Do you have a budget? Can you paint?

YES! I can paint. I have a 2500 budget plus I can buy new furniture. The only thing I cannot change is the flooring unfortunately.

All of the furniture is going. The desk is broken. I have a chair. That's about it. I was hoping for picture design inspiration. I would like to brighten it up for sure. It's upstairs and it's a dark depressing hole.

Ok, since everything is going, I'd start w/your style and what kind of desk you want.

you can look for used desks on craigslist, FB marketplace, etc, OR, look up Ikea office desk Hacks

these white cabs are ikea, top w/a butcher block from Home Depot

this would be cool in black, or any bold color. bring in more lighting.

even this one.

Or, get some old oak file cabs, paint them, top w/whatever you like

I like this idea. Ikea stuff. you can make up all sorts of storage, diff desk tops. just look up the hacks online on pinterest.

Since the floor is black and white, work w/that color. bring in an accent color you like.

ignore the orange and rug, but you get the idea about the color wall and art

like more netural tones? do lighter wood, white shelving, maybe throw down an industrial flat carpet

diff type of inexpensive desks and placement options

don't overlook base kitchen cabs (the unfinished oak from home depot). prime and paint, add some trim for a built in look

anyway, lots of ideas. I like the black accent wall idea w/the ikea white desk options, maybe a wood top, get some hanging pendant lights for that wall so it's not so dark.

i'd also look for a nice comfy chair or two, or small loveseat to go against one wall w/a small table or ottoman. always nice to sit somewhere comfortable while going over messages or on the phone, or just taking a quick break.

First figure out if you could refurbish anything - paint can do wonders. Then decide what you actually need and do an online room planner to figure out the best configuration.

The decor, lighting and furniture are the next decisions and let the floor be your inspiration and paint the walls white.

Sources for the above: https://www.spacejoy.com/interior-designs/home-office-ideas/a-black-and-gold-modern-home-office?epik=dj0yJnU9RDRIU1cyOWhJWTlpRGZQUmU4bEZFenE0V0VLdWpoZFImcD0wJm49RURUdzlhZ0luVk5lTktmblY2MDg5QSZ0PUFBQUFBR1dwdVNj#utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=pin&utm_campaign=sjrecommendations

Search ”updating a dark commercial office space” on Pinterest for ideas. Look on Marketplace for great savings and invest in one or two special pieces. It’s a big project, good luck.

Pale Scandinavian furniture could work well with these floors (which you must insist get cleaned!). Or you can lean in to white or black. Whichever you like best, go all in.

Lots of great ideas here. I would consider a pale, pale sage green for the walls.

Blinds/shades (cellular?) on the windows (if allowed) could reduce the "fishbowl" feeling.

Oohhh I love these ideas. The windows there look out to the dark shop not outside unfortunately. Definitely can work with these ideas. The furniture is not worth saving. It's partical board and damaged badly.

The floors are cleaned every 2 weeks. We are a manufacturing shop so it's pretty dirty when the guys come in. Thank you everyone!!! Definitely inspiring.

Do not despair of the black and white chessboard floor! Truly a parquet, this is one of the staples of classic English interiors! White walls, yes, but paint black or red accent walls on the entryway and smaller walls. Big black and white framed vintage photos of your products, the shop, the block, and all of you. All woodwork in pine, black, or whitewash, upholstery in black. Partial shutters for the in-office windows. All office accessories in red and black with big matching plant pots in red as well. Cast iron fixtures, lighting, and plaques, big red rugs in entryway and high traffic. This is a great space, and you can work a miracle with black, white and red, which is the accent color in traditional English interiors with the pattern. Under budget! Have fun!

What type of work will you be doing? Creative, analytical? Computerized, other? Will clients come into the space or is it just you? Have you figured out what amount of space you need - storage, desk space, other seating, printing/mailing/shredding stations, # of computers, # of monitors? Will you have virtual video meetings?

Clearing everything out is job one.

Replacing with the appropriate furniture to fit your needs is job 2

Depending on what you are doing and who will see your office you may need to go more professional or may be able to go casual.

Can you put in a small fridge for drinks and a microwave for warming lunches?

I don't think that your new office is a dark depressing hole. Replace the broken furniture, but give some thought to how this office functions within the company and your place there. You said it was a manufacturing shop that gets pretty dirty when the guys come in. I don't know what you envision with this redo, but particularly if you are new at this firm, don't make yourself into the problem new employee who wants the fancy office that is not practical or upsets the other employees and have this backfire employment-wise on you.

What sort of business are you in and what sort of office do you need? If the flooring can't be replace I might suggest using that as a starting point and going whimsical and retro even. Would also suggest repositioning your desk (whether you reuse the existing or buy new) so that the column obstructs the chairs you have less.

I agree that you need to think about both the work you will be doing and your place within the company. Will you need privacy for certain meetings (performance reviews, difficult conversations, etc.)? If so, you'll need some blinds or shades for those windows. If you'll need to have larger meetings or spread out drawings, a conference table would be useful. You can use a large dining or library table if you don't care for the office furniture available.

Paint, of course. I'd keep those two guest chairs (if they don't have tears or busted springs), they are classic enough to fit with any other furniture and will be easy to clean. Just rehab them with some cleaner/polish. And add plants! There are plenty of plants that do well with artificial lighting.

Look how well a smokey teal goes with black and white floors in the pics below. I'm not normally a fan of accent walls, but I'd do it here. Paint three walls white and the back wall behind the desk paint a smokey teal.

I'd push the desk area back more towards the teal wall so you are not floating in space as much. It is fine if there is empty space in the front of the room.

Decide how much furniture you actually need in here to do your job. Would it help to have a table and chairs where you could sit down with someone? Do you just need a chair for someone to sit across from you?

Do you need to be able to see out the windows? If not, I'd do a shade there.

Offices are all about function first, then incorporating decor solutions. Unless you're already very familiar with the usage and flow, I'd work in the space for a while to get a good grasp on the best layout and furniture pieces that will create zones and make your job easier. For example, it looks like one side may be a traffic lane for others to pass through or to access the copier, you'll want to keep lanes. Or the monitors that are perched on top of terminals/PCs appear to have keyboards that have to be used at chest height. If that's accurate, consolidating all the monitors/keyboards on one surface and moving the equipment underneath will be an immediate improvement but it may also take some of your $2500 budget to get cables run. Having a plan, setting up zones will also inform your furniture choices.

Another consideration is that you have a lot of windows that look into adjacent spaces and beyond so the refresh should be cohesive and not jarring. I'd avoid white or light furniture in a setting where it will be difficult to keep marks or grime from showing.