About Us

We, as modern workers, spend an inordinate amount of time sitting at a desk. Shouldn’t it be a place that inspires us?

About the blog

The goal of The Well-Appointed Desk is to feature:

  • tools we love (from pens, ink, paper and pencils to computer applications)
  • desk accessories that beautify our space (from pencil cups to binder clips)
  • gentle reminders that sometimes, the best tool for the job is pen and paper
  • links to other sites with a passion for office supplies, paper goods and writing instruments
  • inspiring desks and work spaces (from home office to working studios)
  • and other things that infuse joy, beauty and whimsy into our day-to-day office drudgery

Things we (probably) won’t be covering:

  • Craft rooms (though I love a good craft space, lots of other sites cover this topic so we’ll be focusing on the business-side of the well-appointed desk)
  • Super Kawaii (I love fruit-scented, shaped erasers as much as the next person but I’ll try to keep this a little more upscale than that — I’m not making any promises though!)

As self-professed lovers of office supplies, art supplies and paper goods, it seemed only fitting that we share great finds and inspiration.

Please let us know if you find anything that should be added to the site.

About Us:

Ana Reinert is the creator of The Well-Appointed Desk. She and her husband, Bob Atkins, created the Col-o-ring and Col-o-dex products which are available in our shop and at your favorite pen shop worldwide.

She is also a photographer; knitter; and an unabashed Crazy Cat Lady. When not covered in ink, she is passionate about bicycles, typography and just about anything vintage.

Follow the blog on Twitter or on Instagram. You can also follow the cat shenanigans.

Laura Cameron is a tech editor, podcaster, knitter, spinner and recent pen addict. You can learn more about her knitting and tea adventures on her website, The Corner of Knit & Tea and can find her on Instagram as Fluffykira.

tina-koyama

Tina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.

Jessica Coles is a digital marketer, full-time mom and pen nerd. She is the owner and operator of Vintage Pen Shop and can be found at several pen shows throughout the year with her Esterbrook testing station. Broken pens and bent nibs are part of what she loves about the hobby.

Though nicknamed the Duchess of Esterbrook, she loves a huge variety of pens, inks and paper. Her attempts at making pens and paper have not yet succeeded, so she is still relying on others, but maybe one day she will make her own inks!

Find more about Jesi at Vintage Pen Shop or on Instagram.

Jaclyn Myers is a pharmacist and researcher in Indianapolis. If she’s not inking a pen, she’s probably petting her dogs, trying a new beer, baking, or tinkering with her iPad.

Follow her on  Instagram, on her blog at  Inkpothesis, or find her at pen shows behind the NibSmith table.

We’ve been quoted in:

We’ve appeared on numerous podcast episodes:

Disclaimers:

Occasionally, companies will contact us and offer products free of charge for us to review and giveaway to readers. We do our best to review them honestly, without bias, to help readers make the best choices about products. We will include a disclaimer if a product was given to us free of charge for review purposes but know that, should we forget, it is human error and not an attempt to obfuscate its origins. We do receive ad revenue in the form of ad sponsorship and the occasional sponsored post and those will be indicated accordingly.

The Well-Appointed Desk also participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Anytime a reader clicks through to Amazon and makes a purchase to a product listed on this blog, we, as Amazon Associates, earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

This blog was created to celebrate our love of pens, paper and office supplies but the contributions of products and funds help to pay for the products that get reviewed as well as server space, mailing supplies, photo equipment and other aspects that help to keep this blog going.

Also, the FTC would like me to remind you that Ana used to be an employee of Hallmark Cards, Inc. If any mention of Hallmark is made here, it is done as a personal expression and in no reflects the company’s views, opinions or policies. Ana also used to work at Victorian Trading Company as a product designer. Any Victorian Trading Company products reviewed here are my opinion and the company has not paid for placement. All opinions are our own.

Thanks for visiting!

