The Well-Appointed Desk

Favorite Tools of 2012

AnaDecember 31, 2012Leave a comment

Top 10 Favorites Part 1 Top 10 Favorites Part 2

I’ve reviewed, purchased and drooled over hundreds of products in 2012 so I thought I’d share with you my favorites of the year, in no specific order:

Tie for Favorite Fountain Pen: Kaweco Guilloch 1930 EF Fountain Pen
Tie for Favorite Fountain Pen: TWSBI Diamond 540 EF Demonstrator
Favorite Highlighter: Pilot Preppy Highlighter
Favorite Lefty-centric Tool: Lefty Sharpener
Favorite Notebook: Quo Vadis Habana Notebook
Most Useful Tools: Gel Multi-Pens (UniBall Style Fit, Zebra Sarasa Pre-Fill, Pilot Hi-Tec C Coleto Me)
Biggest Surprise: UniBall Jetstream Ballpoint Pens (Jetstream F*Series Multi-Pen and the 0.5 Ash Green
Best Mac Utility: Alfred App
Favorite Ink: Scribal Workshop Cryptid series, especially Nessie and Leviathan
Favorite Vintage Find: Arrow Plier-Style Hand Stapler

There are a few items I love but never got a review posted and a few things I’ve wanted to try but haven’t gotten yet so there will be more to love in 2013, I’m sure!

What are the best tools you found this year?

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DUX Adjustable Brass Pencil Sharpener

AnaDecember 30, 2012Leave a comment

The DUX adjustable brass pencil sharpener with leather carrying case is currently being sold through Restoration Hardware for $20. These high-quality adjustable sharpeners are hard-to-find so get them while you can.

(Tip o’ the hat to John K. for contacting me about this!)

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What Say Workspaces

AnaDecember 30, 2012Leave a comment

I am at home sick which leads to staring blankly at Pinterest, Tumblr and Google Reader wishing I could be doing something more productive. But I found more workspaces so I thought I’d share them.

I found all these workspaces on the Tumblr site What Say Beauty which is mostly about fashion but occasionally posts a lovely workspace, office or desk.

(Click on image image for a direct link to the original posts.)

In photo

Match Your Planner With Your Wardrobe

AnaDecember 29, 2012Leave a comment

Vogue matched ten different planners to ten different runway looks. From matching a Smythson Diary to Marc Jacobs couture to a Delfonics Plaid Planner to hot up-and-comer Dries Van Noten. Who says planners aren’t fashionable?

(via Vogue Daily)

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The Perpetual Planner

AnaDecember 29, 2012Leave a comment

I have been using a Paper & Type Letter Ledger for almost a year and I just love it. Its is designed to help keep track of letters received and letters sent. There is space to include notes about the incoming correspondence and your outgoing message like Aunt Jean sent a new pair of mittens and I replied back with a thank you card and include to dates. I am an active member of the Letter Writers Alliance and several of my pen pals live overseas so its often a month or more between letters and the ledger helps me keep track of when a letter was sent and what was the last event I wrote about. Its a very simple, nicely designed product. Its a horizontal format 7″x5.25″, spiral-bound book with kraft paper cardstock covers and six squares per page to fill with your correspondence notes. The paper is adequately fountain pen friendly. Some black inks will show through the page but do not bleed. The only pens that bleed on the stock are the standard alcohol-based inks like Sharpie markers. After eleven months, I’m just halfway through the book and I’m a fairly prolific writer so its a good investment at $18.

Following my success with the Letter Ledger, I feel confident in recommending another product from Paper & Type, the Perpetual Planner. It is an undated planner with a week-on-two-pages and room to add additional information like goals for the week and people, places, and things encountered. It’s 5.25″x7″ with the same kraft paper covers, spiral binding and paper used in the Letter Ledger. There are enough pages to track a year’s worth of activity whether you start on January 1 or April 11. Its currently on sale for $16 so order one soon.

EDIT (2/9/14): New link to access the Letter Ledger and Perpetual Planner.

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Time to Make Big Plans

AnaDecember 29, 2012Leave a comment

Cachette lists this large blank planner pad as a kids product but I think the design is quite sophisticated — perfect for a desk or workspace with a nod to the Mad Men aesthetic. Its 21x30cm (approx. 8.25″x12″) so its not huge but large enough to fill in upcoming events, meetings or activities. There are 55 sheets so there is plenty of paper to use one page per week and still have a few extra sheets. I would probably use it as a desk pad and plan a month or so at a time using the vertical columns for each week. €11,50

(shout out to Kimberly for finding this product)

In feature

Workspace Dreaming

AnaDecember 28, 2012Leave a comment

Do you know what happens when I have a few days to just relax and kick back? I start imagining the perfect workspace/office retreat. Don’t get me wrong, I love taking a break but I feel the time away gives me perspective about what’s important and what needs more or less attention. After awhile, I look forward to bunkering down in my home office/studio to reading, writing and blogging.

And I am already thinking about my New Year’s Resolutions and making 2013 the best year ever. First on my list of priorities to revamp the office this year. Do I aim for quirky French market? Or classic mid-century or maybe bright and playful?

The more I think about the modern home office, the more I think that I need workspace but I don’t need a dedicated space for my computer since I work on a laptop, it can easily be tucked away when not in use, leaving space open for writing and other projects. I’ve considered switching to a large round communal table as the central focus of the office with drawers, shelves and cupboards along the walls.

What do you hope to do with your workspace this year?

(photos via What Say Beauty, Decor8, Blood And Champagne and Nordic Design)