An ideal home office is a command center that sets us up to work as smart, fast and comfortably as we would in, say, a steel skyscraper or office park.

So be deliberate about what you bring into it, as every item should help you focus and crank out your best work. That is especially important for people who want a highly productive WFH space that will “remove any guilt or anxiety about not being in an actual office,” says New York City-based business development coach Terry Rice. Extra points if it also helps set a calm and inspiring atmosphere.

Don’t have a dedicated room? Find a nook and claim it, suggests Shira Gill, a San Francisco-based pro organizer and author of the book “Minimalista,” who says the unused area at the top of stairs is a popular workspace for many of her clients. And regardless of location, the most fundamental purchases are the two that anchor the space: a chair that’s good for your back and a proper desk, because if your body’s not comfortable at work, your head won’t be in it either. A rug that won’t get in the way of your rolling chair is helpful too. For 10 other expert-recommended essentials, read on.

Jumbled drawers will drain your energy one misplaced highlighter at a time, but there’s an easy fix: expandable drawer organizers. Gill’s go-to is Williams Sonoma ’s bamboo version, which is actually designed for flatware and comes in two sizes, one with five to seven compartments and another with six to eight. Or, puzzle-piece together your own system with modular, stackable organizers.

To keep clutter at bay, you’re going to need storage, but that doesn’t mean you need to line the walls with utilitarian file cabinets. This sleek credenza from CB2 doesn’t look office-y, but can act as a supply closet and spillover desk space. The two shelves are adjustable, and it has handy cutouts for cord management (key if you’re keeping a scanner or other tech gear inside). It’s available in glossy navy or white so you can also use it to subtly carve up a living space into work and off-duty zones, notes Jennifer Morris, an interior designer in Brooklyn.

For a cohesive look that will help you feel organized, line shelves or surfaces with multiples of the exact same bins or boxes, Gill suggests, labeling one as an in-box for papers you plan on processing stat and another for ongoing, longer-range projects. A mom of two, Gill also keeps a third bin for miscellanea like hairbrushes, Legos and school papers that inevitably make their way into the work area. The dedicated collection zone makes it easy to return it all to its rightful place later, she says.

If you’re in the market for a new printer, it may make sense to get a small, versatile one. Gill swears by the HP Tango Wireless Printer—a smart, mini model that prints in color and connects via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or old-school USB—for its portability and performance. “The printing quality is as good as a larger, more expensive model,” she says. It handles 5- by 7-inch and 8- by 10-inch as well as legal-size documents and, adds Gill, “I love the sleek, modern design. It’s not an eyesore if you need to leave it out.”

Dim lighting on video calls sends the message I’m calling in from my great aunt’s house while the other extreme, harsh overheads, don’t flatter anyone either. The solution: The Lume Cube Edge Light is task lighting that improves your on-camera appearance. Beyond its ample illumination, Rice loves this gadget’s clever design. “It clamps onto the edge of my desk so it doesn’t eat up desk space,” and because you can adjust the brightness and warmth, the light won’t ever disturb the others around you, he says. “It allows me to get work done early in the morning without the kids realizing I’m in my office.”

A mounted mood board where you can tack up everything from invites to inspiring photos lets you “continuously switch out items and get them off of the desk,” says Tanisha Lyons-Porter, founder of Natural Born Organizers in Southern California. Thanks to its clever embossed-metal-over-foam design, this Umbra one works as a classic tack-up board, a modern magnetic organizer or both at once. You can hang it landscape- or portrait-style, and it comes with 12 push pins and 12 magnetic pegs.

Really, what can’t you conceal inside these vertical cardboard catchalls? Gill squirrels away books, magazines, folders and reference materials in IKEA’s white or off-white ones because they’re sturdy and chic—and a mere $4 for two. (They also come in black and patterned pink.) Keep a few on hand as a quick fix for when papers start piling up.

Anyone who’s toiling away at the dining room table some days and at the kitchen island on others can benefit from this cart that moves with you. Stock the shelves with your charging cords, books, reference materials, laptop and other essentials, and, come quitting time, all you have to do is pack up the cart and park it out of sight in a closet or corner.

It’s important to get a grip on “cord chaos,” says Lyons-Porter, because “it’s visual clutter that distracts us subconsciously.” She suggests silicone cord ties, which let you wrap the excess length of cords, and cord cable clips for neatly securing cords to the side or bottom of your desk. As she puts it, “Slight aesthetic changes in a space shift the energy in a positive way.”

While a streamlined office space is the goal, a few nice accessories among the utilitarian goods can be transformative. “They give a personal touch that’s always uplifting,” says Morris, who recommends at least one of these three visual add-ons: a sculptural desk lamp, a framed print or photograph, or a low-maintenance house plant.

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