For most of us, work involves sitting behind some kind of desk. And whether you’re working from home in your boxer shorts, or clocking in to a cubicle, nothing kills productivity (or carefully sculpted glutes) quite like sitting for eight hours a day in a stale style rut. So banish those Sunday blues with the slickest stationary and the most pimped-out bits of office kit.
Bragi Dash Headphones
The office worker’s ultimate dream: invisible headphones that allow you to drown out your colleagues’ blathering, without them noticing. These nifty wireless numbers aren’t just good for listening to My Dad Wrote A Porno when you should be sorting spreadsheets. They’re also pretty smart, incorporating in-ear biometric sensors, live activity feedback and gesture controls. Although not the ones of your boss trying to get your attention. Available at Bragi, priced £257.
Kikkerland Concrete Desktop Planter
If Daniel Craig got it on with a cement mixer, this is what their babies would look like. Craggy, hard and damn stylish, it’s durable enough to survive a nuclear apocalypse while alluring enough to be nabbed by an light-fingered coworker. Regardless, it’s the only desktop planter-cum-pen shelf you’ll ever need. Available at Utility, priced £26.99.
Kvissle Cable Management Box
There’s more to Swedes than just meatballs and bad-boy footballers. In case you hadn’t noticed, they’re also pretty good at making nice furniture. Next time you head to Ikea to stock up on those little wooden pencils, why not swing past the accessories section and nab yourself the delightful Kvissle: a cable management system that not only manages to be useful, but also look rather natty on your desktop, too. Available at Ikea, priced £9.50.
Vintage Turquoise Maclamp
No, not a McLamp. There’s no beefy patties in sight. Rather, this is the iconic Maclamp, designed by the legendary Terence Conran for Habitat in the 1950s. With bona fide vintage status – and the rather more useful light-emitting powers – this’ll add some serious sizzle to a gloomy work area. Available at Lovely & Co, priced £200.
Eames DSW Desk Chair
No one does timeless design quite like Eames. Unless you’re on a budget, and then Aldi do a really great knock-off. The ergonomic design will fix all those postural issues your current chair exacerbates, while the immediately recognisable wooden legs out-styles the rest of your office’s be-wheeled plastic. And since you’ll have the only one, no one can ‘borrow’ it for a meeting. Available at Conran, priced £340.
Zuta Pocket Printer
OK, it’s not on the market yet. But when it does hit the shelves, it’s going to sell out pretty swiftly. You may want to pre-order now. The Zuta Pocket Printer is basically the printer of the future, a dandy mini robotic printer that will take the place of that hulking behemoth in the corner of the office. Simply place the little fella on a piece of paper, and watch as it scans from side to side, leaving a beautiful trail of (black only) ink as it goes. Guaranteed no paper jams. Available at Zuta Labs, priced £240.
Hay Wooden Rulers
Because who doesn’t like to measure things from time to time? And if you’re going to do it, do it in style with these geometric wooden rulers from Danish wunderkinds Hay, a masterclass in simple but playful design. Available at Nest, priced £6.
Grovemade Walnut Monitor Stand
Ergonomic wisdom states that your computer monitor should be at eye-level, to combat the particular posture known as the nine-to-five stoop. On a bad day, a wobbly stack of Esquire back issues will suffice as a monitor booster, but on a good day, why not get your hands on a Grovemade walnut stand? Sleek and gloriously utilitarian, it’s like the perfect pair of socks: so on the money, you hardly even notice it. Available at Grovemade, priced £92.
