The Utterly Inessential Working From Home shopping list: Desks, speakers and magical gizmos from £35 to £8,500

The line between essential and utterly inessential has never been more clearly defined than it is right now — and those who are working from home should remember that they're the luckiest people in society right now.

That said, it's clear from the latest news that working from home is likely to stretch across months rather than weeks; with that in mind, it could be the time to bring a few creature comforts — utterly inessential as they may be — into your home.

Somewhere to sit and work: Flame mahogany and crossbanded pedestal desk

First things first: you need a desk. Obviously you could order one from John Lewis or Wayfair, or just dig something out of the loft and dust it down. But if you have the space for something beautiful that will last for many years past lockdown — not to mention many years past your own lifetime — then companies such as Brights of Nettlebed are still making (and safely delivering) incredible pieces.

Priced at £8,615 from Brights of Nettlebed — click here to buy.

Something to listen to: BRV-Mini wireless speaker

This dinky little wireless speaker (which also takes calls) is pretty much the same size and weight as a can of fizzy drink — and we've found it fantastically useful, even when just linked to a laptop to provide sound loud enough to be heard over the din of home schooling going on elsewhere in the house. You won't be throwing away your hi-fi but the sound quality is fine — and it's ideal for camping trips once lockdown is over. The speaker is completely waterproof, so much so that you can drop it in a bucket of water and it'll keep on going.

Priced at £34.99 from zagg.com — click here to buy.

Something to bring a little luxury to lockdown: Sterling silver letter opener and pencil tidy

Technically, you could open your post with your boring old fingers, and we'll concede that it might be possible to keep pencils and pens in an old mug. But where's the fun in that? These beautifully-crafted Patrick Marvos items, on the other hand, will surely give you a little thrill every time you pick out a pencil or slice open a letter from the bank.

Priced at Letter opener £760 and pencil holder £1,800 from Patrick Marvos — click here to buy.

Something to get the internet to wherever you want to work: Devolo Magic 2 WiFi Powerline adapter

Sometimes, gadgetry is hard to get your head around; you just have to trust it and let it get on with its job. That's the case with these internet range extenders, which — instead of trying to boost your Wifi signals to the furthest corners of your home — somehow route the internet through the electrical wiring of your home. Perfect for big houses with thick walls, garages/workshops/garden rooms — and these Devolo ones are the fastest, most future-proofed ones you can buy.

Priced at £169.99 from various sellers — click here to buy.

Somewhere to take calls in comfort: Brampton hanging cocoon chair

It's all too easy when working from home to sit at the desk all day, in a way which simply doesn't happen in the office, when most of us are heading back and forth to meeting rooms and so on. A little space to sit, read or make a call is a good idea, and something like this swing chair would make an ideal breakout-area-at-home place to sit.

Priced at £299 from Kaleidoscope — click here to buy.

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