The age of remote work is upon us, and while it’s no doubt a blessing to be able to skip the morning traffic, it can be hard generating the same focus one has at an office. We know that designing a space geared to work with functional yet aesthetic furniture, maintaining a ready supply of stationery, and accessories and items made to create a quiet and focused environment can help so we did a little tour of stores at 44 Stanley. We found a way to solve the home office issue with sustainable design, fine attention to detail and a focus on items that are beautiful and yet practical. Read on for the answers.
Furniture and Design
Unless you’re a dedicated yogi who’s forsaken furniture to sit cross-legged in Sukhasana pose, you’ll want a chair that doesn’t leave your back in spasm come the end of the day. Of course, this needs to be paired with a table which is just the right height and length, and has the perfect amount of storage for your needs. Enter KusudiCO and Acre Studio. Both these stores offer locally made furniture which has been made with a consideration of space in mind, and you’ll be hard-pressed to walk inside these stores and not want to come out with a whole new lounge, bedroom or dining room. We’re particularly fond of KusudiCO’s Loft Living Trestle Desk Top for how easy it is to adjust its height and angle. Acre Studio not only offers exquisite furniture but also advice on how to best design your space to fulfil your needs. Their unique lighting range will also keep your eyes from straining, and we can’t get enough of their Acrobat lights easy manoeuvrability.
Make the space yours
Once your furniture is sorted, it’s time to start focusing on the smaller details. The mood, the ambience, which little items will make working not only easier but also a pleasure. If you can’t get work done without Schubert’s gentle tinkling, Abdullah Ibrahim’s improvised bass or Outkast’s bops, then you would be remiss not to stop at Mr. Vinyl. Whether or not the sound is terribly different from playing music off Spotify is up for the audiophiles to debate but one thing that can’t be disputed is how the ritual of putting on a record before sitting down to work can get you into the right mindset. Combat the rising blood pressure and heart rate when that deadline approaches with indoor plants from JFF Plantshop and get your family photos, favourite artworks and graduation certificates framed at The Atelier. You might even decide to spruce up the walls with art from some of Joburg’s most exciting contemporary artists.
Time to get cracking
With the office all set up, you’ll need to get some things to help your workflow. Pay homage to some of South Africa’s most daring writers at the Drum Archive Shop with posters, prints, notebooks and stationery emblazoned with original Drum covers and images from Bailey’s African History Archive (BAHA). A home office setup definitely needs coffee and Bean There delivers not just coffee but GOOD coffee. The first roaster of Certified Fairtrade coffee in South Africa, Bean There sources its single-origin unblended coffee from Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Kenya and their Home Barista course will ensure you’re making the perfect cuppa. With generator backup, we have found Bean There to make for a great stop when load-shedding hits just before that important deadline. One thing we have forgotten to mention is the inevitable Zoom calls. Impress your colleagues with a book collection to rival the most decorated academic on the BBC by stocking up on titles for your background at L’Elephant Terrible. Seriously though, they are a wonderful bookshop and it's worth taking out some time to scour their shelves.There you have it, our idea of your perfect home office courtesy of 44 Stanley. For an experience gift guide from 44 Stanley, click here, and for what you can get fixed at 44 Stanley, here.
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