Now that we are back from beach, we are both getting set up for our fall routines, including setting up our desk/office spaces. We thought it would be helpful to share what we each do with our different spaces and how we separate our work lives from the rest of our home lives.

Dinah

Since I have a one-bedroom apartment, my “desk” is just the dining table in my living room but I have tried to set it up to feel as much like it’s own space as possible. It’s in a bay window so it does feel a little bit separate and I’m lucky to have a view of the Charles River. Most of my organization is done digitally, and I keep my printer somewhere else so that I can really focus when I’m sitting at my desk and have it be a clean, inspiring space.

My desk essentials break down to:

• My computer!

• As a writer and list-maker, I like to have a notebook that I can write in. It sometimes helps me to brainstorm off of a screen and I really enjoy crossing items off of a written to-do list! I’m also a huge fan of using Sharpies, which I know is a controversial topic.

• I find it’s helpful to keep a few coffee table books on the table for easy access if I have a Zoom call and need to adjust the angle, plus it makes the table feel a little bit more designery and pulled together.

• A coaster for my morning iced coffee, and lemon water the rest of the day (preferably out of the personalized wineglass that Eloise got us all for a girls trip to Bermuda last year).

• Plants! My fiddle leaf fig (which I strangely enough bought off of Amazon) lives in the window all the time, but I have also bought a few small succulents just for my desk area. It helps it feel more like a real office to me (I always had a small plant or flowers somewhere on my desk when I could) and gives the space a little bit of life. I’m considering adding to my indoor desk garden, especially as time outside becomes more limited with cold weather.

• An Anthropologie Volcano candle and pretty matches. The one thing you can’t have in a real office, but can have in a home office is a candle! This scent is my favorite and when I really need to get the creative juices flowing, lighting it helps me feel like I’m in a bubble.
  

Eloise

I have an office off of our kitchen, which double as our crafts supply room, so in this learning from home phase, I’ve been sharing it with my three girls. We have a big calendar set up for our family schedule, a large cabinet full of crayons and papers and anything else they might need, and then each girl has her own bin for completed artwork or papers. I try to keep it organized but it’s a constant struggle! My favorite part about my office is my giant desk-it’s actually a small dining table-and I love that I have room for everything that makes me feel productive.

My desk essentials are:

• Many, many planners. I am terrible at dates, so I keep track of my schedule in as many ways as possible! I have a monthly dry erase calendar up on the wall so that the girls can see when we have events or practices planned, I have a paper planner that breaks things down on a monthly and weekly basis, and I have a daily planner that I use to make sure that I schedule time for the things that I really need to get done that day.

• Pretty things. I love to have flowers, a candle, and photographs on my desk. Sometimes sitting at my desk is the most peaceful part of my day, and I love being able to look up and see a happy plant or notice the wonderful smell of a candle.

• All the drinks. I have coffee in my Yeti mug and lemon water in my Sift cup every morning. It takes me forever to finish a cup of coffee, which drives my husband crazy, but I love that the mug keeps it warm for a long time.

• Files folders for organization. My desk can get very messy and being able to file papers for work, for school and for the house in an easy access place helps me to keep track of everything.

• Chargers for everything. I try to keep all of my chargers at my desk, as there’s nothing worse that working on a big project and having to stop to charge something. I also try to leave my computer and phone charging there at night, which keeps me from being on them once I go upstairs to bed.