Frank, that office space in incredible!
I'm stuck in the 3rd bedroom in my house (one of the reasons I rented here)... three desks, a bookcase jammed in one corner, 4 printers, fax machine, telephones, music CDs all over the place (neat is not my strong suit, except in my specific "work area". I even took the closet doors down so I'd have space for the file cabinet and office supply storage. The nicest feature is the huge window, but I usually keep the blind down so I don't get the reflection in the monitor.
As for decor, there are posters all over the walls (NASCAR and Superbikes, mostly), crystals and candles sitting around, a few plants, and the cat ventures in and out at will, as does my teenage son. I tried the "stripped down and bare" approach, but I spend 16+ hours a day in here, and I started feeling like I was in a jail cell.
I also have a "land locked" computer (no net connection) in the livingroom for those times when my son complains that he hasn't seen me in three or four days