Is your cubicle boring you to death? Working in a cube doesn’t have to be soul stealing and brain draining. Most offices have policies on how much your employees can change their workstation up, but mounting a campaign for freedom of expression might be a good idea.

The first thing about most cubicle settings is the bleakness of the surroundings. white, grey or beige walls, floors and panel extenders can make even a hardened office drone feel closed in and institutionalized, sapping their will to live, let alone work.

Using color to mask the largest surfaces can instantly change the feel of a cubicle. Allowing workers to customize their wall color can help immensely. Colors like blue, and green are calming while brighter yellows and reds can kick start creativity, and a coat of paint on panels that are made of a paintable surface can work fine. Alternately, try turning one wall into a chalkboard with chalkboard paint.

Panels that are bulletin board like can be covered with cheap fabric instead or inexpensive wall paper. Even wrapping paper could do in a pinch!  Some panels even come with options like the nature one shown above. Floors can be brightened with bamboo mats, or colorful area rugs, and accents like a lamp with a bright shade, personal pictures of family and pets, and even posters of bands or postcards from vacations.

A live plant can lend a homey feeling to a cubicle (make sure no-one is allergic to it.) If live foliage isn’t allowed, try high quality fakes to add a sense of relaxation. A small fish tank is also one way to bring a creative mood into a cubicle setting, or consider a hermit crab as another way to liven up the place.

Go to bat for your employees, and find ways to let them decorate their cubicles and panel extenders as well as the rest of their workspace. While you don’t want anything that is insanely distracting, most employees will embrace the ability to decorate to their own taste, and will have pride and a better attitude about their cubicle.  A happy employee works harder!