Dress Your Desk

We all spend a large majority of our days sitting at our desks in our offices. Don’t we deserve to be surrounded by aesthetically pleasing items while our unattractive office supplies are hidden inside a drawer easily within reach?

There are a few easy things that you can do to make your desk space magazine-worthy instead of mundane. I’ve also always found that I am more productive when my space is well-organized and uncluttered.

1. Buy a beautiful pen cup. This does not have to be black wire from Staples. You can use a holder that wasn’t intended to hold your pencils and pens. In my downtown office, I have a pretty, glass tortoise shell cup; in my office out in the country, I have a silver julep cup which, as I now stare at it, I see desperately needs polishing.
2. File boxes look more polished than trays. Consider a paper box that holds your inbox and your items “to file”. These are typically covered with fabric and have a lid. Often, our in-trays look messy and so immediately our desks look messy. With a file box, you can cover the inevitable mess; just make sure you don’t forget about it!
3. Display matching pens and pencils. Put the rest away. In my downtown office I fill the tortoise shell cup with only black Precise rolling ball pens and uniform mechanical pencils. I then hide all of my highlighters and sharpies in a drawer for easy, less visual access.
4. Desk lamp. The lighting around your desk is of paramount importance for multiple reasons. Your productivity and mood will greatly increase with appropriate light. Additionally, a beautiful and functional lamp will provide a nice focal point and finishing touch.
5. Personal items. Consider bringing in one or two well-framed photographs of your friends, family, or pets and neatly arrange them on your desk to personalize your space. You can also bring in some small decorative items like paperweights to further personalize.

I have a few favorite purveyors of tasteful desk accessories. I love the fun and whimsical lines that are carried by See Jane Work, an internet store that provides all that you could need for your desk and organization. We are also lucky enough to have a Caspari store in Charlottesville. It’s a store full of nothing that you truly need but everything that you want and it’s very difficult to leave without buying something. Caspari has elegant file folders and paperweights that will appoint any desk well. They have an online presence as well for those of you who do not live close to Charlottesville but it does not yet include their desk accessories.

I recently came upon Dransfield and Ross when I was looking at new resources for our design firm before our trip to the High Point furniture market in a few days. I was very impressed with their sophisticated array of desk accessories and look forward to seeing them in person. The MoMA store, also available online, always has well-designed and innovative items like desk clocks, calculators, and even paper clips.

For more information, please contact Alexandra at alexandra@gibsondesigngroup.net. She or any of the Gibson Design Group team would be happy to answer any of your questions.

Also, for more information about the resources listed above, please visit the respective company’s website.

See Jane Work- http://www.seejanework.com/

Caspari- http://www.casparionline.com/

Dransfield and Ross- http://www.dransfieldandross.biz/

MoMA store- http://www.momastore.com/

You Made Your Bed…So Now Lie in It!

Spring is a great time to freshen your bedroom and get it back to the serene place of refuge that it is intended to be. If you are anything like I am, your bedroom is much more an office/storage space/electronic haven/occasional laundry hamper than it is a refuge. However, there is much to be said for concentrating on creating a bedroom where you can actually relax…and sleep!

The easiest way to get your bedroom back in control and make it a place that you will enjoy, instead of just tolerate, is to concentrate on how you have made your bed. For spring and summer especially, I suggest a neutral palette (not necessarily white) that will lend itself to re-creation and redesign easily. If you start with ivory-based or taupe-based duvet and shams you are not committed to a color scheme and can frequently change your accent pillows or add a beautiful throw to change the look of your bed.

The quality of your linens is very important. If you are going to skimp anywhere, consider doing it on your accents. Also, do not be fooled by thread count claims! The most important thing about cotton is the type of cotton. The cotton should be either Egyptian or Pima and should be the long-staple variety (this refers to the length of the cotton fiber). To learn more about thread counts and cotton types, visit Yves Delorme’s site at http://www.yvesdelorme.com/page/article_beyond_thread_count/.

Egyptian cotton sheets, with a thread count of at least 200, and beautifully made duvets and shams will last much longer and will withstand cleaning. We suggest Legacy, Yves Delorme, Mystic Valley Traders, and Ann Gish linens. These are all available to the trade but many of them are also sold at boutiques across the country. Ann Gish knows how to assemble a beautiful bed and her attention to detail is masterful. However, a full Ann Gish bed will set you back a few. Legacy and Mystic Valley Traders are more affordable. For accents, you cannot go wrong with a pillow or two from Ankasa, a company founded by a husband and wife team who have sourced and designed couture fabrics for the likes of Escada, Oscar De la Renta, and Vera Wang.

If a new, beautiful set of linens and pillows is not in your current budget, do not dismay. Most importantly, as our mothers have always told us, make your bed every day. Even a beautifully dressed bed looks frumpy unmade. Put a pretty vase of tulips on your nightstand and realize that your bed is a place for rest (not a place for your laptop, bills, etc.) and you are one step closer to your ultimate sanctuary.

For more information, please contact Alexandra at alexandra@gibsondesigngroup.net. She or any of the Gibson Design Group team would be happy to answer any of your questions.

Also, for more information about the resources listed above, please visit the respective company’s website.

Legacy Home- http://www.legacylinens.com/

Yves Delorme- http://www.yvesdelorme.com/

Mystic Valley Traders- http://www.mvtbedding.com/

Ann Gish- http://www.anngish.com/

Ankasa- http://www.ankasa.com/