To install OpenOffice in a home directory on Debian, take the following steps:
Download the tarball with .deb packages from OpenOffice.org
Unpack it in your home directory:
$ tar xfz OOo_3.2.1_Linux_x86_install-deb_en-US.tar.gz
Change into the directory with the .deb packages:
$ cd OOO320_m18_native_packed-1_en-US.9502/DEBS
Unpack these to your home directory with:
$ dpkg -x ~
You'll now have a new subdirectory named 'opt' in your home directory. All executables are in the ~/opt/openoffice.org3/program subdirectory. Add it to your path to easily run OpenOffice, or create custom icons in your Gnome panel (or other favorite desktop environment).