabbed (I think) four CRT monitors and hooked them up in his office. Filled two desks, but he said it was absolutely worth it. I "just" have two monitors in my campus office. At home, I don't have as much room, but I have an ultrawide monitor that serves a similar function.
I also have a decent keyboard and mouse. Nothing special--Logitech, midrange, wireless--but so much nicer than the crap that comes with a new computer.
Quote from: the_geneticist on July 16, 2019, 11:34:29 AM
Tea kettle, gigantic whiteboard, and lava lamp.
Yes. I had to leave behind my beloved lava lamp when I moved to my current country, because the voltage was different. I do regret that. But at least there is no shortage of spare tea kettles everywhere around the building, and I appropriated one for my office. I don't have a gigantic whiteboard, because it clashes with the wall art (see below), but I have a smallish one.
Quote from: wellfleet on July 16, 2019, 12:49:01 PM
Art on the walls, including a large antique quilt that dominates the space. Other than that, Japanese office supplies, particularly very fine point pens (.28 and .3) in reasonable--not garish and not red or black--colors.
I leave my county to go pen shopping, but I live within reasonable travel distance of some really spectacular Japanese stationary stores.
My first year in my office the mounted bookshelves proved inadequate for the books I put on them, and came crashing down, leaving a hideous gash in the wall paint, along with two little holes, corresponding to the exactly two (2) screws, no more, that had been assigned the job of holding the entire bookshelf to the wall. I made a fuss and got some much better shelves installed, but the original gash is still there, so I covered it up with a piece of beautiful batik fabrik. I also have a selection of Japanese furoshiki cloths, and some of my favorite Ella Baron cartoons from the TLS lined up.
I love Japanese office supplies. It's astonishing how well that country does stationery. The paper is exquisite, the pens are reliably good, the ink is gorgeous, and all the other little gadgets are so clever and fun. I would love to visit an actual bricks and mortar Japanese stationery store.
ergative, google kinokuniya USA--there might be one closer than you think.
Vanilla scented Glade Plug-ins. It makes me smile when I hear people in the hallway say, "It smells like cupcakes." Also, a jar of individually wrapped Lifesaver mints, strategically placed so there's no doubt that guests should help themselves. Everyone wants one, and I get the added benefit of talking to people with minty fresh breath!
Quote from: copykat on July 20, 2019, 08:56:46 PM
Vanilla scented Glade Plug-ins. It makes me smile when I hear people in the hallway say, "It smells like cupcakes."
Alas, I'd just sneeze whenever I came within smelling range.
Scented areas and people are one of the banes of my existence. :(
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on July 20, 2019, 09:04:25 PM
Quote from: copykat on July 20, 2019, 08:56:46 PM
Vanilla scented Glade Plug-ins. It makes me smile when I hear people in the hallway say, "It smells like cupcakes."
Alas, I'd just sneeze whenever I came within smelling range.
Scented areas and people are one of the banes of my existemce. :(
How do you typically handle that? Say something? Avoid all areas with strong scents? Our latest office staff person is very fond of air fresheners. The department office reeks of air freshener. It even escapes into the adjacent hallway. I merely dislike the smell, but I worry that it could cause medical issues for some. I haven't said anything since I'm not her supervisor, but sometimes I wonder if I should.
I can't tolerate room fresheners either....they give me a headache. I don't know if it is just that I don't like the idea of breathing in unnecessary chemicals, or if I really am allergic.
I've brought liquid hand soap from Bath & Body Works for our staff restroom. Last month I stocked up when there was a major sale--plenty to last until fall!
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on July 20, 2019, 09:04:25 PM
Quote from: copykat on July 20, 2019, 08:56:46 PM
Vanilla scented Glade Plug-ins. It makes me smile when I hear people in the hallway say, "It smells like cupcakes."
Alas, I'd just sneeze whenever I came within smelling range.
Scented areas and people are one of the banes of my existemce. :(
That never occurred to me! Maybe that's why nobody comes to my office hours? Guess I'll be stank-free in the new academic year.
