The Interior Designer: How to Read Your Colleague by Their Cubicle (Part 4 of 4)
Every office has cubicles.
You can tell exactly who a colleague is just by looking at their desk.
We have seen the Empty Table Person.
We navigated the Cluttered Table Person.
We respected the Precision Engineer.
Today, we arrive somewhere… warmer.
You may want to take off your shoes.
Species #4: The Interior Designer
The cubicle is a living space.
There are plants.
Photos of family, friends, pets, and at least one group photo nobody remembers taking.
Certificates framed like museum pieces.
A soft toy that has seniority over most employees.
There may be fairy lights.
There may be a motivational quote.
There is a hidden drawer of snacks that rivals a convenience store.
There is definitely personality.
They have not just moved in physically.
They have moved in emotionally.
To them, the cubicle is not just where work happens.
It is where life continues between meetings.
Their desk tells you what matters to them.
Family.
Milestones.
Memories.
Small things that make long days easier.
They are not decorating.
They are anchoring themselves.
They remember birthdays, names, and stories.
They build belonging wherever they sit.
And yes, they have snacks.
And they will share them.
They do not just occupy a space.
They humanise it.
Why this matters to the team
They are usually open to conversation.
They are the informal connectors, the ones who know about the unspoken tensions and the birthdays everyone else forgot.
If you need to navigate office dynamics, start here.
Also, if you are hungry, this is your best chance at a premium snack.
The manager’s perspective
Do not underestimate the “friendly colleague.”
Friendliness is its own form of intelligence.
These individuals are the emotional glue:
They build trust without being asked.
They turn a group of individuals into a community.
They sense shifts in morale before they become HR problems.
The quiet truth
The Interior Designer is not just decorating a desk.
They are creating a place where work feels a little more human.
In a system built for efficiency,
they are the reason it still feels like a place people can belong.
So let me ask you.
If I walked past your desk right now…
Would I learn anything about your life?
Or is it a complete mystery?
Which one are you?
The one with nothing on the table?
The one buried under everything?
The one who will notice if I move your stapler?
Or the one who has snacks, plants, and a better life than the rest of us?
