Our office is probably one of the least expensive office spaces in Oak Ridge. As a company, we are very, very cheap which is good and bad. We are able to thrive because we don't waste money, yet we often times lack things that would make our job easier. We only get new computers and equipment when something completely dies. And then we still buy used equipment. My computer is a refurbished Dell that used to sound like a helicopter whenever a CD was spinning in it. It's quieted down some lately. The color printer that we rent (which we're encouraged to never use because it costs too much to use the ink) is in such bad shape that the service guy we've called in several times said he remembered working on that specific printer when it was at two other companies and recommended both times that it be taken out of service. We must have gotten it for really cheap!
We have no atmosphere in our office. Nothing that puts you in that productive frame of mind. We don't want our clients to think we charge them so much that we can afford to waste money on our office. Most of our furniture comes from the ORNL auctions. It's the really old stuff they don't want anymore. Most things don't cost more than $10. All the other furniture is stuff people had at home that they no longer wanted. A couple of years ago we set up some cubicle walls in an open area. I don't know how much they cost (if anything at all) because they came from a barn where they'd been stored for years. It took many, many bottles of Febreeze to finally get them smelling acceptable.
Our offices are not pretty. They have very stained pink carpeting (which our cubicles match perfectly). The office space we expanded into about a year ago is a little better - it's all blue. We are planning to further expand and take over the office space on the floor below us sometime next year. We're working on getting a set of stairs put in so we can connect to the lower section without having to go outside and walk around the building to get to those offices. Our office building is on a hill so both levels have a ground floor entrance on opposite sides of the building.
The one benefit of working in such low cost offices is that I get to bring in Charlotte. My boss has some bird dogs, and he wants to be able to bring them in with him sometimes. I don't know how many dogs we're allowed here at one time since we've expanded and added more offices, but it's probably 3 or 4. Charlotte has a lot of fun when my boss brings in Jubil and they get to play for a little bit. They are about the same age and play exactly the same way.
Here are some pictures of my office:
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