This is the room I designed for myself. It was a simply little room off the main entryway with floor to ceiling windows looking out over the front yard. It had white walls and white Berber carpet for a couple of years before I got around to working on it.
I created a wrap-around desk that stretches from the windows on the left all the way around to the doorway, creating a big L of workspace. There are six desk bays between the columns, one of which is taken up by a bank of four television sets. As a full-time dad I like to get lots of information into my brain when I have free time. I can watch four different football games, or have two games on, the HGTV station on for Kelly and Cartoon Network for the little ones. It's good to get everyone into the same room even if we are interested in different events.
The stone columns are faced with tumbled slate and are designed to support the shelves which appear to float behind them. While I would have liked to have used stone or artistic glass for the desktop, I used high-end plywood which I lacquered to match the pine shelves. It has worked beautifully. The shelves are all lit from above with rope lights so that they don't become dark cavernous spaces at night. All the book titles are lit and the room takes on a soft glow.
I splurged on the grey carpet which is the thickest softest i could get, with the best pad underneath it. It's a tiny room and the difference wasn't exorbitant. I have a 1980's Williams pinball machine in the left corner and a leather love-seat facing the screens. There are three computers in the room, and the kids work side by side with me, which is very nice.
The sculpture guarding the entrance is Ezekiel. He stands 7 feet tall and has long dangling arms and skinny legs. The rabbit on the shelf is a Nabaztag and he uses the wifi signal in the room to send me messages, broadcast jazz programs, tell me the time, and generally keep me entertained. If you send him a message, he will speak it to me. His ears spin around when he speaks and he has a serious attitude. I like him very much.