Back to school season may mean less time outside and more time spent at your desk. But studying (or working from home) doesn’t have to feel like a slog. A new school year calls for a design refresh, and these furnishings, lighting and accessories are sure to liven up any home office, merging form and function to improve ergonomics and comfort — and add a pop of vibrant colour.
Named after the Japanese word for “clam,” the Asari Chair was conceived by Tokyo-based designer Naoto Fukasawa to evoke the forms found in nature. Available in an array of eight punchy colourways (contract customers have the choice of over 180 colour combinations), the collection is sure to liven up any home office. “My goal was to inspire joy and create a new form, ultimately becoming the next upholstered icon,” says Fukasawa. “A core part of my design ethos is to simplify the way we live, imbuing each creation with an attraction that makes people feel dear to it, a timelessness and longevity that enhances a human process.”
Colour flood options feature the same hue across the chair’s base, arms and body, accentuating its sculptural form. But like all task seating, Asari doesn’t sacrifice ergonomics for aesthetics: it was designed to merge residential comfort with contract-grade performance. Offering the instant comfort of upholstery with the long-term benefits of tailored ergonomics, both the mid- and high-back versions come with synchronous self-adjusting tilt for natural movement, PostureFit for lower back support, and a contoured seat pad that minimizes pressure points.
In homes without a defined work zone, the best office furnishings are those that fade into the background. Designed by Peter Kunz, ’s almost impossibly thin Onemm table more than fits the bill. “I’m an architect and a purist. I like to minimize all things. I’ve long been drawn to the idea of monocoque (single-shell) construction, which is used to create automobiles and airplanes that are extremely strong but also lightweight,” explains Kunz. “The concept for the table came from my fascination with this kind of structural de-materialization.”
To that end, Kunz’s design bends a single steel sheet into a 4-millimetre thick rectangular table top, supported by four sleek legs (made from either metal or FSC-certified wood). An exercise in efficiency, ’s lightweight components ship flat-packed to minimize environmental impact, and all its components are simply secured with screws so that, at the end of its life, it can be disassembled and sorted for recycling. Whether used as a desk or a dining room table, or in a contract or residential environment, the timeless and minimalist design is easily adaptable and available in various finishes and sizes.
A task light and storage caddy all-in-one, the Field Trip Table Lamp by Joey Zeledon was made for small spaces. Inspired by the makeshift work-from-home spaces — and the clutter — that emerged during the pandemic, the lamp’s hollowed-out base corrals stray pens and pencils, while its narrow neck is designed for easy cord-wrapping. The portable lamp is outfitted with a dimmable, museum-grade LED and a glare-reducing diffuser. And, with its 2.28-metre cord, it can easily be transported to turn any corner of the home into a workspace, from a desk to the kitchen table or the living room floor. The lamp’s minimal, elegant silhouette belies its robustness — the 2.26-kilogram fixture is hard to tip over and more shatter-resistant than glass, making it a suitable choice for both busy children and their design-savvy parents.
Field Trip, like all of ’s lamps, is 3D printed in California to avoid generating excess waste, lending it a unique, one-of-a-kind character. Made from Gantri Plant Polymer, a proprietary plant-based, biodegradable material, the lamp’s opaque and matte finish is available in three vibrant colourways, Sunrise (yellow), Sage (green), and Blossom (pink), the collection is sure to invigorate any workspace.
They’re classics for a reason. Arne Jacobsen’s beloved clock designs have stood the test of time, making them the perfect addition to any design enthusiast’s home office setup. First designed in 1939, the Station Table Clock’s graphic look epitomizes mid-century Danish design, while its metal base references the designer’s Ant and No. 7 chairs. The clock has recently been updated with new features, such as a snooze and light sensor, and is available in black, grey, bordeaux, green and teal.
The City Hall Table clock, meanwhile, is a shrunken-down version of the wall clock by the same name, originally designed for Rødovre Town Hall in Denmark. A modern take on a classic design, the clock is available in a range of colours, and features an alarm, snooze and light. The latter two are activated by a sensor that detects slight hand movements above the clock (perfect for those early school mornings).
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