10 Work-From-Home Essentials Chatelaine Editors Swear By

A cozy romper

“The most difficult part of working from home for me is finding the motivation to get dressed in the morning, but this Smash + Tess romper has been a game-changer. It's ridiculously soft, loose and comfortable, but it looks more polished than sweatpants. I usually throw on a sweater or cardigan on top whenever I have video meetings, but I'm looking forward to wearing it out in the real world paired with a leather jacket, cute sneakers and lots of layered jewelry.” —Andréanne Dion, associate lifestyle editor

Smash + Tess Sunday romper, $119, smashtess.ca.

An indoor garden

“I have a large collection of plants and the regular maintenance is a great distraction from the news and it helps keep my anxiety in check. It's great to have morning video meetings with these faces in the background—they're always smiling and constantly on mute.” —Sun Ngo, creative director of lifestyle content

Plant delivery service, from $6, plantcollective.co. Face pots, from US$16, anthropologie.com.

A good pair of slippers

“They're not cheap—$130, which is a lot for a pair of slippers. But despite daily wear for almost seven months, my Glerups (which a friend's partner recommended) still look nearly new. The wool starts off tight, then stretches and forms to your feet, making them supremely comfortable. They're also toasty without being sweltering, and the rubber sole has stood up to trips to the backyard with the dog and to hang up laundry. Plus, they look a bit more pulled together than most slippers.” —Gillian Grace, deputy editor

Glerups low boot, $130, glerups.ca.

Fresh flowers

“It's a life frill I count myself lucky to indulge in, but I love having fresh flowers in the house right now, even though they used to be just a special occasion thing. I wouldn't venture out to a florist, not that any are open now anyway, but it's easy enough to add a bouquet of tulips to an online grocery order, or grab them during our once-weekly shop. Not only do they cover that ring on my dining room table, but they boost my mood every time I walk into the room. When I light a candle too, I get a hit of that buzzy feeling of company coming over. They're not, of course, but it fools my brain for a bit anyway.” —Sasha Emmons, director of lifestyle content

Cute scrunchies

“Scrunchies have been my lifesaver lately. My hair is getting super long and they do a great job keeping it out of my face. This scrunchie set is so cute, it makes me feel pretty and make it look like I've made an effort.” —Stephanie Kim, art director

H&M scrunchies, $13 for 2, hm.com.

Noise-reducing headphones

“A great pair of noise-reducing headphones is a must even when working from the office, but I appreciate mine more than ever. Not only do they block out any sound coming from my partner's makeshift home office and from the neighbours apartment, but they're also perfect for all my podcast-listening needs.” —Andréanne Dion, associate lifestyle editor

Samsung Galaxy Buds+, $199, samsung.com.

TikTok

“This pandemic caused me to finally download TikTok, the viral app teenagers can't get enough of. When I need a break from information overload or when I'm waiting out a spinning wheel on my computer screen, I go searching for videos that make me laugh. With anything from cat content (my favourite!) to fake reality TV shows, each of these 15-second clips is a small glimpse of joy.” —Aimee Nishitoba, associate art director

A cheeful tablecloth

“A couple of weeks before we all started working from home, I'd bought a brightly printed tablecloth for our dining table; the table is made of painted pressed particle board and is starting to show some wear. I'd never really cared about kitchen linens before—at first I thought it was just to cover up chipped paint. But now that the table has become my work desk, I've had a change of heart. It feels so nice to work on a cheerful, soft surface! Sometimes, while working on an edit, I'll secretly google new prints.” —Chantal Braganza, senior editor

Williams Sonoma tablecloth, $120, williams-sonoma.ca.

On-demand fizzy water

“I miss going into the Chatelaine office kitchen to fill up my glass of water and chat with my coworkers. But when my butt goes numb from sitting on a wooden child's desk in my home office, going downstairs for some cold fizzy water from my SodaStream is a welcome break. I get to say hi to my new coworkers—two small children, a large, geriatric Bouvier des Flandres, and my partner trying to have a Skype meeting in our kitchen while I duck in the background. You can even make your own budget LaCroix flavoured water by adding bitters—I have a few I rotate through. And, in the "evening" (okay, the mid-afternoon), you can use the sparkling water for gin and tonics—the SodaStream brand tonic syrup isn't bad, and is much cheaper (and safer) than running to the store.” —Gillian Grace, deputy editor

SodaStream Fizzi, $120, sodastream.ca.

Delicious brownies

“My WFH essential is boxed-mix brownies. Eating a brownie is the only thing I look forward to each day, and it brings me so much joy. It's the perfect middle-of-the-day work snack. I have instant brownies, peanut butter brownies, even Snack Pack penguin-shaped brownies. They don't even need to be good—they just need to be brownies.” —Radiyah Chowdhury, assistant editor