New employee surprises company with rustic cubicle renovation

After an extended period working from home during the pandemic, some workers are beginning to return to the workplace and saying goodbye to their home offices.

One employee took their return to the office extra serious this year, opting for a complete makeover of his cubicle to make things feel more homey. The changes to the workspace were documented by Mike Beckham, the CEO of the company.

“Recently one of our newest team members asked if he could decorate his cubical,” Beckham wrote on Twitter. “When I said yes, I wasn’t expecting this…”

Beckham shared three photos of the finished product, which resembled a rustic cabin. The plain walls and flooring were replaced with a faux wood finish. The employee decorated with stuffed animal heads on the walls, a faux fireplace, as well as a decal of an open window looking out on a peaceful lakeside view.

“That’s a full wood cabin motif including a stove, hardwood floor, and stuffed moose head,” the CEO continued.

Beckham shared a behind-the-scenes story about the cubicle’s makeover, adding, “He told me afterward that he actually held back a bit. He had bought an authentic cabin chandelier but realized it was a bit much just before he hung it.”

In the thread, Beckham also declared that the employee, Lucas Mundt, won “employee decorator of the year.”

As a result of Mundt’s creative endeavor, Beckham even announced a company-wide initiative celebrating creativity in the workplace.

“Update: Simple Modern will be instituting a workspace personalization and decoration budget for each employee,” he wrote. “Excited to see what each team member comes up with!”

In addition to the news, Beckham shared a video of Mundt giving a “guided tour of his mountain getaway.” He revealed some additional features in his decked out cubicle, including an outdoorsy soundscape for additional ambiance and a faux fur rug for some extra warmth.

Twitter users began to respond in the thread with notes of appreciation for Mundt’s creativity, with some even sharing their own personalized cubicles.

One user shared a snap of their former cubicle, which featured a faux brick detail on the outside of the walls along with multiple plants.

“This was my cubicle in the Pentagon before I retired,” they wrote. “We later added a bistro table and chairs adorned with some bottles of zero-alcohol wine.”

Another user shared a photo of their workspace at the holidays. For a festive spin, they turned the wall of their cubicle into a fake fireplace, decking out the makeshift mantel with stockings, snow dusted garland and miniature Christmas trees and reindeer.

“My cubicle during the holidays,” the user wrote. “I wish I could do something more permanent, but we switch cubes every two months.”

In another tweet, a Twitter user shared their cubicle’s dramatic makeover for the holiday season. They covered their entire desk area with a large gingerbread house adorned with white tape as the frosting and mutlicolor paper plates as the gumdrops.

“My work told us to decorate our cubicles for the holidays, so I did this,” they wrote.

Many Twitter users shared their thoughts on the creative liberty Mundt exhibited to customize his cubicle.

One user wanted the same set-up for themselves, writing, “I would love to see a material list so I can do this for my home office.”

“Very impressive,” another user wrote. “I like an employee that thinks out of the box, or should I say cubicle?”

LinkedIn even responded, writing, ".@lucas_mundt made himself at home and we love it."

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