Dwell Picks: 8 of Our Favorite Home Office Essentials That Do Work
Tune up your workspace this fall with these beloved picks from our team.
Tune up your workspace this fall with these beloved picks from our team.
After over a year of the WFH life, it’s safe to say that we’ve spent a lot of time curating our setups to be productive, comfortable, and inspiring. From comfy desk chairs that won’t make your lower back ache, to a set of drawers perfect for decluttering all your papers—and even a cute kitchen timer to lean into your Pomodoro Technique—these are the home office products that team Dwell can’t stop recommending.
Brandon Dorn, Senior Product Designer:
All of my developer friends have mechanical keyboards, so I wanted to get in on the fun. There are plenty of interesting custom setups out there—the rabbit hole goes deep—but I wanted something understated, low profile, and not too expensive. Of all the Keychron models, I went for the K3 with brown switches and am way more into it than I should be.
Keychron K3 Ultra-Slim Wireless Mechanical Keyboard (Version 2)
Incorporating the world’s first hot-swappable low profile Optical switches to customize per-key typing experience with ease, together with all signature Keychron features. Connects via Bluetooth and switch among them easily. Featuring Bluetooth 5.1 chipset, the K3 offers flawless connectivity whether you’re working at home or the office while connecting with your smartphone, laptop and iPad. The redesigned low profile switch is 40% slimmer than conventional switches. Together with the streamlined aluminum body makes the K3 one of the thinnest and lightweight wireless mechanical keyboards in the world. This keyboard has included keycaps for both Windows and macOS, and users can hot-swap every switch in seconds with the hot-swappable version.
Jenny Xie, Executive Editor:
I may be working out of a "cloffice" (that’s closet-office), but the Generation chair by Knoll emphasizes the latter half of the portmanteau. I have it in a banana-yellow color that punches things up, and it’s so comfortable that I sometimes roll myself around the apartment instead of getting up.
Knoll Generation Chair
With its singular vision, Generation by Knoll changed everything, offering the kind of freedom that can’t help but move you. Combining holistic ergonomics and unparalleled elastic design, Generation pioneered work chair innovation that remains essential today. The Flex Back fuses two innovative elements—the high performance elastomer Flex Back Net and a distinctive figure 8 structure—which together support many different postures and allow for multidimensional movement throughout the workday. The curvature of the figure 8 structure combined with the specific tension, pattern and unique properties of the Net enables side-to-side flex and ensures optimal localized support for shoulders and lumbar region.
Sam Daly, Associate Editor:
Lately, all plant life breaks me out in a fit of sneezing that even my trusty WalZyr cannot help. This cover pretties up unused desk space by simply snapping on to your tissue box of choice.
Areaware Everybody Tissue Box
Everybody sneezes. Everybody feels sad. Everybody gets sick. Everybody should laugh till they cry. Everybody needs a tissue sometimes. The Everybody Tissue Box fits over the top of a standard cube box of tissues. Designed by Dusen Dusen for Areaware.
These were out of stock at my local Ikea for months, and now that I have a few in my possession, I can see why. They’re fairly easy to assemble, have a ton of storage space, and hit that under $100 sweet spot. I think they’re pretty cute, if a storage cabinet can be called that.
Ikea ALEX Drawer Unit
A clean look that’s easy to like and mix with other styles, either supporting a desk or standing alone. The back is finished so you can place it in the middle of the room—all sides are just as beautiful.
Erin V. Mahoney, Senior Marketing Manager:
Something I miss about the office is how, whether through moving about the space or impromptu conversations with colleagues, I would take brain breaks throughout the day. Walking to a conference room; grabbing a coffee midmorning; relocating to a different area; stepping out for lunch with the team. These opportunities, though seemingly small, often sparked creativity and connection. I’ve had to be more purposeful in carving out those breaks throughout the day while working remotely. Enter the Pomodoro Technique, a method of time management where I break up my day with timed intervals of work and rest. I use this Alessi kitchen timer all day, everyday and it’s become an indispensable addition to my desk. Plus, it’s absolutely adorable.
Alessi Kitchen Timer
Designer Michael Graves’ formal style blends influences from the European tradition, Art Deco, American "pop", and flashes of pre-Columbian culture.
Duncan Nielsen, Assistant Editor:
In a ritual that borders on superstition, I keep a Vitruvi diffuser quietly churning through the morning and at the end of my day. Its comforting gurgle keeps you company—this WFH thing can be isolating—and it spews pillowy whispers of your favorite essential oils. I usually kick things off with something bright like a citrus blend, and for a soft landing, lavender or eucalyptus. Remember: Patchouli is a crime.
Vitruvi Stone Diffuser
Our beautifully-crafted stone diffuser helps you diffuse essential oils throughout your home, while doubling as a stunningly simple piece of decor. The ultimate dark neutral, this matte black color adds a touch of high-fashion flair, no matter where it’s placed.
Maris Berkowitz, Sales Production Manager:
We had these Sayl chairs at our office prior to moving to a remote work model, and I fell in love with how comfortable and aesthetically pleasing they are. The cushion and body are both able to be customized by color to blend in with your home’s aesthetic. While the price tag is on the higher end, it has been without a doubt the most used chair in my house this past year. The quality is excellent, so I plan to have this for years to come—even when we return to office.
Herman Miller Sayl Chair
"I knew that creating a work chair is one of design’s greatest challenges, an intimidating project in every possible way," says Swiss designer Yves Béhar. "There is no place to hide in a chair. Every part serves a structural or tactile purpose." With a ventilated back for air circulation and tilt limiter that lets you adjust tension and range to your liking, this chair accomplishes a great deal with only the essentials. Sayl is 90% recyclable.
Ian Zunt, Digital Marketing Associate:
I recently got a few more of these Rollbahn notebooks that I really love—they’re heavy duty and easy to take wherever I’m working, whether that’s the dining room, the roof of my building, a cafe, or elsewhere.
Delfonics Rollbahn Notebooks
Delfonics has been the local standard in Japan for brilliant, and innovative stationery for over 20 years. Almost never seen outside of Japan, the Walker Shop is very honored to carry this highly-coveted stationery product. Rollbahn notebooks feature perforated cream-colored interior pages with pale grey dotted grid lines (it is graph paper, but the graph lines are very subtle dotted lines). Each notebook has 5 full-size clear plastic pockets in the back.
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