The Dappered Space: From Style Scenario to Styled Office

The Dappered Space is a series designed to help guys apply the sense of personal style they’ve developed to the space they inhabit. Watch for articles on furniture and decor sales & picks, advice on how to style a room or work space, and tackling creating a space that reflects your own (and perhaps a significant other’s) personal tastes. We’ll suggest items that can be sourced online, but always keep in mind that deals can be found at consignment and thrift stores, local stores with floor models, discount stores, and even yard sales.

Well poop. It’s looking more and more like the home office may be coming heavily into play this cold/flu/and now Covid season. Maybe we’ll see a respite this winter… but that would be a surprise. Home offices may once again be the workspace you utilize most over the coming months. And if you didn’t get around to some office upgrades in 2020, 2021 may be the year. We’re going to take our color cues from a series of style scenarios Joe recently featured: The Versatile Medium Gray Suit 3 Ways.

The Desk: Myra Desk- $92.99. Obviously not going to be like heavy, durable wood desks of yesteryear that can be passed on for generations, but for a quick set up it sounds like it’s easy to assemble, and the aesthetics are there. If you’re assembling your new office on the cheap, this should do you well.

The Chair: Hudgins Home Office Task Chair – $88.99. Modern looks, and reviewed as comfortable. Sounds like it’s on the smaller side, so if you’re a big guy this might not be the chair for you. Available in four color options.

The Storage: Propr Office Slim Totem Rolling Storage Pedestal – $310 FINAL. Not cheap, but this rolling storage unit from Propr Office is sold through Huckberry, and Huckberry doesn’t tend to deal in junk. They feature durable goods made to last, so it’s safe to assume this item is no different. Perfect for adding some file storage to an open desk. (Alternatively, you could go mega cheap and try to source an old file cabinet from craigslist or a thrift store. Works for the Dappered home office!)

The Rug: StyleWell Jasper Blue 7 ft. x 10 ft. Area Rug – $108.25. This indoor/outdoor rug comes in multiple sizes, and is a good choice here because it is very low pile, so a desk chair should be able to roll over it.

The Art: Muhammad Ali Underwater Wall Art Canvas – $55+ | Monthly Wall Mounted Dry Erase Board – $101.99. The Ali photograph to remind you of perseverance, and that to achieve something great you often have to get uncomfortable. The Dry Erase Board because even if you have your appointments and reminders in a digital calendar, sometimes it’s nice to have a non-digital secondary reminder to look at. Plus, the board itself is decorative.

The Lamp: Globe Electric Barden Floor Lamp – $46.95. A simple, sleek lamp that will create gentler lighting in the morning hours to ease you into your work day, and lower lighting in the evening to help you wind down.

The Desk Clock: Pendulux Dashboard Clock – $149. I know you probably have your watch, your phone, the digital display on your laptop, so think of this clock as decorative. But the functionality is there, especially if you want to track time in a few other time-zones. Not a modern day necessity, but cool none the less.

The Brain Break: Torched Mind-bending Circle Puzzle – $44.98 ($60) | The Mezmoglobe – $35. | Break-reminder App. Brains need breaks. And if you don’t provide your brain breaks, it’ll just force them on you with a lot of spacing out and daydreaming. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if you want, you can get more intentional about timing your breaks. Letting your brain zone out for a while can go a long way in getting back into focus. Find what works for you, and adopt of positive mindset about taking breaks. Berating your ability to remained focused just taxes your brain even further.