Fancy growing a tree on your office?

Linda Barker, a designer on BBC1's Changing Rooms, has put together her "Top Ten Tips" for making the most of your office space, in conjunction with Mitel Networks.

These are her suggestions:

1. Tranquillity and light are the most important factors for work and concentration.

2. Use blocks of colour to define work zones. Use separate colours to define specific areas - for example, bright, cheerful colours for a chill-out area.

3. Accentuate wide open offices with sculptural details. Plinths with attractive objects or containers can provide a strong visual link making a featureless office space more "human".

4. Use large plants/trees within the office, not just against the walls. Two or three trees will be more effective than several small planters filled with dusty houseplants. Sparmania Africana is a tropical tree that will be robust enough to survive an office environment yet still offers pretty foliage.

5. Technology can take over an office, and has the effect of distancing people from the workspace. Balancing the office to bring back more human contact and exchanges is just as important as the mechanics of a workspace for a happy working environment. Communal spaces need to be tactile and friendly, not simply the kettle and coffee jug in the corner.

6. "Softer" office design no longer means that the workers are "slacking" Offices more than ever need to bridge the gap between work and home as we spend so much of our time there.

7. Use light diffusing fabrics at the windows that allow maximum daylight. Take away vertical blinds in favour of Roman Blinds, or light giving roller blinds. These can still be lowered and still light to pass through.

8. Use a soft paint palette. Pale blue/aqua/lilac are great colours and create a good ambience for a working environment. Upholster work chairs to coordinate with specific, coloured work zones. Use different colours for different zones.

9. Have good storage for individuals on each work desk and have easy access complementary storage for all other paperwork/office equipment. Don't always assume the storage is grey/white or cream. Even a simple filing cabinet can be enamel coated in any colour.

10. Reception areas should use simple, elegant materials as in the rest of the office, but can afford a more extravagant finish - say a textural polished plaster finish. Corporate identity should be prominent but not all consuming. Special lighting may be used here to separate this from the rest of the office and fresh flowers placed on the desk as a focal point.

Mitel Networks launched a competition in October 2000 for call centres to win a make over designed by Linda. Linda has compiled these tips following a successful workshop with the winning Grimsby Telegraph Call Centre. Who thought work (and Grimsby) could be so glamourous?