r/labrats • u/generic_gecko • 11h ago

Bench decorating tips?

Hey all! I’m hoping to get some inspiration on decorating my bench space to make it more cozy. I work in a lab where students do not have any office space so we are assigned a bench space instead. It’s an ergonomic nightmare but oh well. What kind of things have you added to your space to make it feel more like yours? I should note it is a BSL2 lab which does limit my choices a bit.

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u/hexiron 10h ago

Absolutely nothing. I want to cleanest, most efficient workspace possible. It's designed and organized to work for me.

I decorate lab notebooks with 90s cartoon characters and have fun/customized lab coats to make things feel like me.

Equipment does get fun names and googlie eyes. But the bench, that space is sacred and shall remain clear, clean, and clutter free.

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u/garfield529 9h ago

To add to this, OP should double check with their institute’s policies. Some are very lenient and some consider personal decoration a violation. I also agree that it is good in general to keep your work area clean and focused, but that’s just my personal view.

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u/generic_gecko 7h ago

That’s totally reasonable, for me the majority of my lab work is done in a BSC so the bench serves more as a desk than anything else

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u/white-bored 9h ago

sticky notes with doodles or little stickers on edges of shelf space is my favorite way to personalize my space. I also work in a bsl2 lab and this is the easiest way. You can also use the masking tape or paper in different colors and make little flowers or origami

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u/WinterRevolutionary6 9h ago

Decorative flat tape and googley eyes for whimsy. I agree with u/hexiron that a clean and clear bench space is best. You don’t want a bunch of frilly BS cluttering your work area especially if space is tight and biosafety is at hand.

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u/generic_gecko 7h ago

That’s fair! I should note that the vast majority of my lab work is done in a BSC and I do very little at my bench, it truly functions more as a desk space.

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u/priv_ish 10h ago

Paperweight! Went to a pottery studio with a friend and ended up making a mini snorlax with the extra clay which I later designated as my paperweight.

Since I am computationally heavy, I designed a desktop mat with all the amino acids and other day to day conversions/commands/info I need

Whenever I’m waiting on the next part of the experiment (and have every ready to go), I draw doodles of my lab mates that I’ve started sticking all over my desk.

These are some of the things I’ve done to make the lab a bit more fun/colourful!