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Early last summer, after twelve years as a freelancer, I got myself a desk in a shared office in Paris!
I had been thinking about it for a while: working from home wasn’t quite working for me anymore, the space I often borrowed at Maxence’s offices was getting filled, and I was drinking entirely too much coffee at my local (beloved) coffee shop.
As soon as I decided that’s what I wanted, it was all very flow-y. I did a search on this specialized website, looking for coworking space in my own neighborhood. I knew I had found The One as soon as I saw the photos. I arranged to meet the woman who owns the office that very day, we clicked, the desk was perfect for me…
…I “moved in” a couple of days later.

My desk
And this is now where I spend most of my days — when I’m not leading private food tours (get in touch if you’re interested!) or developing and shooting recipes — and I could not be happier or more productive.
Part of my bliss in moving in was personalizing my space with a few items, which I wanted to share with you today. I hope it serves as inspiration for next time you have a new office, giving you ideas of things to bring to make your days more comfortable and your work space more “you”.
These are the things I brought to my Paris office:

• My notebooks, which I take home and back every morning and every night. The black one is my soft-cover weekly planner; the pink one is for my daily affirmations; the blue one is my dotted notebook that I use for bullet journaling and task management.
• My favorite kind of pen, the triplus fineliner in black.
• The feathered camembert box that Milan made me for Mother’s Day, to keep paper clips.

• A selection of teas, caffeinated and non-caffeinated, loose-leaf and bagged.
• A ball infuser, for loose-leaf teas.
• A favorite tea cup, purchased in London some thirteen years ago, that has the word “fresh” embossed on the side.
• A mini-board from Earlywood on which to place my cup, to avoid staining the desk.

• My favorite kind of pen in 10 brilliant colors, for lettering and bullet journaling.
• The pencil holder is my late grandmother’s vintage measuring glass, graduated all around the rim for cacao, sugar, tapioca, starch, rice, semolina, and flour.
• A roll of Japanese masking tape of which I bought a ridiculous amount in Tokyo seven years ago (still working through my supply).

• Various postcards and photos dear to my heart, taped to the wall behind me with said masking tape.

• A pink drinking glass with a lid (to avoid spills) and a metal straw, which I got for helping crowdfund The Ocean Cleanup.
• A wide and shallow bowl from Broste Copenhagen, for plating my desk salads.
• A napkin — actually a Japanese furoshiki.

• Some snacks, such as raw crackers from Biscru, a soup mix from Sol Semilla, and my very favorite Claudio Corallo chocolate, the sablé 80%.

A whole lotta books! Part of the thrill of having office space is that it comes with bookshelves! Empty bookshelves! For all my cookbooks!
Pictured here, books written by friends:
• Do One Thing Every Day That Inspires You
• The New Paris
• À La Table d’une famille chinoise (in French, recipes from a Chinese family in France)
• Fourche