In today’s Designers’ Desks special, we asked editor Tabitha Teuma of the hip, handbag-sized and two-issues-old Midcentury magazine to show us where she works…

Where is your desk from? 

My desk is also the dining table in my house. It’s a teak G-plan one that I found at Crystal Palace Antiques about six years ago. I sanded it down myself and sealed it with teak oil. It has a central extending leaf, which comes in handy when the stacks of papers start to get on top of me! I dream of one day owning an Yves writing desk by Pinch Design but I think I’ll be waiting a while…

What’s on your desk just now and what do you like to have around you for inspiration?

Because my desk doubles as a dining table, it changes continuously. My laptop is a permanent fixture though, along with my colossal dictionary. Oh, and the radio. In fact I have a radio in every room. My husband thinks it’s a bit overkill. I usually have some form of centrepiece on the table too – to daydream at basically.

Do you keep your workspace tidy?

I am quite a tidy person by nature, so it bugs me when my desk is a mess. The piles of papers tend to mount up though and I’ve realised that, as the desk doubles as a dining table, inviting friends over for supper gives me a good reason to tidy it. I’ve been doing this most weeks for a while now! I also have the mother of all shelving units – I store all my reference material here, which definitely helps!

Where did you find that lovely white vase?

The white vase is by ceramicist Ikuko Iwamoto and was a wedding gift from my parents. It’s one of my favourite things – I adore the shape and find the textured ‘spores’ quite mesmerising. It serves as a happy reminder of the day.

 Do you have any specific stationery, notebooks and pencils you like to keep handy?

Those that know me well will attest to the fact that I do make the occasional list(!) and I like to have a mini pocket Moleskin notebook handy at all times – specifically one with perforated pages, so I can tear out the used ones as I go. It’s very satisfying somehow.

 Have you found a good chair?

It’s a 1960’s Danish rosewood chair, which I found a couple of years back – I went out for a pint of milk on a Sunday afternoon and spotted it in Crystal Palace Antiques en route. It’s very upright and incredibly comfy and I can sit in it quite happily for hours. I recently discovered that it was designed by Johannes Andersen (which I admittedly still feel pretty smug about!). I had it reupholstered in a somewhat lurid lime-coloured Bute fabric and for some reason this makes me smile every time I see it.

Tell us about that lovely lamp?

I came across the teak base on eBay and was struck by the simplicity of the shape. I’m pretty certain that it dates from the ‘60s. It had been classified incorrectly and as a result I was the only bidder! I paired it with a lampshade by Orla Kiely.

 What is the rest of your house like?

I live in a one-bedroom, top-floor flat on the Dulwich Estate in south-east London, designed by the architect-builders Wates in1963. When I first saw it I was blown away by the amount of natural light up there (it has huge aluminium-framed windows on every wall) and the generous room dimensions – there are no pokey corners or empty nooks for knick-knacks here! I think this is true of most 1960s architect-designed homes. Having lived in a good few Victorian terraces and Edwardian conversion flats previously, I would find it hard to go back there now.

Do you have a view from your desk?

I can see a great deal of sky from my desk – there are panoramic views in two directions, which I find incredibly uplifting. I look out over the London city skyline – from west of the Wembley stadium arch to The Gherkin and The Shard. On a clear day, you can just about make out the Chilterns on the skyline – it’s truly awesome. In summer, the room can feel wonderfully isolated, with the treetops of Dulwich Woods standing directly below creating a sea of green far above the ground.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m working on issue 03 of the magazine – there’s some great material in the pipeline and beginning a new issue is always an exciting time.

Thanks Tabitha.

You can find Midcentury magazine at various independent shops including Tate bookshop, Selfridges and SCP or subscribe here.