Creating Your Correspondence Desk

Longing for a life in which you send and receive real letters? Maybe all you need is a beautiful spot in which to sign, seal and deliver.

Dear reader,

I haven’t heard from you in awhile so I thought I’d spark the conversation by writing you this note. The morning sun streams through my window as I enjoy that first hot sip of coffee. I have many wonderful things to share with you so keep reading as I bare my soul. Please write back when you have a chance. I miss you dearly.

Yours truly,
Erika

If you are above the age of 30 you can likely remember a time when you actually sent handwritten notes and letters. Better still, you actually opened your mailbox because it was likely to have a personal missive waiting inside.

Writing desks are versatile areas that are free of laptops. Lizzi Hayes and her boyfriend bought this secretary mostly for display and storage but it ended up making an ideal writing space as well.

I’ve never heard anyone say how much they dread getting personal letters from people they know and love. What I do hear is how much they dread the thought of pulling out paper, pen, envelope and stamp to send one out. Why?

A handsome setup in the master bedroom is actually large enough to serve as both writing and computer desk. (Photo: The Velvet Chaise)

Among the more common reasons—time, inertia, poor penmanship—there’s the fact that you have nowhere to write. By that I mean a comfortable sitting area with a clean uncluttered desktop, good light, and an array of writing accessories within easy reach. The good news is that this deficiency can easily be reversed no matter where you live.

If a place like this sounds attractive, read on. I’m going to show you that your correspondence desk is well within reach.

Taking Pen in Hand …

Grace Nixon Patterson, co-founder with her sister Leah Nixon of greeting card company Tiny and Snail, is all about promoting the well-equipped letter-writing space. In fact, with every shipment they include a postcard with tips on how to make an area that is inviting and well supplied.

“If you have a space you can solely dedicate as a writing space, then amazing—do it,” she says. “If you don’t have that luxury (I don’t), then consider a space that can serve that function when you’re ready to pen a note to someone you love.”

Greeting cards by Tiny and Snail cover a multitude of sentiments and occasions. Grace suggests using washi tape to decorate your envelopes; it’ll make you feel like a master correspondent. (Photo: Tiny and Snail)

A comfortable and gracious writing space can be fashioned using an area or a piece of furniture you already have. Here are the most common places we can sit to write cards:

Office or bedroom desk. Unlike the typical work desk, a writing desk only requires about 12-18” of work surface since you will not be using a computer. You also do not need large storage drawers or file cabinets.

This tiny wicker desk is the perfect size for handwritten correspondence. It’s in a Pasadena home and was likely picked up at the Rose Bowl Flea Market. (Photo: Mark Lohman/Styled by Sunday Hendrickson)

Kitchen counter or bar. Most homes have some kind of eating bar. A portion of that space might be underutilized and used as a writing corner. To define the space and reduce any water or splattering on your missives, consider using a desk mat.

Tiny and Snail’s must-haves for a correspondence corner are candles and a favorite beverage. That way, you stay longer. (Photo: Tiny and Snail)

Dining room table. A recent survey on dining room/eating habits found less than half of the respondents remember regularly eating at the dining table. That’s a bummer (and something I’ll address later) but it does free up the lonely dinner table for other purposes. Clear off the clutter and set up your “pop-up” writing area with a portable caddy like this.

Other possibilities include a courtyard table, she shed, spare bedroom or backyard lounge area. Make it personal and fun with little extras. “I like the idea of having a lamp or special candle that you light when you start writing,” Patterson says. “Fresh flowers or a plant is something that makes a difference for me, too. (Sometimes, I'll do a little sketch of my bouquet in the card that I'm writing.)”

This small bracketed shelf inside a she shed is a good place for journaling and correspondence, away from the hustle of the house. (Photo: The Velvet Chaise)

Get the Look

Find your own little area and rediscover (or expand upon) your joy of handwritten correspondence. Below are a few places and things to consider. I can almost guarantee that by making a spot for your tools and treasures, with everything in its rightful place, YOU WILL CORRESPOND MORE.

This tiny table benefits from a vertical caddy that holds any number of essentials from cards to stamps and even an address book. (Photo: Joe Smeltzer/Styled by Sunday Hendrickson)

Letter Racks

(Photo: Etsy)

I love the three tiers in this old painted letter rack. Pens and stamps on the lower level, envelopes and stationery above. This is a one-of-a-kind but Etsy always has a nice array of vintage and new letter racks.

(Photo: Wayfair)

For something a little more modern, this mesh metal desk organizer has all of the right cubbies, including a pen holder on top. You could put stationery sheets and greeting cards in the slots on the right.

Quality Pens

As a left-handed person I am haunted by smudged messages in my Christmas cards. While writing, my pen-grasping fist goes right over the wet ink and leaves a trail. Whether you are right- or left-handed look for quick-drying pens with thin, even strokes. One of my favorites is the Uni-ball Eye Micro Roller Pen; it dries fast like a ballpoint but has the lush look of gel ink.

Paper Goods

There are so many options for stationery, including maybe the best one: recycling. Use your old company letterhead or lightly used copy paper. Press washi tape over the writing in a pleasing design. For special occasions, consider the paper bar at The Paper Source, using matching or complementary colors. My own casual favorite, even though I might be kind of old for it, is colored binder paper. It’s so cheerful.

Notecards are the way most people go these days. You can fill it up quicker and it’s fun to choose personal messages and designs. I discovered Tiny and Snail on Instagram and love what they do. There are so many other small businesses producing truly sublime notecards, sometimes right in your neighborhood. Please consider stocking up online or from your local retailer and support small business.

A Candle or Two

I don’t need to tell you where to buy your candles but will just put a plug in for Naughty Faery Creations. They have this wonderful little shop in Port Townsend, WA and also sell on Etsy. May I recommend Tangerine Lift?

When finished with correspondence, this secretary closes up neatly and allows free flow within the apartment’s dining area. (Photo: Lizzi Hayes)