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Christmas Gift Guide: Home Office

And so to the final gift guide for the season and possibly my favourite one of all – the home office. This is partly because I’m a stationery geek but also because it’s the one room where you really might use all of the products everyday and, by doing so, be more productive.

bento box by dataflex for hotdesking
bento box by dataflex for hotdesking

So this is just a selection of things you can give to the home worker which will help organise their space and, perhaps, make even those mundane jobs a little more enjoyable. These things will also mix and match with earlier gift guides. For example, I wouldn’t even think of sitting at my desk without a cup of coffee so you could by someone a cafetiere, a good mug and a notebook and pen.

Music is key for many people who work from home, although not me as I like silence when I’m writing but a good speaker  (see earlier guides for the Sonos x Hay collaboration) or a good radio (6). You’ve still got time for the magazine subscription idea but you could combine it with some filing boxes (4) for current and future copies.

home office gifts

As far as I’m concerned a limitless supply of notebooks (5 and 7)  and pens will always, always go down well but cool trays for storage (10) are also good ideas.

I have found a few other things that are clever for someone who is determined that this is the year they will get organised too – including the Bento by Dataflex (9) which is a case into which you can store your pens and stationery and charging cables and then stick your computer on top so that it’s at the right height. If you work from a tablet with a keyboard you can also angle the lid so that it’s in the right position.

I was also very taken with the carry all folder (11) into which you can put all your stuff and then fold it out either flat or standing (as shown here) and it’s like a mobile desk. This is great for someone who needs to work in a room that can’t always be the office – the sitting room or kitchen table, for example, as everything can then be packed away easily.

It’s up to you how much you fill the inside but Muji and Paperchase are always good for last minute office supplies.

Finally the ugly office printer – see above – situation can now be resolved with the HP Tango, which has been designed to sit on a shelf looking (a bit) like a book. It’s certainly way less obtrusive than the classic printers and can be operated by your phone too. I was asked to help out at the launch of this product which is why I know about it and it’s pretty nifty. You can also subscribe to a cartridge supply system too which costs around £2 a month and will allow you to print up to 50 colour pages – so it’s cheaper than a standard colour printer. We got rid of ours because the cartridges were so expensive to buy. I mean it might not be the most glamorous Christmas present you’ve ever had but you know, maybe you could colour print a restaurant menu out on it to give as well!

I hope that helps for anyone who has been struggling with ideas and don’t forget to mix and match with earlier guides. There’s still time to buy online but if you’re a last person then you can usually find great stationery in department stores and if you’re really, really, like really, last minute at the garage for the last bunch of flowers on Christmas Eve person then at least think now and buy a good vase to put them in.

Here are the links to the items in the picture:

1 Pegboard by Nikki Kreis

2 HP Sprockett mini printer to print pictures from your phone

3 Desktop notepad by Before Breakfast

4 Magazine file from Ikea

5 Leather notebooks from Midori 

6 Ruark walnut radio

7  Christian Lacroix notebook from Trouva

8  Wall light from John Lewis – frees up precious desk space

9 Bento by Dataflex

10 Aluminium tray from Present and Correct 

11 Carry all folder from Present and Correct

12 Vitra elephant mouse mat

 

 

Kate Watson-Smyth

The author Kate Watson-Smyth

I’m a journalist who writes about interiors mainly for The Financial Times but I have also written regularly for The Independent and The Daily Mail. My house has been in Living Etc, HeartHome and featured in The Wall Street Journal & Corriere della Sera. I also run an interior styling consultancy Mad About Your House. Welcome to my Mad House.

1 Comment

  1. Hi what lovely ideas. Do you mind me asking where the chairs are from …… they are rather gorgeous!

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