Upgrade your WFH space: Stylish desks, storage and stationery for a September reset

The Standard's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

September arrived in a rush this year, catching many of us unawares. But as the back to school/work/waterproofs whirl settles, now is a good time to take stock and sort your life out before the chaos becomes entrenched. The good news is that there are plenty of great-looking options to make getting straightened out seem like a treat.

For those with the luxury of a home office or dedicated workspace, there are all sorts of big-ticket items that can set you up for a productive, clear-minded school year ahead. Erik Munro, founder of London-based interior design studio Munro, says the ideal home office set-up should “start with a comfy chair and a large desk — you want space for more than just a laptop.

Include storage for stationery and a sliding drawer to hide your printer. Add a cool desk lamp and integrate power cables properly — I always suggest a small slot in the desk with plug sockets hidden in the wall below or a discreet floor box. That way, all your wires disappear beneath the desk rather than becoming a tangled mess.”

The ETO desk from King Living (from £1,390, Kingliving.co.uk ) does away with the need to worry about tangles thanks to its integrated power, wireless charging and cable management system. In a cramped London flat where your desk may well be part of your living space, a folding or compact option might be preferable — either way, let this be the year you stop slouching over your laptop on the sofa.

Lozi’s newly launched wall desk comes in various sizes and finishes and can be folded away when admin is done (£960-£1,380, Lozidesigns.com ). The Leandesk (from £610, Leandesk.com ) is another compact option, while possibly the least intrusive desk out there is the Stackers desk in a box (£120, Johnlewis.com ), which can be packed away almost instantly at the end of the day.

John Lewis stackers desk in a box John Lewis Modular furniture is a smart choice for anyone not yet in their “forever home”, but it is ideal for renters in particular — you can start small and expand or rearrange as you move, rather than buying and discarding cheap bits. Swiss brand USM’s Haller system is the aspirational design classic.

A special edition claret series is set to launch next month in collaboration with London design shop Aram (from £1,568). Danish brand Montana Furniture offers another colourful system, with everything from shelving units to desk organisers and memo boards. The mini series is especially handy for the space-starved (from £285, Montanafurniture.com ).

Montana Furniture mini desk series Mikkel Mortensen // Yellows No matter how many times you choose to go paper-free, the world still conspires to send some essential paperwork via snail mail. File it away in one of Bisley’s attractively coloured steel cabinets, still made in its factory in Wales (the 29 Series Multidrawer, from £109, Ryman.co.uk ).

When designing her own studio, interior designer Jasmine Fisher used storage units from Zara Home, elevated with baskets from Oka.