The homely office
Whether scaling up, sizing down or working from home, smart design is key. A comfortable workplace enhances productivity and reflects a welcoming brand. Here’s our round-up of items for your home office.
54 /100
Fritz Hansen
Little Friend
(Denmark)
This dainty adjustable side-table has enjoyed a surge in sales this year thanks to its flexibility. It’s equally useful as a spot on which to plop your laptop as you work from the sofa as it is a place to keep your coffee close while you pore over the papers.
fritzhansen.com
55/100
Kann Design
Strat Long Storage
(France)
With its workshop in a Lebanese mountain village, Kann Design is an increasingly global player in the contract-furniture market. Its elegant steel-and-timber pieces fit equally well in a commercial or a domestic setting. This storage unit adds a touch of refined taste to the books, objects and documents arranged atop and inside it.
kanndesign.com
56 /100
V-Zug
RefreshButler
(Switzerland)
A blazer hung for a few hours in this closet-like device is gently cleaned and steamed to remove all germs and bacteria. The result: a more hygienic office, ever-fresh employees and a true treat for sharp-looking staff members.
vzug.com
Ideal for impressing visiting clients
57 /100
Magis
Plato
(italy)
Your collection of wipeable, stackable and portable Plato chairs from UK designer Jasper Morrison can grow alongside your staff headcount. The powder-coated aluminium indoor-outdoor seats come in many colours too.
magisdesign.com
Ideal for spaces with a small footprint
58 /100
Vitra
Compas Direction
(Switzerland)
The simple construction and cleverly angled metal legs of French mid-century designer Jean Prouvé’s 1953 Compas Direction desk have remained popular for almost 70 years. It’s produced by Vitra in a variety of finishes.
vitra.com
59 /100
Takt
Plint
(Denmark)
Designed by Copenhagen’s Cecilie Manz, this piece packs practicality and portability into one of 2020’s best furniture releases. It can serve as either a bench or a coffee table and, if space needs to be saved, it folds down quickly and easily.
taktcph.com
60 /100
Lintex
Area
(Sweden)
Who says a whiteboard needs to be white? This Swedish take, with its light beige screen, is more canvas than notice board and is made from tempered low-iron glass with a solid-oak frame. We hope that the ideas you post on it are equally smart.
lintex.se
61 /100
Loehr
DL1 Tangram
(Germany)
German furniture-maker Loehr is known for bringing both class and colour to the office through designs that don’t tend to date (or break) over the years. This practical tangerine-coloured side table will turn heads no matter your style of working environment.
loehr.co
62 /100
Modernica
Case Study Canine
(USA)
An office dog can increase staff wellbeing while melting the heart of the steeliest visiting client. Such a prized pooch deserves the perfect spot to rest. This daybed, with its plush, beautifully upholstered cushion upon a modernist-style teak-hardwood base, is the best in show.
modernica.com
63 /100
Wagner
D1
(Germany)
The minimalist D1 from German designer Stefan Diez stripped away all that was superfluous about the traditional desk chair and earned Wagner a raft of awards in the process.
wagner-living.com
64 /100
Mox
Kant
(Switzerland)
With its zigzagging holding compartment and sturdy steel exterior, Kant is an ingenious stand for soggy brollies by Nigerian-born, Zürich-based Charles O Job.
mox.ch
65 /100
Kata Coat Stand
Ariake
(Japan)
The balanced proportions of this Japanese coatstand reference the Asian nation’s traditional kimono stands and make for a fine talking point as guests are welcomed to your workplace. For those home offices that are shooing away footwear, Kata has a platform that’s fit for shoe-storing purposes.
ariakecollection.com
66 /100
Kokiri
Railshelf
(South Korea)
A well-stocked office library can inspire and entertain. This South Korean shelving system provides the perfect platform to build one with. Its oak and birch timber elements are cleverly joined, allowing space for go-to titles to be creatively displayed with their covers facing out, while multiple shelf sizes mean that books of all dimensions will look good here.
theelephanttrade.com
67 /100
Gubi
Bestlite
(Denmark)
Many a good idea has been penned under the soft glow of the stylish Gubi Bestlite – an office favourite in the UK – which celebrated its 90th birthday this year.
gubi.com
68 /100
Vipp
Table
(Denmark)
Vipp, known for its uber-functional pedal bin, is establishing itself as an original player among Denmark’s furniture-makers. This table exemplifies the simple tone of its sturdy designs and is a fine platform for a cosy (but serious) home office.
vipp.com