27 comments

  1. Hi – I check out your website often for enjoyment and inspiration. Question – I found a vintage desk accessory item in an antique shop, bought it, but now I’m thinking of selling it. I don’t have an account on etsy or ebay. Can you suggest somewhere that I could post it? Possibly does your site post such things? If you’d like to see it, I can send a photo – just tell me how to. It has a wooden base, a well for resting your writing instrument, a teal ink bottle for filling with ink, and a little “bookcase” with matchbox sized boxes for reinforcements, labels, etc. between 2 wire “bookends.”
    Thanks, Carol

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  3. I am developing a product that may fit in well with the context of your website.

    For artists and notetakers who are still in love with the pen… and their iPad

    I hope you’ll take a moment to look and if you like it perhaps post it on your site.

    NOTEBLOX – the magnetic, stackable iPad journals

    http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1582711633/noteblox-magnetic-stackable-ipad-journal

    The NOTEBLOX are simple blank paper journals, with 12 neodymium magnets built into the back and front cover. The magnets hold the iPad in the back, and pens, pencils, styluses and other NOTEBLOX on the front. The magnetic binding system provides a simple and convenient package for carrying your notebook, stylus, pen and iPad together. When you’ve filled the pages the NOTEBLOX remains a clever object and is designed to be archived, rather than discarded.

    thank you,

    benjamin

    1. Such a shame that some of the school systems want to do away with cursive altogether. (sigh)

  9. You asked about the SM1 nib for a Sheaffer Cadet pen. The meaning of the code is: Semi-flex Medium; i.e. the “S” means “semi-flex”. I have three Ebay pens of this type and the G1, F1, M1, and SM1 nibs, also from Ebay. I got two in perfect condition for a very low price and one which had a damaged sac and seal for a very high price (misidentified as a Snorkel!). I repaired the last one and now I have more of these pens than I am very likely to ever need (although I do like them).

  10. I came across this blog while googling Midori Traveler’s Notebook, something I only heard of today, getting serious about organizing my papers and tools for writing and drawing and seems like your blog is a good fit for me at this time 🙂

  12. Your blog totally saved me from going crazy. I got the Pilot C-50 fountain pen and I could not figure out how to use the ink bladder. Once finished reading the blog on that pen, you hooked me. I enjoy your insights and links to products.

  14. Hey! I really love your site!
    But I have one question: which ink did you use in your TWSBI Diamond Mini Review? I really love the color of the ink, but I am not sure which one was used. the color seems to fit one of your reviewed noodler’s inks but please help me out 😉

  17. I receive so many great comments on my first rubber stamp I got from you I decided to get three more today and rotate things around a bit. Have you ever considered carrying ink stamp pads in your store? I was surprised at how hard they are to find these days locally. Just a thought.

  19. Nobody does it better. Have spent the entire weekend (surely not the entire weekend? o.k., yes the ENTIRE weekend) looking at stationery supply style blogs and sites. Hands down (pencils down) yours is the best. Have been enjoying it for several months now and will continue.
    The DESK is my go-to site for stationery supplies, office supplies, home office info.and browsing. The DESK is visual, engaging, concise, well-written. Very top drawer.

    1. I used my Hobonichi for about half the year and then I lost steam with it. I’ve been thinking about trying again since I have three months left. Thanks for kicking me back into gear.

  21. Dear Ana,

    What a wonderful website you have! My big compliments. I am very excited I discovered it! Personally, I believe that stationery can inspire us ànd that it can make us happy. That is why I created Enjoy Happy Stationery (www.enjoyhappystationery.blogspot.nl).

    I would like to feature you there as an inspirator. Your newest article is outstanding! You clarify the meaning of stationery and why it can be such an inspiring and helpful tool in whatever we do, from making mundane grocery lists to creating Majestic poetry. I hope you are interested in it.

    Thank you in advance and keep writing those inspiring articles!

    Kind regards,
    Rose from Enjoy Happy Stationery

  22. I am so glad to have stumbled on your blog!! I have described myself for decades as a pen-and-paperholic and have grieved and the diminishing of pen and paper products in the general market. I think your site is the answer to my laments!!
    Suzy

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