Over the past couple of months I’ve been working on a blog post about my productivity philosophy. I wanted to distill and document the tools and systems that have been helping me figure out life these days. Finally published that post! Phew. I’m mentioning that here now because at some point in the process, I realized it would also be fun to share the actual office/desk products I love to use.
When it comes to stationery, I’m an appreciator but not a connoisseur. New notebooks and pens get me really excited but I’m definitely not an expert on all that’s out there. My stationery ethos, like my general shopping ethos, is just finding good-quality, satisfying items that are great at doing the job I need them to do.
Anyway, here are my favorites!
Notebooks / Planners
Hobonichi Techo Cousin planner — smoooooth paper, lays flat, and has year/month/week/day views all in one book. So many possibilities!
Leuchtturm notebook (hardcover, lined, A5) — the one I’m using right now for journaling was a freebie from a press event, but I’m planning to get another one myself when it’s filled. Numbered pages, great paper quality.
MOO hardcover notebook — I have two of these right now: one for my job and one for dreaming up side projects ;) The paper and cloth cover both feel luxe, it lays really flat, and there are 16 pages of blank colored paper in the middle for doodles, sketches, or big ideas that just need to be recorded somewhere special!
Muji paper goods — can’t go wrong with Muji. I’ve had all kinds — notebooks, planners, desk calendars, wired, bound, blank, lined, big, medium, small. They all work well in that “This will do” way.
Maruman sketchbook — I love having this around for when I want to sketch out ideas with more space and freedom. Heavy paper, no frills.
Writing Utensils
JetPens fine-tip gel pen sampler — I wanted nice new pens but didn’t know what to get exactly so this sampler was the perfect solution. It was fun trying out a different one every week or so, and I ended up identifying a few I really like: Uni-ball Signo UM-151 0.38 mm, Pilot Juice Up 0.4 mm, and Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.3 mm (at first I thought this was too thin for me, but now I love it).
Faber Castell artist pens — A long-time joy-sparker. I love the grip, the ink, the range of tips. I’ve used it to both write and sketch/draw.
Desk Accessories
Post-It Cube — I use stickies very liberally so it feels nice to have a big thing of it that feels like it will never run out. I’m maybe only half way through the one I have — a rather aesthetic marble-patterned one that was a press gift — but I’m prepared to get another cube on my own when it’s time.
Hay Kaleido Tray (XS) — I bought this little tray years ago just for its looks and have come to use it for organizing a handful of mini beauty products on my desk (mainly perfume and skincare samples — it’s a treat to have a special little moisturizer to dab on a patch of dry skin during the work day, you know!). Two years ago, I didn’t want to throw away some beautiful tulip petals from an Easter bouquet, so I decided to keep them in the tray. They eventually dried out to be diaphanous and kind of decorative. And they’re still in there. It all looks particularly lovely during golden hour.
Kikkerland gold wire clips — just some simple pleasures!
Studio Cope Ochre tea towel — This was another press gift (I’m truly grateful for all the exposure I had to new products during my design media days!). It’s pretty and it’s what I feel safest using as a “coaster” on my desk since it has more absorbent material to work with than regular coasters. At some point I want to get a new one and it will probably be a patterned-fruit one from Freckled Fuchsia.
And that’s it for now! Let me know if you have any all-time faves 🤗
— Jenny