Office Space
Yes, I saw that movie in the theater when it first came out, before it was cool. That's not really relevant though. Or maybe it is, since I've worked in plenty of Office Spacey places that would have completely freaked if I even thought about making my office (cube) look like this.
The fabrics covering every hard surface make it impossible to see (hence the quick-sketched floorplan (go Tablet PC!)), but I flipped my corner worksurface around so that I stand (yep, I have a standing-height desk -- my team will tell you I'm either standing or sitting on the floor but never use a chair) on the outside edge rather than the inside edge. I stole this idea from a post to an internal discussion list. It's a simple change, but it makes pair programming sessions and code reviews seem much more inclusive (it's hard to pack two people into that inner curve when the desk is "right way round", and so one person is in and the other person is out, and so the in person is primary, which makes them more important, and now it's "me and you" versus "us").
Of course, all work and no play makes Michael a dull boy, so I have a few of my Matchbox cars lined up on the brightest race track around heading full speed for the chunk of landscape that about which others are clambering. Plus a few toys to keep hands busy while brains wrestle with nasty problems.
The paintings are by my wife. The pictures at the top-left of my bulletin board are by Edward Burtynsky of quarries. I found these in an airline magazine years ago and thought they were the coolest photos ever; years later I still think that, so much so that I actually bought a way expensive coffee table book packed with Edward's photos.
The stuffed animals I've collected over the years. The baby lobster is a momento from my honeymoon to Boston ten years ago. Toucans are my favorite animal (my first two words were "toucan" and "buzzsaw" -- thank you Richard Scarry!). Rhinos I just think are cool. Tigger too. And of course Dust Puppy is, well, Dust Puppy. <g/>
The yellow stickies point to key parts of the book that exists because of me.
*** Comments, questions, feedback? Want a fun job on a great team that lets you do pretty much whatever you want to your office? I need a tester! Send two coding samples and an explanation of why you chose them, and of course your resume, to me at michhu at microsoft dot com. Great coding skills required.