Are you grinding away in a boring office or cubicle? Most people spend almost as much time in their office as in their bed. Brighten up your day with one or more of these cool items that turn your office space into something more like a man cave. A few items can completely transform your workday for a long time.
Here are 6 decorations that are cool and suitable for most work places.
Table of Contents
1. Posters
Posters are the easiest and cheapest way to decorate any space. They’re easy to put up and easy to take down.
There are so many posters available, it’s impossible to pick one that would be suitable for everyone.
Check out this article on my picks of the coolest posters for several popular topics. Many of these will be suitable for work. If you can’t find anything you like, you can find an almost infinite amount of different posters on Amazon.
2. Table lamp
Working late? The normal fluorescent lighting in most offices are soul sucking devices that take any will to work out of you (or at least me). Getting a nice table lamp might take up some space during daytime. During nighttime however, you got an edge over your colleagues buy having an inspiring lamp.
In a sea of fluorescent light, a nice warm traditional light bulb seems like a campfire in the desert.
Check out this lamp on Amazon. It has a retro looking base with a motorcycle and a petrol pump. It’s something to look at when it’s turned off as well.
In an office setting many people might want something more modern though. In that case, this simple but effective lamp is a good option. It’s minimalist design, combined with the retro looking LED light makes for a really cool lamp that looks great in almost every environment. Buy it here on Amazon.
3. Sports memorabilia
For the sports fan, some sports memorabilia of your favorite team and/or player are awesome to have. It can be a great conversation starter and a reminder of something that entertains and relaxes you.
There is an almost limitless amount of options. I quite like this levitating helmet on Amazon. It looks special and is a cool gimmick. It’s available with helmets from several different football teams.
4. Map
For the traveler that is just working to save money for his next trip, a world map is a great item to have in your office.
A map on your office wall is going to be motivating. You can put pins in the places you’re planning to go or the places you have been before. It’s awesome to be able to look forward to your next destination or remember past destinations.
Check out this article on different wall maps.
Alternatively you can get a globe. You don’t have to mount a globe anywhere but it’s a bit more difficult to mark destinations since pins might limit the movement.
5. Mini retro arcade game
Are you bored in your break time? Not enough work and have to kill some time? Sounds like you need some entertainment.
A mini arcade game is a fun gimmick to have on your desk and will warrant some extra visit from colleagues. It’ll provide the necessary entertainment during downtime and will get you some bonus points from your coworkers.
Check out this mini arcade on Amazon. It has all the games you need to be entertained for hours. Just don’t get caught by the boss or you might have to share.
6. Personal coffee maker
Coffee makes the world go round. Or at least the office world. If you’re like many other employees, you need your cup of coffee before you can even think about starting your day.
The office coffee machines are not always a source of the product you crave though. Many times they just spew out some black liquid that might or might not have seen a coffee bean in it’s life.
Many people solve that by buying coffee at places like Starbucks. That does get pretty expensive over time.
At Starbucks, a completely standard, medium, black coffee will cost you $2.25. There are about 250 working days in a year. If you would buy one cup every day, that’s $562.50 a year!! And that’s certainly not the best coffee you can get.
So, a coffee maker for in the office so you can make your morning cup at your desk makes sense. If you get the right one, it will brew a great cup of coffee every day for less money and, it looks cool as well.
Royal Belgian coffee maker
This Royal Belgian coffee maker looks really fancy and makes a very decent cup of coffee. It will impress everyone that sees you using this. Be careful though, It uses a flame to heat up the water. That’s something most offices won’t like very much. You also take the risk of looking like a snob.
Check out this Royal Belgian coffee maker on Amazon.
Cold brew
Cold brewing has become more popular over the last years. It has some great benefits. Most people like the taste and it does pack a punch. It’s really easy to make cold brew coffee since you don’t need hot water.
The only drawback is that it takes a while to make a cup. It’s a good idea to prepare your coffee for the next day, before you leave work in the evening.
Take a look at this simple but effective cold brew maker on Amazon. It comes with a metal filter so you can easily remove the coffee grounds after brewing and you’ll never run out of filters. It has plenty of capacity for a days’ worth of coffee and looks very clean.
Office politics
Before you buy all the items listed above, think about what is accepted in your workplace. This obviously really differs per office.
When hearing “man cave” many people will start thinking you’re a horrible sexist for a multitude of reasons. Work is work and since we have to play the game and behave ourselves, we need some plausible deniability. That means that the items listed above are not the most obvious masculine items. In many workplaces it’s just not worth the risk.
Also keep the following things in mind;
Wording
Don’t call it a man cave. It elicits negative emotions in many people. I don’t agree that that a man cave is bad but, I do think the optics are not the greatest for many.
Just say you’re decorating your office space with things you like. You’re improving your office so you feel more comfortable and can be less stressed and more productive. Don’t mention man caves and masculinity. Everything you say can and will be used against you.
You’re at work. Most people need their job to survive. Unless you got plenty of other options to make money, don’t stir the pot in ways that won’t improve your career. It’s not worth it. Being stupid is not the same as being courageous.
Atmosphere and position
Some places are much more relaxed regarding these things than others. What you can get away with really depends on three things.
- The atmosphere in your workplace. Are other people likely to be offended by certain things?
- Office policy. Some workplaces don’t allow any personal decorations. But remember; it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.
- Your position also has an influence on what you’re able to do. It might not be a good idea to “abuse” that possibility though.
Common sense
Take the above things into account and use some common sense in choosing your workplace decorations. If you’re working in certain places where people are easily offended by anything and everything, play it safe. And in any workplace there are things that shouldn’t be visible. I’m sure you can think of a few topics that are not suitable for work.
If you are looking for more man cave decorations, check out some of these posts:
Hi there. I’m BetterDaily. I’m a man in his early thirties that likes to travel, ride motorcycles, work out and write. Usually I write about men, things related to masculinity and things men like. Teacher by day, blogger by night.
