Adding an Office 2007 Style to your StatusStrip!

using System.Drawing;
using System.Drawing.Drawing2D;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace NiceStatus
{
   public class NiceStatusStrip : StatusStrip
   {
      protected override void OnPaint(PaintEventArgs e)
      {
         Graphics grfx = e.Graphics;

         using(Pen p = new Pen(Color.FromArgb(86, 125, 176)))
         {
           grfx.DrawLine(p, 0, 0, Width - 1, 0);
         }
         grfx.DrawLine(Pens.White, 0, 1, Width - 1, 1);

         int height = (Height - 1) / 3;
         Rectangle lrect = new Rectangle(0, 2, Width, height);
         using(Brush br = new LinearGradientBrush(lrect, Color.FromArgb(215, 230, 249), Color.FromArgb(199, 220, 248), LinearGradientMode.Vertical))
         {
            grfx.FillRectangle(br, lrect);
         }

         lrect.Y = lrect.Y + height;
         lrect.Height = Height - lrect.Y;

         using(Brush br = new LinearGradientBrush(lrect, Color.FromArgb(179, 208, 245), Color.FromArgb(205, 224, 247), LinearGradientMode.Vertical))
         {
            grfx.FillRectangle(br, lrect);
         }

         if(SizingGrip)
         {
            Rectangle sgb = SizeGripBounds;
            using(Brush fbr = new SolidBrush(Color.FromArgb(69, 93, 128)))
            {
               using(Brush bbr = new SolidBrush(Color.FromArgb(177, 201, 232)))
               {
                  //right-top
                  grfx.FillRectangle(bbr, new Rectangle(sgb.X + sgb.Width - 3, sgb.Height + sgb.Y - 13, 2, 2));
                  grfx.FillRectangle(fbr, new Rectangle(sgb.X + sgb.Width - 4, sgb.Y + sgb.Height - 14, 2, 2));

                  //right-middle
                  grfx.FillRectangle(bbr, new Rectangle(sgb.X + sgb.Width - 3, sgb.Height + sgb.Y - 9, 2, 2));
                  grfx.FillRectangle(fbr, new Rectangle(sgb.X + sgb.Width - 4, sgb.Y + sgb.Height - 10, 2, 2));

                  //right-bottom
                  grfx.FillRectangle(bbr, new Rectangle(sgb.X + sgb.Width - 3, sgb.Height + sgb.Y - 5, 2, 2));
                  grfx.FillRectangle(fbr, new Rectangle(sgb.X + sgb.Width - 4, sgb.Y + sgb.Height - 6, 2, 2));

                  //middle-center
                  grfx.FillRectangle(bbr, new Rectangle(sgb.X + sgb.Width - 7, sgb.Height + sgb.Y - 9, 2, 2));
                  grfx.FillRectangle(fbr, new Rectangle(sgb.X + sgb.Width - 8, sgb.Y + sgb.Height - 10, 2, 2));

                  //middle-bottom
                  grfx.FillRectangle(bbr, new Rectangle(sgb.X + sgb.Width - 7, sgb.Height + sgb.Y - 5, 2, 2));
                  grfx.FillRectangle(fbr, new Rectangle(sgb.X + sgb.Width - 8, sgb.Y + sgb.Height - 6, 2, 2));

                  //bottom left
                  grfx.FillRectangle(bbr, new Rectangle(sgb.X + sgb.Width - 11, sgb.Height + sgb.Y - 5, 2, 2));
                  grfx.FillRectangle(fbr, new Rectangle(sgb.X + sgb.Width - 12, sgb.Y + sgb.Height - 6, 2, 2));
               }
            }
         }

         base.OnPaint(e);
      }
   }
}