It has been a week for Nikki in her new office now. Her initial excitement of working in a brand-new setup has given way to some confusion.

The very co-workers who had welcomed her with great warmth on her first day, seem to be gradually distancing themselves from her.

She, for one, is not able to comprehend and rationalize the feelers that, of late, she has been receiving.

Week two and she is called by HR for an ‘informal chit-chat’.

And that’s when she understands the reasons behind those ‘not so friendly’ vibes.

-The pretty little water fountain on her table that she thought was refreshing, was a constant source of noise to others.

-The numerous trophies and certificates won by her all her life filled three-quarters of her workspace. Flaunting countless relevant-irrelevant lifetime of awards intimidated and frustrated her coworkers.

-The freshener that she sprayed every 20 minutes triggered sneezes and skin allergies in her workmates.

Many more such examples brought up by HR got her thinking.

The idea of doing up your workspace (cubicle décor) is to make it pleasant and soothing for your eyes, no doubt. But the key here is – without annoying and offending your coworkers.

Learning from her mistakes, Nikki decides to document the wrongs and rights of cubicle-décor and help other newbies sail smoothly.

Five rules of thumb for a Happy Cubicle

1. How much is too much?

The objective of displaying personal items should be to give you a quick visual break; one that energizes you for the rest of the day. Crowding your cubicle with everything you love will only add to the clutter- content.

For instance, bringing in the entire flora and brotherhood of stuffed toy fauna to your cubicle is not a good idea at all. A single pot of Ivy or bamboo would serve the purpose.

Overdoing your bulletin board with irrelevant one-liners or pictures of your wild parties should be a complete no-no. A photo or two of your loved ones or short notes that bring a smile to you is acceptable.

2. Anything for inspiration? – Think again

You may be a gym freak but in the name of inspiration, a poster of a shirtless Sylvester Stallone on your soft board will be utterly unprofessional. One simple motivational quote or a decent picture of an inspirational figure should be a Yes.

3. Religion – Out of your work-sphere, please!

Keep religious beliefs to yourself. Avoid displaying religious rituals at the workplace. Worshipping your computer with an incense stick the first thing in the morning defies the basic norms of professionalism.

4. Fondness or overfondness- draw the line

Stalking up enough stationery out of fondness is fine but having 40 gel pens and 30 sharpies with their caps all over the place unzens the whole atmosphere.

5. Music lovers

To peg annoying glances, that headset helps- trust me!

Your workspace – they say- is a reflection of your professionalism. Do it up in a way that enthuses and energizes you, that emanates positivity and balance; not just for you but for others working in the same vicinity.

Not least, make it a point to clean and organize before leaving for the day.

Follow the mantra- No clutter while downing the shutter.