I do not have an office these days. But when I have had one, I tended to decorate it pretty minimally with things that are easy to transport. I would do your photos as they would be a better conversation piece than anything you purchase.

I figured since I spent more waking hours in my office than I did at home, I'd make it nice for myself, so I had it all decked out. I overheard someone directing a visitor to my office by saying -- it's the one that looks like it was done by Bloomingdales. Mostly I needed color as the walls were white and the furniture was light oak. I also had a lot of wall space. So I added fabric covered panels in a print and made matching throw pillows for the chairs and added a small oriental-style (cheap from home depot) rug. I had some vacation shots I took framed up and added a pendulum clock. But what made the biggest difference was adding a desk lamp and a lamp on a round table between the visitor chairs. Made it so much more homey.

I decorated DH's office too with drapes and lamps and art work. DH was an engineer so I had some cool posters framed up. One of an engineering feat -- the guys having lunch on the Empire State Building steel beams, and one of an engineering disaster -- a train that came through the side of the station and onto the street below. His office looked better than his managers!

Do what soothes you. I always loved to look up and smile at my own vacation shots. And yes, they can be good conversation-starters. So if you can do a few canvas prints of those, they are fairly reasonable with Groupon or similar these days. And easily changeable.

If you find there is still a wall that ‘needs’ something, find an inexpensive print at a retail store or enlarge one of your own.

Save a few small, more personal ones for your desk of course.

One director here laid laminate right over the dismal carpet! I think that was a “ask forgiveness instead of permission” situation.

I like the idea of canvas prints of vacation photos. Seems very forgiving and easy to hang. Maybe like 6 8x11s?

Whenever I had an office with nice windows I always had plants!

We are in a nice newer building with nice furniture (finally). A decorator was involved in the flooring, paint colors, furniture, etc. and did a good job. Each office has an accent wall. Because slate blue is one of those colors (not my accent wall) I used that color as an accent in my office. Accessories, etc. I have a large memory board covered in a rough loose woven fabric. Visitors always enjoy looking at it. I have personal mementos and pictures on it. I do have a couple of framed photos in my office and a very nice large framed print over my credenza. I have a couple more smaller framed prints and some plaques/awards on the walls. We have these great deep silled windows in our offices and I have plants there.

I'd be careful about overdoing and making it too much like home such as window treatments, etc. Also if you are in a building like our offices and there is a definite "flow" of rooms, design, colors, etc. I would add my own touches but wouldn't do something to make your office too unique.

Have fun decorating it!

I like the idea of a lamp on my conference table and on my desktop. I like to work with the overhead fluorescents turned off. I have to hang a curtain for pumping over my side light (there are mini blinds but I find you can kinda peer through them).

I did treat myself to these “plants” from IKEA

I agree to not make it too personal, especially if you see clients. I would do vacation photos only if they are just scenery.

Your office is so light and bright, I really don't think you need much to make it more inviting. And, the view, speaks for itself.

Yes to lamps and your privacy curtain.

I never had my own office, always had to share.

In my office I never saw clients... it was research oriented, so the only outsiders were people to install new equipment, or people hoping to do the same. No carpeting... my office was always adjacent to a lab. I used vacation photos and the like. Most people had family photographs. I also used some office-friendly plants that didn't mind florescent lights and the usual northern/eastern exposure. Oh, a few small humor cartoons relevant to my job.

I like your cacti, Robo. One lesson I learned was to label the back or bottom of anything personal you bring into the office with your name, the date purchased and, if possible, the receipt. That way, no one can dispute that these are personal items not owned by the employer.

I brought in my own lamps as I hate over head lighting along with a Jackson Pollock print that I was storing under a bed. I also have one live plant. I'm not much for personalizing my office with a bunch of my stuff - never have been. It's the company's space, not mine. Plus if I was suddenly laid off I don't want a bunch of stuff to move out. I haven't been laid off in over 35 years but you never know.

Definitely only scenic pictures!

I have some fun math cartoons outside of my old cubicle but I don’t think I will bring them to my office.

If your vacation photos are nice eye-catching scenery or other photos of interest, I would select 3 or 5 of at least 11x15 or some such size, depending on your wall space. Keep the ones of family on your desk to a small size, say no larger than 5x7 or maybe one 8x10. I also like the ceramic pieces!

My office is decorated with cardboard furniture and cardboard accessories, and I change it on a regular basis. I'll try to post some photos next week - I'm semi-retired and only work alternate weeks.

Interiors Magazine published some photos (or at least one) of my office a few years ago and also interviewed me.

Lars that sounds very fun and interesting! I am a bureaucrat so naturally I tend toward the boring.

Outside, it all depends if you are seeing clients. Otherwise, go with what you want and is allowed... because we were adjacent to our lab spaces, no carpeting, not that I ever considered that. I was in pharmaceutical research. Marketing people understandably would have different parameters. Seriously, it all depends who you might be seeing in your office. We actual researchers are big on humor... Um, think Gary Larsson.

In my last office space, the guy ahead of me who got transferred to another space, left behind his panorama of Colorado mountain photos. I kept them for the inspiration. I put in plants... finally I had a west exposure!

If you have clients: pick accordingly. If not.... have fun within company parameters. Off-color is never welcome.

When I first moved into an enclosed interior office, it had putty colored walls and a sidelight with a view of another wall. I was depressed an sorry that I had moved out of my cubicle with a great view of the Cathedral and Grand Avenue. So I played hooky one afternoon and went out to buy some prints, a large fake plant (interior office, remember?), and some throw pillows for my guest chairs. Both paintings featured the color chartreuse. One was floral and the other was a (quite tacky) parrot. I was immediately happier with my office. I later painted a large canvas in shades of chartreuse for the back wall of my office so my guests would also have something to look at. I also have a small collage that I did in an art class, but it is so small, I don't think anyone notices it but me.