Scented stuff = instant headache for me. I abhor when I sit down in a public place and right before the event begins (church, orchestra, you name it) someone who took a shower in perfume/cologne plants themselves next to me. I spend the rest of that time miserable.
Everything in my house is unscented. Shampoo, deodorant, lotion, laundry detergent, etc. If I want the house to smell like chocolate pie, I bake one.
Toss up between the really awesome ergonomic chair that I found refurbed for 80% off and the dehumidifier which is worth its weight in gold due to the moisture issues caused by working in a really old building with an equally old HVAC system.
I have bad migraines so can't handle some fragrances (cheap air fresheners are a no-non, expensive perfume - not department store - is, of course, just fine if applied very sparingly LOL). Our department is a fragrance free zone though, as we have someone with chemical allergies (she really does, too; it's not an affectation) so it's pretty strictly enforced when she's around.
So in my home office, DH has co-opted my big recliner. I picked up an Ikea Poang chair off Craigslist for next to nothing (in perfect condition) but I'm having an issue with it. Everyone who sits in it falls asleep! I've had multiple people over and it's a real thing! I can't work in it, so I don't know what I'm going to do (kick DH out of my chair, obviously, but installing metal spikes in the Poang has come to mind).
I have that chair in my office too, although I got it from Salvation Army. I regularly take small naps in it. I love it to bits.
I have two of those chairs--one that I inherited from a grad school friend when she moved in with her boyfriend, now husband 20 years ago, the other that I bought at the IKEA. They're awesome. I can't sleep in mine (I generally can't sleep sitting upright), but they are wonderful for reading and grading. But despite my warnings, almost everyone else who sits in them basically falls into it because its farther down that it must seem.
When I moved into my current office, I had the luxury of time (it was summer and I wasn't concurrently moving house) and some spare funds. The office floor was dreadful. They'd been waxing around the furniture for 50 years, so it had mounds of wax mixed with dust outlining where all the old furniture had been. I bought some wood-look vinyl flooring (https://www.homedepot.com/b/Flooring-Vinyl-Flooring-Resilient-Flooring-Vinyl-Plank-Flooring/Floating-Interlocking/N-5yc1vZbzjzZ1z0kwjx). The pieces interlock and float over the existing floor, so I was able to install it myself despite having no construction skills. And I didn't have to get permission since the old floor is unharmed.
I also got some wood bookcases from Ikea to replace the industrial metal shelving and some large pieces of art to cover portions of the ugly walls. All told, I spent about $500 to end up with the nicest office in the department. It's a luxury, not a necessity, but it has improved my quality of life.
Quote from: drbrt on June 25, 2019, 10:17:12 AM
Quote from: Kron3007 on June 25, 2019, 09:59:12 AM
This thread reminds me that I need to step up my office game. I have been in my office for 5 years and it is just about as drab and institutional as the day I moved in....
I did get a magnetic white board and an espresso machine, which are both awesome, but my office is quite Stark.
I've been waiting for tenure to step up my office game. I'm the only TT woman in the department.
I'm also a minority and so when I first arrived, I used the bulletin board that I inherited to display all of the proposals I submitted (not just the ones awarded), all of the tear sheets and white papers I'd written, and all of my publications. It was all beautifully organized and essentially my "wall of hard work". I did this to help advertise myself as a researcher first (since stereotypes are often the opposite). This also became something that kept me motivated. I highly recommend this.
I should add that mine is definitely my office chair, which I got for my 17th birthday and which is amazingly comfortable and reclines at the perfect angle.
Quote from: Liquidambar on July 21, 2019, 11:43:10 AM
How do you typically handle that? Say something? Avoid all areas with strong scents? Our latest office staff person is very fond of air fresheners. The department office reeks of air freshener. It even escapes into the adjacent hallway. I merely dislike the smell, but I worry that it could cause medical issues for some. I haven't said anything since I'm not her supervisor, but sometimes I wonder if I should.
