Thoughts on Creating a Respectable Office

I believe a plain foundation is the key to a warm and respectable office. Your desk is the main building block of the office, so start there. Let it be plain and solid, and then build around it. I may be a little biased here, but a simple leather desk pad is key. Leather is natural and known as a quality. Let your desk and leather desk pads set the stage but not be what draws the eye, but rather your pictures, hourglass, and magnifying glass. Using leather desk pads is like using rugs around and beneath the furniture. They warm the place up.

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Three, the Devine Mark of Perfection

I am personally drawn to designs with triangles or threes. Three is the divine mark of perfection and is found throughout nature. That's why the eye is so drawn to 3's. For that reason, I recommend a Leather Desk Set of 3: a Leather Desk Pad, a Hard Leather Valet Tray, and a Leather Journal Cover or Portfolio. The three make a triangle or a complete set in your mind and break up the space.

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Office Shelving with Leather Bound Books

I like my shelving to be plain and then build on it with great books. By the way, your library will look nicer if you take the jackets off of new books. Leatherbound books make an office look nice, but they're hard to come by.

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Office Lighting

Lighting is one of the keys to an office that people talk about. A lamp next to a leather desk pad is a must. An antique that has lasted for at least 60 years is best. If it's lasted that long, it will last another 60 years. I had bought two different great-looking lamps from Restoration Hardware that only lasted about a year before they loosened and started leaning. And they're unrepairable. Why sell crap like that?

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Office Scents of Full Grain Leather

And last but not least, the scent of your office counts. You have the feel, the lighting, and the textures, but don't forget that rich scent of leather. Lucky for you, the rich aroma of leather is included free with every Saddleback leather desk pad. All of these are considerations for creating a great office space.

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Full Grain Leather Desk Pad

This leather desk pad is made of full grain leather, which means it still has all of the grain intact on the top layer of the hide. The grain is the toughest and most water-resistant part. Most companies shave off the top layer of the hide to get rid of any of the character of the cowhide like scars or tiny bug bites, but in reality, they are shaving off the hardest and toughest part of the hide. It's like shaving the shingles off of your roof.

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Full Grain vs. Top Grain vs. Genuine Leather

When there is still a little of the grain left, that's what you call Top Grain Leather. It is still good leather, but not as good as it used to be. Genuine or Split Leather is when all of the grain is shaved or split off. The desk pad will look bad and fall apart way sooner than a full grain leather desk pad. Finding just the right hide to cut such a large piece of leather takes a long time with not too many scars and blemishes. And then we end up with a lot of extra scrap from around it. It's not the cheapest way to make things, but there's something about making things the quality way.