Clear Desk policy

The whole office received a message from our CEO regarding clear desk policy. No surprise about it, we should keep the office tidy, samples should be stored in cabinets, on shelves or in the showroom on hangers, confidential papers should be kept locked away in drawers, this we all know and I'm sure most people do try to follow. However we were requested not to keep things on desks at all, so we should put away all folders we use on a day-to-day basis every evening to cabinets / drawers. Pens, paper clips and all other stationary should be kept in drawers too and not on the desk. The partitions we have should be kept empty - most people keep phone numbers, calendars pinned on the partition, but now those should be removed.
So the office was / is very busy with scrapping old papers, putting away samples or collecting them for charity, so now we look better. The clean desk in terms of stationary and partitions on the other hand is a bit more difficult. There was 1 department who has tried to achieve it, the result is that if we walk on the corridor in the evening, it looks we have vacancies, as all the desks are empty, except the computers and phones.
So which solution is better, have a tidy office but leave some space for people to have the everyday items handy, or keep a completely organized office which looks like nobody works there?
I have things on my desk, papers are in folders, confidential material in my drawer locked up for the night, and stationary handy within reach. And I feel good and feel I belong there...