With summer drawing to an end, that universal back-to-school feeling is starting to creep in. We’ve assembled a collection of desktop delights and handy tech accessories with which to renew and revitalise your work environment.
Oakywood Standing Desk Pro and Modular Shelving
The Standing Desk Pro is the latest workplace enhancement from Oakywood. Made from solid oak, stained black oak or American walnut, the desk now comes with a compact control panel to facilitate shifting the surface height from sitting to standing. A broad range of heights is available, in addition to a notification system to encourage you to make the change. The desk also has a powder coated steel frame. The Polish company also offers a modular drawer system designed for its desktops and desk shelves, designed to give you a flexible organisation system.
Oakywood Standing Desk Pro, £953.60, Oakywood.shop
Oakywood Large Modular Drawer, from £83.20, Oakywood.shop
Grovemade Measure Collection
Grovemade’s Measure Collection is a reissue of one of the company’s popular early products. Consisting of three different measuring devices, a ruler, protractor and triangle, each unit is milled out of solid aluminium and has laser-etched markings in inches and centimetres. Finishes are black, silver or gold, and each device has a raised, sculptural form that is only possible by milling it from a solid block.
Grovemade Measure Collection, from $50, $120 for the set of three, Grovemade.com
Horizon Helvetica Max
Dubbed the ‘Swiss army knife of sketch tools’, the Horizon Helvetica Max is a multi-functional measuring tool that doubles up as a drafting and illustration aid. Joining the company’s original credit card sized Horizon Helvetica, the Max version combines ruler, protractor and set square functions with dimensioned stencils for circles and other shapes, alongside handy isometric grid and cube cut-outs. Sized to fit within an A5 notebook, the Horizon Helvetica Max is the perfect tool for a designer or architect who still skews analogue.
Horizon Helvetica Max, available from Kickstarter.com, HorizonRuler.com
Harber London Leather Desk Mat
Of all the various mats available to upgrade your desktop, Harber London offer some of the most exquisite. Their rectangular leather mats are handmade in Spain and re available in tan, black and navy. They come backed with thick felt and make for a tactile surface for typing, using a mouse or simply writing. A neat slot in the top of the mat allows cables to be threaded through unobtrusively, and there’s also a thinner microfibre backed version for slipperier table surfaces.
Leather Desk Mat, £99.00, Harber London, HarberLondon.com
Keychron K17 Max Keyboard
Aficionados of the art of typing eschew the troublesome wafer-thin computer keyboards found in most laptops and Bluetooth devices in favour of keys with a proper mechanical action. Keychron’s K17 Max is our choice of modern mechanical, a 96% scale design that maximises desk space without compromising on action. The keyboard supports 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth, and wired connections and you can specify plain white or RGB backlights. An optional ‘hot swappable’ version allows keys to be moved around for custom layouts without any re-wiring.
Keychron K17 Max Mechanical Keyboard, $99, Keychron.com
Master & Dynamic MC300
The MC300 is a masterful piece of desktop de-cluttering from headphone makers Master & Dynamic. Not only does it give you a place to hang your headphones, but there’s also a wireless charge pad in the base, allowing you to pop earbuds or a smartphone down by your side to keep it topped up. The stand is available in silver or gunmetal.
Master & Dynamic MC300 Wireless Charge Pad and Headphone Stand, £99, MasterDynamic.com
Caran d'Ache Red Metal Sharpening Machine
For a more straightforward old school vibe, Swiss manufacturer Caran d'Ache offers this extremely elegant red version of their classic desk top crank pencil sharpening machine. First introduced way back in 1933, the hand-crafted, heavy-duty model is designed to deposit its shavings into a removable drawer, and can be affixed to the table top for easier one-handed operation.
Caran d'Ache Red Metal Sharpening Machine, £203, CarandAche.com
Rota-Master Electric Screwdriver
A delightful piece of precision equipment to tackle those small-scale jobs, from mending glasses to taking things apart, the Rota-Master is an electric screwdriver with a difference. Supplied with a full-grain calf leather grip with aluminium details, the Rota-Master is a ratchet screwdriver that comes with 24 screw bits, all presented in a compact toolbox.
Rota-Master Electric Screwdriver, £195, LunarArtefacts.com
LEMO Stapler
Looking for an unobtrusive and visually simple stapler for those rare occasions two pieces of paper need to be permanently brought together? The LEMO stapler is about the best looking you can currently buy, an unadorned desktop device with clean lines and integral staple storage.
LEMO Stapler, £17.95, Fruugo.co.uk
Penco Tape Dispenser
Penco’s tape dispensers are made from heavy steel so they’re perfect for one-handed operation. Capable of dispensing tape with a core of up to 2” in diameter and 0.9” wide, smaller versions are also available. The folded metal housing can also be screwed into a desktop or wall for ease of use and it’s available in ivory, red, navy, green, and silver.
Penco Tape Dispenser, $40, HightideStoreDTLA.com, Penco.jp
Hightide Metal Book-Stand
This folded metal bookstand by stationery retailer Hightide comes in a variety of bold mid-century colours. Perfect for books, magazines or even iPads and tablets, the entire device folds away so it can be stored flat.
Metal bookstand by Hightide, $18, HightideStoreDTLA.com
Robuso Klassisches Papier Scissors
Some of the finest paper cutting scissors on the market, Robuso’s Klassisches Papier are an elegant, classically styled pair of steel scissors available with 7” or 8” blades. Hot forged then hand polished and nickel-plated, this particular pair has edges designed to work with paper. The German company also makes specialist tailor’s scissors and blades, and is distributed in the US by Ciselier.
Robuso Klassisches Papier Scissors, $149, Ciselier.com
