The 30 Best Office & Stationery Supplies to Purchase for Your Home Office
No matter how old we get, the elation associated with stocking up on new stationery supplies never dissipates. The excitement of making the first mark in a brand new sketchbook, the comforting snap of a fresh pen being released from its cylinder, to the catharsis of developing a new filing structure. The emotive associations of utilising a great piece of stationery are all part and parcel of being a designer. Here at Shillington, we know the feeling well.
Textures, colours, materials—as designers our well trained eyes are always wide open when it comes to purchasing our preferred tools and there’s never been a more exciting time for stationery. Whether it’s Scandinavian simplicity that thrills you or the eccentric quirks of Japanese craftsmanship, we’ve collected a bit of everything to share with you 30 Amazing Stationery Supplies.
Mark Making
Are you a blue ink or a black ink person? A thick or fine nib? Whether it’s a pen for practising calligraphy or for sketching out thumbnails these supplies will fulfil your every mark making need as well as providing a stylish adornment for your hand.
- Kaweco Classic Sport Fountain Pen—perfect for the cursive enthusiast. German design at its finest with a velvet smooth nib and multiple colour ways.
- Mark’s Inc OHTO Horizon Needle Point Pen—an extra fine nib for those with minuscule penmanship. Complete with a push button mechanism to avoid ink leakages.
- Delfonics Wood Pen—if you’ve never quite moved on from writing in pencil this pen will have you feeling right at home with its wood finish.
- Hightide 4 Colour Ballpoint Pen—a stylish 90’s throwback, this pen is complete with 4 colour options all sealed inside a beautiful orange shell.
- Midori Brass Pen—one for the magpie, this sleek brass pen from Japanese manufacturers Midori will well and truly up your stationery game with its shiny exterior.
- Lamy Safari Rollerball—taking the rollerball to a whole new level, German design team Lamy have excelled themselves with this pen. Complete with a handy clip you’ll never want to be without.
Surfaces
Lined, blank, graph—everyone has their preference of writing surface. We’ve compiled a broad selection from the notebook spectrum as nothing is more important than having the right place to make those all important lists. Whether you prefer to keep it in your pocket or make your bag that little bit heavier at least one or two from this bunch is sure to take your fancy.
- PLTY Notepad—Copenhagen’s little slice of Typography heaven. Concept store and type foundry Playtype offer up a wonderful selection of notepads, each sporting one of their very own typefaces. Perfectly proportioned at A5.
- Nathalie Notebook—the revival of Memphis has been a wonderful thing, and what better way to show your appreciation from the 80’s collective than with a Nathalie du Pasquier printed notebook.
- Rollbahn Notebook—this nifty little notebook is packed full of useful components. A ring bind so it can lay flat, gridded paper for drawing or writing, a handy elastic bookmark and plastic wallets at the back for securing important documents. What more could you want?
- Hay Horizon Notebook—ideal for all those gradient lovers out there. Danish wonder brand Hay have designed a stitched notebook in a variety of gradients, collect them all!
- Mark’s INC Hibi Memo Pad—one for the wannabe reporter, this neat memo pad is perfect for note making on the go. Now all you need is a trench coat and you’re all set.
- School of Thought Notebooks—from the School of Life, these notebooks inspired by some of the planet’s most acclaimed thinkers. Available in packs of three, choose whether you’re a modernist, minimalist or Bahaus fanatic.
Cut, Stick & Clamp
Unfortunately ‘Cmd z’ doesn’t exist outside of the computer so as designers we need to equip ourselves with the correct tools when working with physical materials. From cutting and sticking to measuring and clamping—we’ve got you covered.
- Tools to Live By Scissors—with long thin 8″ blades and conveniently shaped handles to house your hand these are the perfect scissors to cut paper.
- Italian Stapler—not only does this stapler have an uncanny resemblance to a smiling whale it’s also built with a highly durable mechanism so you’ll have it in your tool kit for many years. Italian style at it’s finest.
- Hightide Metal Clip Ruler—not only is this metal ruler the perfect measuring and cutting partner, it also features a handy clip so you won’t misplace it.
- Areaware Paper Clips—forget the traditional paper clip and make way for these shapely fellows. The perfect addition to your pile of paper.
- Penco Clampy Clip—fun to say and fun to use. This brass ‘clampy clip’ is ideal for securing thicker paper stocks, and can even be a novel way of hanging up your prints or binding a notebook.
- Coccoina Paper Glue—this non toxic almond scented glue has been around for a whopping 89 years and is the ideal choice for all your paper sticking needs.
Organise & Archive
Whether it’s a place to put your paper, a home for your pens and pencils, a larger container to keep your tools or a label to bring order, in this section we talk organisation and the on point products which aid this process.
- Vitra Tool Box—where better to keep all your lovely tools than in Vitra’s tool box. With multiple compartments and a useful handle it’s the perfect choice.
- Hay Plisse Archive Folder—this lively folder gives filing a whole new lease of life. Hay have done it again with their colourful archive folder.
- Geometry Sticky Notes—sticky notes are a fantastic addition to your organisation arsenal and even better when they’re in geometric shapes.
- Nähe General Purpose Case—not only is this an ideal container for your pens and pencils but its transparent window means you can easily see what’s inside.
- Hay Spine Binder—forget the days of drab ring binders this multicoloured spine binder provides much needed glamour for all your handouts.
- Homework Pencil Case—a Present and Correct original this pencil case is made from traditional leather with a brass clasp. It’s unique envelope structure prevents blindly rooting around for that hard to reach eraser!
Miscellaneous
Aside from the fundamental products, there’s always those items in the stationery department which while not always necessary do tend to find their way into the shopping basket. If they’re not used immediately they do a great job of brightening up the desk space in the meantime!
- Hay Twins Building Blocks—while they don’t provide any immediate function, these building blocks from Hay are a great decorative purchase and provide a bit of entertainment when you need to rest your mind.
- MT Tape—the no.1 brand of Japanese Washi tape, with a mountain of colours, textures and patterns available Mt tape is the perfect choice to slap over anything and everything.
- Areaware Tape Dispenser—this smooth cement tape dispenser doubles up as a paper weight—handy hey?
- Rhino Eraser—no stationery collection would be complete without a novelty eraser and what beats a large red rhino? Absolutely nothing.
- Graph Paper Roll—while not as practical as a notebook or sketchbook this paper roll is a fantastic addition, especially when you’re in the early stages of a brief or just fancy having a surface to write on that spans the length of your desk.
- Embossing Label Maker—who doesn’t find enjoyment in making their own labels? Now that you’ve bought all this lovely new stationery you need to make sure people know it’s yours!
Buying new stationery supplies is no longer limited to the first day of school in September. At Shillington our next classes start this January in London, Manchester and New York and February in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Looking for an excuse to restock your stationery supplies? Why not come and find out more about our graphic design course at an info session.
Feature Image via HAY.