Where can I get really cool desk accessories?

August 29, 2004 6:14 PM

GettingOrganizedFilter: I've just finished reading David Allen's book Getting Things Done, which is awesome, and am now ready to turn my life around! First step: where can I buy really cool desk accessories?
posted by josh to shopping (12 comments total)

Everywhere I look, things like in/out boxes, desk valets, or desk blotters are either a) are crazy expensive, b) suck, or c) both. At Staples they want $10 for an ugly wire and mesh basket. At Levenger they want $40 for a suede inbox with a velvet bottom!

Is there some secret online store where I can buy nice, reasonably priced desk accessories that aren't ugly but aren't luxurious fetish objects? I've tried Target, Office Depot, etc.
posted by josh at 6:18 PM on August 29, 2004

Well if we told you then it wouldn't be a secret anymore, now would it?

(Pier 1 has some good-looking carved wooden stuff, and even niftier bamboo stuff (cheap), and things like paperweights and doodads as well, but don't tell anyone that I told you or I'll be out of the 'secret online store society')
posted by iconomy at 6:35 PM on August 29, 2004

Slightly o/t, but you may find some ideas over at the Getting Things Done blog collaborative.
posted by davidmsc at 7:50 PM on August 29, 2004

The Container Store has some great things.
posted by sueinnyc at 8:07 PM on August 29, 2004

You could try Muji, if they'll ship to you.
posted by aramaic at 8:47 PM on August 29, 2004

Ikea
posted by gokart4xmas at 9:08 PM on August 29, 2004

Levenger
posted by terrapin at 7:11 AM on August 30, 2004

I am told, by la belle dame sans account, Linens'n'Things is a similarly helpful site.
posted by yerfatma at 8:48 AM on August 30, 2004

you might try CB2 or west elm. look for stuff that's not necessarily desk accessories, but which will work nicely.

also, if you have a local stationary/card/paper store, they should have nice stuff.
posted by crush-onastick at 9:11 AM on August 30, 2004

If you truly want to get organized, the last thing you want is desk accessories cluttering up your desk. You want to clear your desktop of everything, right down to the shiny surface.

Make the left corner your in 'basket', the right corner your out 'basket'. Your trash can should be in a constant state of nearly overflowing. Files, staplers, pens, clips, etc. go in a drawer. Put your computer on its own table.

If you must have an accessory, get a plain old ugly one, otherwise you will spend all day marvelling at how pretty your desk accessory is.
posted by mischief at 4:01 PM on August 30, 2004

I've been working on getting myself organized too (GtD is highly recommended) and I disagree. Sometimes having a new tool that I'm excited about helps inspire me to actually work on getting organized. In my case it was

Just don't confuse buying accessories with getting organized...
posted by mmoncur at 11:12 PM on August 30, 2004

Target had some wire mesh stuff that not terribly pricey.
posted by theora55 at 9:16 AM on August 31, 2004