Building Your “Perfect” Office Workspace — The Gentleman Stationer

I say “perfect” because it’s almost always a work in progress, right? The main item I wanted to highlight this week is the Kickstarter release from our friends at Good Made Better, who launched the “Writewell” portable writing desk, which I just backed before posting this. I have a prototype Writewell here in my home office for review, and will definitely be posting a thorough review before the Kickstarter closes.

Given that the Writewell launch will likely prompt many to revisit their home office setups, I thought it might be fun to highlight some of my own favorites that we’ve recently restocked in advance of the Holiday shopping season.

1. Writewell Portable Writing Desk by Good Made Better (via Kickstarter). I’m frankly stunned by what Dan has put together here, and that’s based only on the prototype. I have a sizable collection of standing desks, writing boxes, and lap desks, and this one is both beautiful and practical.

2. T.G.S. Exclusive Penwell. While we’re on the subject of Good Made Better’s products, have you checked out our own collaboration with them on their original product, the Penwell pen holder? The first run sold out fairly quickly, so this year we did a second batch for the holiday season.

3. Hightide Sandglasses. I’ve always loved hourglasses, but only since smartphones took over our lives have I realized how useful they can really be. Available in 30, 15, 5, and 3-minute increments. To read more on how I use these beautiful analog timers in my own life, check out this post here.

4. Hightide Folding Metal Book Stands. One of my favorite aspects of the Writewell desk is the ability to add on a book holder. These inexpensive folding metal book stands from Hightide allow you to take the same functionality on the go, as they fold up flat and easily fit into most bags.

5. Hightide Marbled Melamine Pen Trays. I have various desk valets, pen trays, and catch-alls in pretty much every room of my house. We recently added new shapes and colors, which complement the other Hightide products.

6. Reading Accessories. We carry a multitude of reading accessories – namely bookmarks and page points – and they’ve been some of the most popular items in our three years running the shop.

7. WMS+Co Planner Desk Pads. These undated planner desk pads come in both keyboard and full-size, allowing you to flexibly plan your week without committing to a dated calendar. Use them as you need them, for whatever tasks you may need to manage.

8. Platinum Desk Fountain Pen. Would you like a true dedicated desk pen with an excellent inexpensive extra-fine nib? Platinum brought back a version of their popular desk pen in the U.S. market this year. Base is sold separately.

9. Caran d’Ache Swiss Wood Gift Set. Personally, I think everyone should have a set of high-quality, long-lasting pencils in their stationery kit. This gift set from Caran d’Ache includes three Swiss Wood pencils, a sharpener + eraser. While Swiss Wood pencils are pricey, I’ve found that they last for years due to superior point retention.

10. Mitsubishi Hi-Uni 22 Pencil Set. Or perhaps you’d like a full set of extremely high-end Japanese pencils, in all of the various hardnesses available, for both writing and drawing?