The Design Lover’s Working-From-Home Essentials: 12 Pieces Worth Investing In
Working from home has changed the way we think about the spaces we work in. The makeshift desk and dining-chair arrangement may have gotten us through lockdown, but for those spending serious hours at home, a workspace deserves the same level of consideration as a kitchen, bedroom, or living room.
The trick is to avoid creating an office that looks like an office. Instead, consider sculptural furniture, beautiful lighting, functional equipment, and objects that make the daily routine of working feel a little more luxurious.
From South African design studios to considered homeware stores, these are the pieces worth knowing about now.
01. Start with a desk that deserves the room
The Classic – White Willow Home
For those who prefer their workspace with a little more character, the Iris Table from Willow Home brings a softer, more classic sensibility to the home office.
Crafted in solid oak with its pretty scalloped detailing, it has the presence of a traditional writing desk without feeling overly formal. It is also a piece that can easily migrate beyond the working day – think dressing table, console, or bedroom desk once your home-office era evolves.
Why we like it: It reads as furniture first, office equipment second.
Shop the Iris Desk at White Willow
02. Make a statement
The Wall Clock – Sedgars Home
A wall clock is one of those wonderfully office details that deserves a good comeback. Sedgars Home's 40cm Clock brings a practical focus to the wall without competing with artwork or shelving. It has enough scale to read as a design feature – particularly useful in a workspace where the walls are doing as much of the decorating as the furniture.
Why we like it: Unlike checking the time on your phone, it gives your desk a more collected feel.
Explore Sedgars’ Clock Collection
03. Don't compromise on the chair
High-Back Office Chair – Ergotherapy
This is where design lovers should be willing to compromise on aesthetics only if the alternative is compromising on their body. Ergotherapy's High-Back is designed specifically around ergonomic support, with adjustable armrests, gas-height adjustment, tension adjustment, and a backrest that can lock at different angles.
Why we like it: Because the most luxurious office chair is ultimately the one you can sit in for eight hours without thinking about your back.
Shop Ergotherapy's home-office collection
04. For something softer, choose upholstery
Miranda Office Chair – Hertex HAUS
Hertex HAUS's Miranda Office Chair brings a considerably softer visual language to the workspace, with an adjustable swivel seat, padded upholstery, steel legs, and rubber wheels.
It is upholstered in Hertex's Meteor fabric and is available in several shades, making it particularly useful if your workspace sits within a bedroom, living room, or open-plan interior.
Why we like it: It looks homely around beautiful furniture rather than looking like it belongs in a boardroom.
Shop the Miranda Office Chair at Hertex HAUS
05. Give your desk proper light
The arch table lamp: Bofred
Good lighting can make or break a home office, and Bofred's Arch Table Lamp Glazed and Giant Moa Light prove that functional lighting can still feel like a design statement The brand’s sculptural approach makes its lamps feel closer to design objects than traditional office equipment, while still providing the light you need at a desk.
Choose a form with enough visual weight to anchor the workspace, then let the rest of the desk remain relatively pared back.
Why we like it: Architectural lighting adds a substantial, design-led presence to the desk.
Shop the Arch Table Lamp and Giant Moa Light at Bofred
06. Give the floor some attention
The grounding rug: Herringbone
A rug is an easy way to make a home office feel less like an office. Herringbone's collection offers a range of textures, patterns, and natural-looking finishes that can soften a hard-working space without making it feel overly decorated.
Look for a generously proportioned style that extends beyond the desk and chair – it will visually define the workspace while adding warmth underfoot.
Why we like it: The right rug makes a home office feel like an interior rather than a workstation.
07. Add a beautiful object
Nguni Sculpture or Gira Sculpture – NOHA
The temptation with a home office is to over-organise it until every surface is occupied by a cable, notebook, storage box, or piece of technology. Instead, leave room for objects that exist simply because you love them.
NOHA's Nguni Sculpture in Black and Gira Sculpture in Gold bring a distinctly decorative, African-inspired character to the workspace, giving a desk or shelf the kind of visual element that makes a room feel collected.
Why we like it: A workspace should contain something that inspires you – not just things that help you finish your inbox.
Shop the Nguni Sculpture at NOHA and Gira Sculpture
08. Don't forget the essentials
Farm Life Notebook Organiser – Babylonstoren
For the analogue side of working from home, Babylonstoren's Farm Life Notebook Organiser brings a sense of old-world craftsmanship to the desk. Designed to keep notes, lists, and everyday essentials together, it is the kind of practical object that makes a workspace feel more personal.
Why we like it: It turns the notebook into part of the workspace aesthetic – proof that organisation doesn't have to look utilitarian.
Shop the Farm Life Notebook Organiser at Babylonstoren
09. The Finishing Touch
Karoo Dust Mohair Blanket – Sunday Child
Even the most considered home office needs something soft and within reach. Sundaychild's Mohair blanket collection is handcrafted in the Eastern Cape from a luxurious mohair and wool blend, making them light, warm, and wonderfully tactile. The neutral tones slip easily over the back of a desk chair, while the natural sheen of mohair adds a quiet layer of texture to the room.
Why we like it: Because comfort can be considered too – and a beautiful blanket is far more appealing than reaching for the office heater.
Shop the Karoo Mohair Blanket at Sunday Child
The Design Lover's Ideal WFH Formula
A beautiful home office does not need to be filled with expensive things. It needs fewer, but better items.
Start with a desk sizable enough to anchor the room. Pair it with a chair that supports the hours you spend working. Invest in a monitor if your profession demands it, add considered task lighting, and use a rug, artwork, or sculptural object to make the space feel connected to the rest of your home.