If it's avoidable, I'll avoid it. But if it's wafting into a public space, or into my own space, I say something (provided it can make a difference, anyway--no point telling someone on a plane, really. In that case, I hope I'm sitting close to them and that I sneeze on them).
Quote from: copykat on July 21, 2019, 06:38:47 PM
That never occurred to me! Maybe that's why nobody comes to my office hours? Guess I'll be stank-free in the new academic year.
Sorry to have ruined your best office purchase!
Quote from: drbrt on June 25, 2019, 10:17:12 AM
I've been waiting for tenure to step up my office game. I'm the only TT woman in the department.
Get a load of this (http://dailynous.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/callard-agnes-office-detail.png) office...
I think it's time to resurrect my "quote door" of science related phrases.
"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." John Muir
"Dans les champs de l'observation le hasard ne favorise que les esprits préparés." Louis Pasteur
"I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy" Marie Curie
Anyone have other favorites?
Yeah, I also need to work on my door decoration. I tend to favor PhD comics, but haven't put any up here (yet).
I also need to bring in my PhD comics collection for students to read....
Quote
Quote from: drbrt on June 25, 2019, 10:17:12 AM
I've been waiting for tenure to step up my office game. I'm the only TT woman in the department.
Get a load of this (http://dailynous.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/callard-agnes-office-detail.png) office...
I do have a quilt in my office but it's a landscape quilt
Oh, one more thing though not a single office purchase: Candy bowl, with refills every sale. Small treats for students that definitely helps their morale. Several have given me a pack of small chocolates upon graduating as a thank you for all the candy I provided along the way :) I don't have a big sweet tooth, so they are mostly for the students (I keep my salty snacks separate).
Quote from: Beebee on August 01, 2019, 08:43:35 AM
Oh, one more thing though not a single office purchase: Candy bowl, with refills every sale. Small treats for students that definitely helps their morale. Several have given me a pack of small chocolates upon graduating as a thank you for all the candy I provided along the way :) I don't have a big sweet tooth, so they are mostly for the students (I keep my salty snacks separate).
I do this occasionally, but it would be nice to make it a more consistent thing. What types do you usually fill it with?
Quote from: eigen on July 29, 2019, 04:23:29 PM
Yeah, I also need to work on my door decoration. I tend to favor PhD comics, but haven't put any up here (yet).
Oh, that reminds me... I didn't have to purchase it, since it came with the office, but I really like the strip of cork on my door. I use it to display one comic at a time and rotate them frequently. I like this better than having lots of stale comics.
Door decor: lots of cartoons (mostly XKCD, but lots of others). In strategic window locations, posters on Math. The white board was snagged from a colleague who didn't want it. It was ruined (washed with something that made it hard to erase) but I've been patiently working on it with fancy whiteboard cleaner and it's gotten better.
Two large bookcases (one "swiped" from the to-be-discarded place) with seven or so shelves each, all packed full. There are two smaller, four-foot-high little shelves from a dollar store, also packed full. There are also some paper boxes with stuff, including books, in them.
Then the dorm-sized refrigerator, on which is a coffee maker and a water heater/dispenser for tea. The file cabinet in my desk contains (sometimes) snacks. The desk is a mess, covered with books, papers, and other odds and ends.
Quote from: Conjugate on August 03, 2019, 09:24:46 AM
Door decor: lots of cartoons (mostly XKCD, but lots of others).
Yes, me too, although in my case it turns out that Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal (currently) outnumbers XKCD.
Folks, what are some good sources of academic cartoons for door decor? Currently I have representatives from:
xkcd
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Tom Gauld
The New Yorker
The cartoon on this twitter thread about conference Q&A sessions (https://twitter.com/jamesbsumner/status/1017037509249912832?lang=en)
Quote from: ergative on August 03, 2019, 11:34:59 PM
Quote from: Conjugate on August 03, 2019, 09:24:46 AM
Door decor: lots of cartoons (mostly XKCD, but lots of others).
Yes, me too, although in my case it turns out that Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal (currently) outnumbers XKCD.
