After arriving in Irving, Texas, for a Company of Friends event at the local Wingate Inn, I caught up on the day's news by browsing the Dallas Morning News.

Late this summer, Calvin Klein, a highly design- and style-oriented company, circulated a memo requesting that employees' workspaces conform to the "Calvin Klein brand aesthetic." On its face, not a bad idea. I can imagine, sharp, smart, stylized offices and common areas.

Alas, the memo dictates that team members not display photos, knickknacks, or flowers -- unless they're white. It goes on to outline approved office supplies: black folders, black binders, black pens (with black ink, no less). Black, black, black.

Seems overly limiting -- by design. What do you and your colleagues do to ensure that your workplace is professional and productive -- while still positively personal?