8 Office Accessories for Design Freaks & Geeks

One of the benefits of freelancing is getting to control how your work environment looks and feels. If you've always wanted to have a sofa in your office, get one! If you want that red Swingline stapler from the movie "Office Space," it's yours! Whether you want your home office to be minimalist, earthy or just plain functional, you get to choose all the furnishings and accessories. Here are some of my favorite office accessories picks from around the web. These items all exhibit unique design sensibility that will appeal to design freaks and geeks and dress up any home office. Sleek poster hanger

Finally a simple, well-designed poster hanger that won't break the bank or leave you tearing your hair out. This product consists of two metal rods that use gravity to weigh the poster down and some basic hanging equipment. Designed by Jorgen Muller, the hanger comes in a few sizes with a choice of black or brushed silver finish. Cool metal cart I use a white metal cart just like this one sold by moxiethrift on Etsy.com, to house my printer, paper, files and reference books. I got my cart at a local antique shop for about $20, and I see these carts all the time in thrift stores. Since the cart has wheels, it makes it easy to move around the room or slide it over when you want to connect your printer to the computer. DIY Pac-Man-themed cork board Cork boards are not just functional, they can also be a design feature in your home office space. This Pac-Man-themed cork board is for freelance geeks everywhere. To make this bad boy, just follow the DIY instructions on Waylou.com. You will be begging friends to come visit your home office, so they can marvel at your awesome handiwork. Offbeat composer busts These plastic Beethoven busts are another nod to the world of thrift store shopping. I recently found an entire set of white plastic composer busts for 50 cents a piece. These little guys are fun to place on your desk, bookshelf or windowsill. According to vinylpulse.com, The Frank Kozik designed busts shown at right are meant to convey the connection between Beethoven and Stanley Kubrick's film "A Clockwork Orange." Bright, old-school fan Save on your energy costs this spring and use a retro electric fan to keep cool. This fan comes in a bunch of playful colors, and it sits right on your desktop. The price point is a little high, but you're paying for design here. The fan is available on Amazon.com. Instant whiteboard These whiteboard decals available from Urbanoutffiters.com are a great idea. Get one for your home office for a low impact (no holes in the wall) instant white board. I can even picture stashing a a few of these in your office and taking them along to meetings or presentations (as long as they are fairly easy to remove!). There's also something about writing directly on the wall that's just fun! USB coffee warmer No need to run to the kitchen and get a fresh cup, this USB coffee warmer and mug will keep your brew toasty. Plus this stainless steel gadget just looks cool and futuristic! The coffee warmer and mug are available on Amazon.com. This is also a good solution for people who make French Press coffee, which gets cold quickly. Mid-century magazine rack If you get a lot of design magazines or other trade journals, you'll need a spot for them. Look online or in local thrift and antiques stores to find a metal, mid-century magazine rack a la Charles Eames. This one, available from shop1848 on Etsy.com has an atomic-style design and a brilliant silvery-gold finish. I really like the spiral handle, too!