Oh I so miss having an office. At my current company *everyone* with the exception of the CIO has a cubical. At least I have a good spot with a floor to ceiling window on one side.

However, I did have a number of great offices in past lives-- like others, I brought in my own lamps and I bought artwork from local artists for the walls.

My best office ever, I was also able to choose the paint colors (from a standard set-- but they were unusual, non-office colors). It was in an old tobacco warehouse and had very cool design with rich hardwood floors. I added a rug, an awesome antique conference table and a coffee station. Oh how I miss working for a company with a startup culture!

Love your ikea cacti!

Those are cute Cacti and I love your bright sunny room. I have a home office and right now it has different pictures like an old cabin and a western themed Cowboy picture for my husband. But I like pictures with humor too. As a bureaucrat you might not be able to have pictures that are very quirky. Perhaps though you could sneak in something with a bit of humor to make you smile. This is one above my purse holder in the landing when I come up the stairs to my main level of my house. It's how I feel many days and it makes me able to laugh at myself. :-). It's at a funny angle because of the reflection from the windows.

Very cute picture!

I had a pretty big office with an L shaped desk, credenza and table and chairs. I did buy a big framed picture of Chinese boats (junks?) in a harbor for over the credenza. I liked it because it was outdoors and the colors matched the carpet. I had a few photos on the windowsill, mostly work related. I had to go to a zillion events and there was always a photographer there so I ended up with photos of me with various co-workers. The rest of the office was stacks of paper that resembled the leaning tower of Pisa. Since I had extra room, I also ended up with boxes of our printed material that didn't fit anywhere else.

I worked in education administration for over 30 years. When I first got the job, I was establishing a new office and ordering office fixtures, equipment, supplies, etc. My new boss gave me the green light to order what I wanted as long as I didn't order a pink stapler. "Pink staplers belong in a home office, not a professional office," he said. I used that as my guideline - professional and understated all the way.

There was an office in my building where the occupant set out a collection of tchotchkes on her desktop that made me cringe. Later she added one of those battery-operated stuffed cats curled up inside a basket. The cat appeared to be breathing. Oh my.

Get a comfortable chair and with calming colours and a file holder.

Here are two of my typical vacation photos in my new powder room - from Singapore and Nagasaki.

I’m storing all these ideas away for inspiration. I started at my new job last August and by October we were told that our floor was being redesigned, so we weren’t to make any changes. We were to move to temporary space for six months, then back to the rehabbed space. Of course as happens in life, things get delayed. We’re still moving somewhere, sometime. But nobody will tell us when. My screens are still getting window glare, there is still a blue shred bin in front of my desk (we got an extra bin when the move was imminent and we were scanning/shredding), I still have a shelving unit over my desk return that vibrates and rattles all day because the HVAC room is on the other side of the wall, and my diplomas and some office-appropriate historic prints are leaning against the wall where I put them in August.

I’m not bitter. Not one bit.

Never decorated an office and never seen anyone do it in my industry. My current office I am in only once a week and all I have is extra shoes and my preferred tea. My last office was all glass on three sides and had a lot of furniture. Desk, credenza/file cabinet, book cases and conference table with chairs. No wall space. I did have a lot of photos on my desk... 7 or 9 iirc. I also had a small vase and would buy flowers when it struck my fancy. But that was it. For many years I was on a trading floor--trying decorating there ... nothing but screens.

I still have these frames and love them. I like the fact you can put a photo facing you and one facing out, they are simple and handsome and super easy to change the photo.

Robo, they do not provide a dedicated space for Moms who are breast-feeding? I would expect govt office to do so. My former employer did and it was very nicely done.

No, it’s a little catch as catch can. The last lady to pump did it in a meeting room, she got walked in on a few times! In Canada pumping is much less common because we have a one-year maternity leave. So we have fewer rules around pumping. My own office will do just fine, just need to get that sidelight covered!

That makes a lot of sense. Ours was six months, considered generous at the time, standard was 3.

I've always had ancient, hand me down furniture that I mixed with my own couch and art. I've sold our old historic office and bought something more practical and officey. But, my Board has given me explicit instructions to "make it nice." I don't often spend our nonprofit's money, but I am now!

I'm planning to make my new office what I'm referring to as "aggressively feminine." So, pink. Think Brianna's office in Grace and Frankie as inspiration. I've never been a pink person but what the hay! I bought a live edge dining table with gold legs from World Market for my new desk and am hunting the perfect pink side chairs. I have seen them at Anthropoligie for $400 each so I'm looking for cheaper versions. New white filing credenza and bookcase. My new space only has one window so a couple of lamps will be needed. Maybe a small tulip table and fake Eames molded plastic chairs will round it out. I'll pay for accessories and art out of my own pocket.

Oh, I've picked out a tight carpet in nearly black and am painting all the walls accessible beige.

When I worked at my former job as a magazine editor, I had an office with a large window. The room itself was fairly industrial, but I grew seedlings on the large window ledge. It was really charming. I also had a whimsical pink polkadotted watering can next to it. I think I grew tomatoes and peppers. I also had my own coffee maker in my office.

Also, you could not believe how many comments I've gotten on the curtains. At LEAST 25. None complaining but boy people know when you step outside of the box around here!

Those are lovely paintings they look like they would be cheerful things to see when you walk into the room.

I think they're all wondering if you're going to close the curtains and have a party without inviting them. You'll have to invite them all in for a party just to see there's nothing going on without them. :-).