Designer Recommended: 10 Products to Make Your Workspace Incredibly Stylish
We share some recs from our creative circle to refresh your desk and elevate your workspace. Design by Barbara Cadorna.
Here’s the thing about office desks: everyone has one, but no two desks look quite the same. With the never-ending list of things that you can’t control at work (the clinical lighting in your office, your boss’ incompetency, your colleague who talks to you with Airpods in their ears), your desk is theoretically one of the few exceptions. In fact, it’s your fiefdom. Your workspace might be the best thing about your office.
Believe us, we know how your space can affect your mood and what you achieve during the workday. That’s why our office space is creatively decorated with our favorite knick knacks, plants, and artwork. So, we’ve put together a list of 10 designer recommended items that can elevate your workspace, as recommended from our very own interview subjects at the Creative Factor. Find Jaime Lopez’s “forever sketchbook,” the desk chair that can solve your back problems, our editor’s favorite table lamp, and more below.
Dzwonkowski swears by his brass hourglass. Image: Just Hour Glasses.
Technology doesn’t have to overshadow the vibrancy of your work space. If you’re looking for something charming and old-school to replace your digital clock, Drew Dzwonkowski recommends going old school and finding yourself a brassy hourglass; a productivity hack that doubles as a beautiful ornament for your office space. Dzwonkowski even has a tattoo of an hourglass on his arm — that’s how much he swears by it. “Buy a beautiful desk ornament that actually serves a utilitarian purpose,” he says. “Setting a digital timer sucks. But flipping over a brassy hourglass sets you on a one-hour deep focus session and gives you a calm visual reminder of how long you’ve been working. I’m an hourglass freak.”
Lopez’s forever sketchbook. Image: Hanaduri.
2. Hanaduri Edge A5 Sketchbook
Looking to shake up your notebook choices? Jaime Lopez recently found her “forever sketchbook” — the Edge A5 sketchbook from a company called Hanaduri in Seoul. Founded by twin sisters, this craft and design studio sells many handmade products that are interpreted with bold and unique graphic styles inspired by nature, culture, and everyday life. One of the best parts? Most of their products use the traditional korean-style Hanji to create sustainable design solutions, like Lopez’s beloved sketchbook, made with Mulberry tree bark. “It’s so good,” Lopez says. “Great size, amazing paper, just the right amount of features, and doesn’t feel too precious.”
Miller’s favorite pen flips into itself. Image: Traveler’s Company.
You don’t have to be an artist or a writer to carry around a pen in your pocket, especially if you’ve got a foldable one like Danny Miller does. “It’s super light and the brass feels nice on the fingers,” he says. “I also like how it flips into itself and becomes half the size when you want to throw it in your bag and take it somewhere.”
Ibañez uses a tablet that feels as thin as paper. Image: reMarkable 2.
4. reMarkable 2
For technology enthusiasts who also love the light feel of paper, Jeffrey Ibañez swears by reMarkable 2, the world’s thinnest tablet. From working in his studio designed entirely of recycled materials to using gadgets like this tablet, Ibañez has a taste for cool stuff. You can use the tablet directly to hand-write your to-do lists, or it can convert your handwritten notes to typed text to organize all your notes in one place. You can even use it to write notes on a PDF, which is saying something.
Smyth loves to start his day at this desk. Image: Poppin.
Desk for one or two? With these Poppin Series A desks, it’s up to you and your space needs. Like many of us nerds who love what we do, Hamish Smyth relishes the feeling of sitting down at his desk ready to start the day. Because, it’s not just a piece of furniture. It’s the place where you find your inspiration, make mistakes, maybe even where you rush to eat your lunch during your break. Smyth and his team swear by the Series A furniture for their office. Why? Well, this desk is the type that is designed to move with you. Its clean design is perfect for allowing you to personalize your space, and it comes in different colors. It’s easy to assemble, and its intuitive design makes it easy to add desks, making it the perfect staple as your team grows. You can even leave your latte sitting around — the laminate tops are stain-resistant and easy to clean.
Urushibata uses these gel ink pens when she writes things down. Image: Muji.
6. Muji Gel Ink Ballpoint Pens
Maybe it’s time to put down the black ink pens and add some color to your life, starting with your notes. After all, we’re talking about the space you work in to inspire your creative juices. (Of course we want to amplify the visual aesthetic.) Shake Shack’s Creative Director Cathie Urushibata likes to write things down whenever she can, and uses the Muji Gel ink pens with a lay flat notebook. The water-based ink allows for smooth writing and vivid colors, and the nib of the pen even prevents the backflow of ink. These pens come in a set of ten different colors, at about $1.49 per pen, making them the type of small investment that’s really a big investment.
Choudary bought this chair to help with back pain. Image: Herman Miller.
A desk chair inspired by the Golden Gate Bridge? Yes. One that will solve your back issues? Well, maybe! When making this chair, Designer Yvez Béhar wondered, could the engineering principles of a suspension bridge be applied to a chair? That’s when he set out to make the Sayl Chair, a perfect seat for those who are looking for some better support. (Dhiya Choudary invested in this chair to help with her slipped discs, and now there’s no looking back.) The chair has a unique unframed back with stretched elastomer strands to provide just the right amount of tension in just the right places. And even better, the name “Sayl” reflects the sailing vessels that pass beneath the bridges that inspired the original design. Funky, huh?
Miller loves this whale-shaped knife for opening mail and sharpening his pencils. Image: Tosa.
A knife at your desk? Let us explain. Danny Miller shared with us his love for a certain whale-shaped knife to open boxes, sharpen pencils and open mail. These hand-forged steel ones from a traditional Japanese knife crafting company, Tosa, are Miller’s personal favorite. Designed by Tetsy Yamashita, a certified traditional Japanese craftsman, the knives are whimsical and, of course, extremely sharp. You’ll never again find opening those Amazon boxes a chore.
Buy it here (when it comes back in stock). In the meantime, here is a snazzy Dolphin Knife from $40.99.
Urushibata uses this trackball for all-day comfort. Image: Kensington.
Better ergonomics, yes please! The Orbit Trackball with Scroll Ring emphasizes all-day comfort, even at work. Cathie Urushibata recommends buying the trackball if you struggle with carpal tunnel syndrome, as it allows for less hand and wrist movement when scrolling on a computer all day. It even helps users improve their efficiency at work — that is, if you don’t find yourself getting too comfortable.
McCue uses this cordless lamp to brighten the room and his mood. Image: Mantar.
Last but not least, we have a personal recommendation from our editor, Matt McCue. Lots of light is the golden ticket for his perfect workplace. Not only does this Mantar table lamp counteract his aging eyes and brighten the room, but it also looks super stylish. (Think, a moody French bistro vibe, not harsh fluorescent troffers.) Plus, the lamp is cordless and rechargeable, which means you don’t have to try and hide ugly wires and can move it to those pockets of the office without an outlet. An added bonus, use it for your outdoor dining table. If life is all about good seating and good lighting, consider yourself halfway to success.
If you’d like to read more from Creative Factor, subscribe to our newsletter. Or looking to tell your brand story? Introducing Creative Factor’s Storytelling Studio.
Plus, more great reads right this way…