Easing Back to Work: 12 Standout Desk Accessories from Wms & Co.

I was twelve and feeling haunted by the chirping crickets at night, my signal that the start of school was near. That’s when Ginny Pye at the swimming pool told me she had just organized and restocked her desk with new notebooks and pens and was ready, even excited. The notion left an impression I’m still contemplating all these years later.

I don’t think I’ll ever be happy to see summer end, but Ginny—who went on to become a successful novelist—was so right. A few new things, such as a wooden laptop tray, truly help ease the transition. And for these, I turn to Wms & Co., an online shop specializing in “exquisitely practical tools for your desk and for your life.”

The offerings are hand picked by graphic designers Allison and JP Williams who delight in elevated versions of everyday things: take a look at their former NYC loft to see the possibilities. And here are a dozen of their workspace favorites, perfect for easing the way back to school and work.

Photography courtesy of Wms & Co. (@wmscoshop).

Above: Cloth & Paper’s Stainless Task Roller, $46, is made in the US. It recalls a plastic version I grew up with that sat by our kitchen phone for taking messages and making grocery lists. Once, as my mother started reciting the character traits I should look for in a life partner, I wrote down her advice on the kitchen roller (“generosity of spirit, sense of humor…”). I still have that slip of paper. Above: Skagerak’s Oak Nesting Trays come in three sizes, starting at 14-by-11.75 inches, $129, and can be put to all sorts of uses, including as a portable desk.                                               Above:  From London stationary company Before Breakfast, ultra-thin Japanese Everyday Scissors are $30. They’re currently on back order: also consider Studio Carta’s made-in-Italy, small Black Metal Scissors, $30. Above: Notation Studio’s 13.8-inch-tall Mono Portable Lamp, $170, has a head that rotates 270 degrees. And yes, you read that right: the Mono is cordless and rechargeable, even dimmable; it’s “for desks, decks, and everything in between.” Red is available for pre-order; black, forest green, and beige are in stock. Above: Wms & Co. make their own Self-Inking Custom Rubber Stamps, “with one foot in the Old World and another in the now.” They come in several sizes and finishes, starting at $175,  and are perfect for business logos and return addresses: a great house warming gift. Wms & Co. also make Custom Rubber Stamps starting at $55. Above Skagerak’s Norr Magazine Rack, $349, offers both storage and display. Ideal for company materials and for children’s books. Above: Have you ever coveted a box opener? I certainly hadn’t, until I saw the Hmm Utility Knife, $78, of anodized aluminum from HMM, a Taiwan studio whose name stands for Human Made Method. Also available in  deep green and bronze as well as all silver. Above: “No batteries, no charging, no notifications —just reliable timekeeping,” write Wms and Co. of the Desktop Hourglass, $38, for keeping track of 30 minute stretches. Shown here in black, it also comes in red as a Five Minute Hourglass, $20. Above: Coccoina is a decades-old, family-owned Italian company that makes non-toxic, safe-for-children adhesives from potato starch. Coccoina Glue comes in a classic tin, $12, with a brush stored inside for applying it, and as a glue stick, $8. Above: Karst Desk Trays of recycled aluminum come in two sizes, $30 and $40, that provide perfect landing spots for your phone and keyshttps://wmscoshop.com/products/black-metal-scissors?pr_prod_strat=jac&pr_rec_id=e3212a64f&pr_rec_pid=6762700767398&pr_ref_pid=8917401502002&pr_seq=uniformW, among other things. Shown here in burgundy, and also available in Yves Klein Blue and Stone. Above: “This sculptural Cast-Iron Tape Dispenser, $175, by Japanese designer Makoto Koizumi contributes beauty and function in equal measure,” write Wms & Co.  “The piece is so weighty it can be used one-handed—just what you need when you’re in the middle of wrapping a package.” Need a presentable Scotch tape holder instead? See the Korean Brass Tape Dispenser; $95—and the Wms & Co. collection of tapes. Above: From Danish design brand Form & Refine, a sophisticated Square Pinboard, $519, of oiled white oak and recycled canvas (selected to “match the warmness of the wood”) with an integrated shelf wide enough to hold a vase. Other Form & Refine pinboard variations and designs also available

More workspace inspiration:

• 19 Home Offices We Love
• Think Like an Architect: Oliver Freundlich’s 6 Tips for an Orderly and Inspiring Workspace
• Three Ways to Create a Home Office Anywhere (and Put It Away at the End of the Day)
• A Dutch Interior Designer’s Tiny Workspace Filled with DIY Ideas
• The Niche Workspace: 17 Efficient Favorites Slotted into Closets, Corners, Even Under the Stairs

Featured image: Wms & Co. co-founder Allison Williams’s desk in her Fire Island, NY, home.