A Pretty Place to Work

Now that I am working part-time, my desk is in an "office" type setting along with the rest of my team rather than in a huge classroom, and my space is pretty dismal at the moment. I'd really like to freshen things up but I don't want to spend a lot of money and I have to use the standard issue hideous monster of a desk, so I've been throwing around some ideas on a design board.

I thought one way to dress up the desk might be to cover it with some fun patterned gift wrap and place a piece of plexi glass on top. I'm also thinking a large but inexpensive piece artwork, like this "Be your-self" print would make a big impact on a budget. Maybe I could splurge on a few cute (but still reasonable) accessories and eventually add a few smaller pieces of art into the mix. A few other things I'm considering are a peg board, some small DIY projects like a cute mouse pad or some DIY artwork, and possibly painting the desk (not sure if that's allowed or if it would even work on a metal desk.)

And I'm still not sure what to do about a desk chair, because right now I have a wonky hand-me-down behemoth that a colleague gave me (if I didn't take it it was going to the dumpster). Not only is it totally fug, it's also way too big for me and is pretty uncomfortable, so I'm going to keep an eye out for an inexpensive alternative (suggestions welcome!)

Sources:
Gold Foil Dot Gift Wrap
Neon Nesting Boxes
Be your-self Print
Pink Stapler
DIY Mouse Pad
KVISSLE Letter Tray
Hustle Gold Foil Print
Heart Print (DIY?)
Mint Floral Gift Wrap
Abstract Artwork
Gold Table Lamp
Gold Notebook