Desk Decorating

I got a couple of questions about the things on my desk after Friday's post. Most of what I have isn't anything that is available for purchase online (except the Graphic Image Crocodile Leather Small Post Flip Pad and Kaweco Fountain Pen shown below) but I thought could at least share a bit on the assortment in general.

I'm a neat freak and get flustered by clutter so I've tried to streamline my set of tools and accessories as much as possible. I firmly believe in creating a workspace that functions well and looks pretty.  To achieve this form/function balance I abide by two basic rules:

1. Only keep tools that are used everyday out. Everything else can be put away.
2. The tools that are kept out need to be aesthetically pleasing.

So with those guidelines in mind, I keep the following ten items on my desktop:

• Cup full of pens/markers
• Lamp
• Box for business cards
• Notepad
• Paperweight
• Box for paper clips, rubber bands, and flash drives
• Kleneex
• Candle
• Letter tray
• Monitor + wireless keyboard and mouse

The useful tools that aren't so pretty are put in less conspicuous places. For instance, on the trestle shelf of my desk, I keep a tea tin for storing USB cords and a huge tape measure sits on top of that. Just behind the desk there is a bookcase that holds a desktop file box (with neat looking file folders), a printer, and lots of storage boxes that contain and hide everything from paint fan decks to samples and fabric remnants. This area is about to change though...will keep you posted on that plan. Anyhow, the idea is that I try to keep it simple, edit out anything I don't use often, and hide the stuff that isn't nice to look at.

Anyhow, if you're dying to make your workspace more snazzy (and bright), I've put together some different iterations of my essentials...plus a huge magnetic dry erase board that is on my wish list:

Reactive Glass Lamp Ensemble - Anthro

Lacquer Tissue Box - Jonathan Adler

Acrylic Desktop Sorter - Container Store

Lineation File Folders - Anthro
Metallic Lacquer Box - C. Wonder

Dragon Rice Bowl Candle - Market Street Candles

(for pens and pencils) Plimpton Peony Vase - Jill Rosenwald

Russell+Hazel People+Places Tab Set-Color - Amazon

Poppin Signature Ballpoint Pens

Crocodile Leather Small Post Flip Pad - Graphic Image 

Bright Stockholm Stacking Letter Tray - Container Store

5 Days Knock Knock Doodle Mousepads - Paper Source

Color Dot Magnets - Paper Source

Glass Magnetic Dry Erase Board - Poppin

Obviously I like a little color for a workspace! I think it's fun and cheerful and can make working more of a pleasure...it's the little things, right? So, what are your workspace essentials? What do you keep on your desk? Are you particular about how everything looks?