Designer-Recommended Stationery Labels: Explore 9 Brands for a Stylish and Whimsical Desk Makeover
In the realm of productivity and design inspiration, the best stationery brands of 2025 are setting new standards. These brands, carefully selected by style editors, are not just offering functional tools, but also infusing them with sustainability, elegance, and creative flair.
A Symphony of Style and Substance
Papertess Designs
Papertess Designs has carved a niche for itself with beautifully crafted planners and stylish stationery that inspire productivity and organization. The brand's undated planners and yearly notebooks, tailored for goal setting and intentional living, are a testament to its commitment to elegance and user-friendly layouts.
Simplygoldstar and Papersmiths
Simplygoldstar and Papersmiths are making waves in the industry by focusing on sustainability. Their notebooks are made from recycled and eco-friendly materials such as milk cartons, recycled ocean plastics, and FSC-certified paper, demonstrating a perfect blend of ethical production and modern designs.
PenandPaper.Co
Social media platforms are abuzz with PenandPaper.Co's sleek, smart stationery that supports creative work and productivity. The brand's offerings are designed to be both functional and stylish, making it a favourite among the modern creative and professional community.
Studio Neat, CountyComm, Rite in the Rain, and Others
These brands are featured in curated EDC (Everyday Carry) stationery collections. Known for their durable, practical tools, they balance ruggedness and design appeal, making them ideal for journaling, sketching, and planning on the go.
Influential Design Trends
The stationery world is also influenced by popular visual styles such as Japandi (minimalist, natural materials, calming neutral tones), Memphis (bold geometric shapes and vibrant colors), and Bohemian (eclectic, rich textures, and earthy tones). These trends combine functionality with artistic flair, offering a unique aesthetic to stationery products.
The Coolest Brand of the Year: NOTEM
Among the top brands, NOTEM, a Danish brand, stands out as the coolest. Manufactured in Copenhagen, NOTEM's offerings in desk and paper goods are accessible yet iconic, earning it a reputation for its watercolor-like palette and bold, eccentric designs.
Global Stationery Destinations
The Journal Shop, catering to Japanese and Korean stationery addicts, is dedicated to quality and style. Based in London, Choosing Keeping is a favourite among pen-and-paper enthusiasts for its stunningly decorated notebooks, journals, and cards, as well as its design-savvy tools and accessories. Both stores ship internationally, offering a global archive of stationery goods, including legendary brands like Hobonichi, Kokuyo, Midori, Hightide, Sailor, and more.
Alissa Bell, a Californian stationery disruptor, offers color-drenched desk additions, metal memo boxes, pens, and cards that are sophisticated enough to get anyone back into handwriting. KOKUYO, an office furniture and equipment and paper goods giant based in Osaka, is known for its clean designs brought to life by delicate hues.
Together, these brands and design trends offer a combination of eco-conscious production, elegant productivity tools, and inspiring styles that meet the needs of modern creatives and professionals.
- Amidst the realms of productivity and design, Papertess Designs excels with its beautifully crafted planners, inspiring productivity and organization while maintaining an elegance and user-friendly layout.
- Simultaneously, Simplygoldstar and Papersmiths lead in sustainability by creating innovative notebooks from recycled materials like milk cartons and eco-friendly FSC-certified paper.
- PenandPaper.Co graces social media platforms with its sleek, smart stationery, catering to the modern creative and professional community with both functionality and style.
- Brands such as Studio Neat, CountyComm, Rite in the Rain, and others, are recognized for their durability and practical tools that maintain a blend of ruggedness and design appeal.
- Japandi, Memphis, and Bohemian styles influence the stationery world, merging functionality with artistic flair to offer a unique aesthetic to products.
- NOTEM, a Danish brand, stands out as the coolest among the top brands, with a reputation for its watercolor-like palette and bold, eccentric designs.
- The Journal Shop, based in London, serves Japanese and Korean stationery enthusiasts, offering a global archive of quality stationery and design-savvy tools.
- Choosing Keeping, also in London, appeals to pen-and-paper enthusiasts with its stunningly decorated notebooks, journals, and cards.
- Alissa Bell, a stationery disruptor from California, provides color-drenched desk additions, metal memo boxes, and sophisticated handwriting tools.
- KOKUYO, a Japanese giant, is renowned for its clean designs, brought to life by delicate hues in its office furniture, equipment, and paper goods.
- The best stationery brands of 2025 set new standards, offering eco-conscious production, elegant productivity tools, and inspiring styles for modern creatives and professionals.
- These brands seamlessly blend sustainability, function, and aesthetic flair, meeting the diverse needs of the tech-savvy, fashionable, and sports enthusiasts alike.
- In addition to stationery, the lifestyle industry embraces smart-home devices, wearables, and gadgets, enhancing productivity within the home and garden space.
- Fashion and beauty, food and drink, and retail sectors also fall under the lifestyle umbrella, with businesses focusing on career development, fintech, and education-and-self-development.
- Lifestyle is not limited to home and personal affairs; it extends to career growth, online education, and job search, fostering lifelong learning and skill-training.
- As technology progresses, smartphones and technology advancements play a significant role in productivity and trend-setting, from communication tools to productivity apps.
- Smartphones, fintech, and education-and-self-development industries intersect, prompting businesses to offer extended services, such as job-search platforms and online education resources.
- Sports, such as football, soccer, and American football, have transformed into businesses in their own right, with fan culture fueling demand for branded merchandise and exclusive content.
- European leagues, the Champions League, NFL, Serie A, Laliga, and NCAA Football, capitalize on this demand by offering unique experiences and high-quality products to avid sports fans.
- Personal growth, mindfulness, and wellness are increasingly important aspects of lifestyle, with opportunities for career development in niche markets such as productivity, career-development, and online-education.
- Goal-setting, learning, and mindfulness apps emerge as tools for personal growth and productivity, allowing individuals to pursue lifelong learning and self-improvement at their own pace.
- Playing sports and maintaining physical activity contributes to overall wellbeing and productivity, Synergy exists between sports, mental health, and career success.
- The symphony of style, substance, and universal appeal in stationery brands, lifestyle industries, sports, and self-development continues to evolve and expand, offering opportunities for entrepreneurs and innovators.