Folks, what are some good sources of academic cartoons for door decor? Currently I have representatives from:
xkcd
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Tom Gauld
The New Yorker
The cartoon on this twitter thread about conference Q&A sessions (https://twitter.com/jamesbsumner/status/1017037509249912832?lang=en)
PhD Comics
Dilbert
Second PhD Comics.
I started a new thread (http://thefora.org/index.php?topic=425.0) to discuss office door cartoons, since it's important enough to have its own thread.
We've just had a major renovation, so right now my office is pretty stark, but in my previous space I had a few little luxuries that I'm hoping to "reinstall."
I keep several plants in my office and have an LED grow-light to keep them healthy (we have no windows in any of the faculty offices in our building). These give me a reason to take a break & look at something nice & green, and also make the space nicer. The grow-light made things seem cozier & more atmospheric, and also caused folks to drop in to ask questions about the purplish light, plants, etc.
I had a floor lamp and a desk lamp - I have chronic migraine, so I can't always tolerate overhead fluorescents. These lights (along with the plant light) made life bearable on the tricky days. I also keep an electric kettle, because there are those days when I need copious amounts of caffeine. (This is either tea or coffee made w/my Aeropress.)
Lastly - my door had a window in it, and I found that when I really needed to get some time un-disturbed, the window made that next to impossible. So I tacked up some sheets of pretty origami paper to cover the window; looked lovely, ensured my ability to pretend not to exist and actually get things done.
Quote from: rhetoricae on August 21, 2019, 09:48:48 AM
We've just had a major renovation, so right now my office is pretty stark, but in my previous space I had a few little luxuries that I'm hoping to "reinstall."
I keep several plants in my office and have an LED grow-light to keep them healthy (we have no windows in any of the faculty offices in our building). These give me a reason to take a break & look at something nice & green, and also make the space nicer. The grow-light made things seem cozier & more atmospheric, and also caused folks to drop in to ask questions about the purplish light, plants, etc.
I had a floor lamp and a desk lamp - I have chronic migraine, so I can't always tolerate overhead fluorescents. These lights (along with the plant light) made life bearable on the tricky days. I also keep an electric kettle, because there are those days when I need copious amounts of caffeine. (This is either tea or coffee made w/my Aeropress.)
Lastly - my door had a window in it, and I found that when I really needed to get some time un-disturbed, the window made that next to impossible. So I tacked up some sheets of pretty origami paper to cover the window; looked lovely, ensured my ability to pretend not to exist and actually get things done.
I also support the covering up of the office window! My last workplace renovated our offices (yay!), but they ended up smaller (boo) and the designer insisted that the walls facing the hallway had to be frosted glass so we appeared more "available" and the office doors had HUGE glass windows (not so yay). My colleagues that liked to bike to work & change in their office were VERY upset at the lack of privacy. It was impossible to pretend to not exist and made it obvious if you were in your office or not.
Quote from: the_geneticist on August 21, 2019, 02:46:58 PM
the designer insisted that the walls facing the hallway had to be frosted glass so we appeared more "available" and the office doors had HUGE glass windows (not so yay). My colleagues that liked to bike to work & change in their office were VERY upset at the lack of privacy. It was impossible to pretend to not exist and made it obvious if you were in your office or not.
We have a buildig where the hallway wall and doors are clear glass for faculty offices. The overexposure means that nobody every works in their office, so it has not had the effect of making faculty seem more available.
They are happy to meet you there for a chat if you email them. Since nobody else is around, you have decent privacy for a conversation.
Cheap picture frames. I've got photos of all my family and kids and vacations all over.
Command Strips.
I just started here, and my office is small--no loveseats or lounge chairs in here! BUT, I did have to use some start-ups funds to get a good adjustable high-back big and tall leather office chair with an excellent adjustable lumber support. It makes my life better--I love my chair! The old chair was surplussed by the department (even they didn't want it around, "...just give that old chair to the new guy...")
Cork board for photos and procedures.