The short answer: three desk essentials that do daily work
The Origins desk essentials are a notebook, a notepad and a bottle. The Original Notebook (₹399) is for things you keep, the Original Notepad (₹299) is for things you tear off and finish, and the Hydra Bottle (₹499) keeps water within reach. Two are A5 writing books and one is a 750 ml bottle. All three desk essentials are plain and built to be used every day.
Origins is the house we keep for accessories and desk essentials, the things that sit beside your clothes rather than on them. Most people think of a wardrobe as what they wear. A working day is also made of what is on the table in front of you: the page you write on, the list you cross off, the water you forget to drink. This post walks through each of the desk essentials, what it is made of, and how the three fit together.
The Original Notebook: the one you keep
The Original Notebook is an A5 notebook with a 300 GSM black cover that carries the EKVAAR monogram. Inside are 120 pages of 70 GSM paper, and you can choose ruled or unruled. It costs ₹399, and the cover colour is Noor Black, the same deep black we use across the house.
A5 is a good working size. It is about the size of a half sheet of standard paper, so it slips into a tote, a backpack or a laptop sleeve without bending. It is large enough to write a full meeting page and small enough that you will actually carry it.
What the numbers mean
GSM stands for grams per square metre. It measures how heavy a material is for its size. We use it for fabric, and it works for paper and card too. A 300 GSM cover is a thick, firm board. It should hold its shape in a bag and not flop open when you write standing up. The 70 GSM pages are a common notebook weight: light enough to keep the book slim. If you write with a very wet ink, test a page first, as with any notebook.
Ruled or unruled
This is a real choice, not a small one. Ruled pages help if you write a lot of text, keep lists or want tidy lines. Unruled pages suit sketches, diagrams, mind maps and people who write at slight angles. If you are not sure, think about what you did in your last notebook. Did you draw arrows across the lines? Go unruled. Did you fill every line? Go ruled.
The Original Notepad: the one you finish
The Original Notepad is a wire-bound A5 pad with a 300 GSM white cover in the EKVAAR pattern. It has 120 pages of 70 GSM paper, again ruled or unruled, and it costs ₹299. The cover is Rui White.
The difference from the notebook is the binding. Wire binding lets a pad open flat and fold back on itself, so you can write in one hand while the pad rests on your palm or on a crowded desk. That is handy in a standing meeting, at a counter, or on a train. The white cover also makes it easy to tell apart from the black notebook when both are on the same table.
A simple way to use both
Many people carry one book and try to make it do everything. It gets messy. A cleaner split between the two paper desk essentials is this:
- Notebook: things you want to find again. Project notes, ideas, decisions, reading notes, plans for the month.
- Notepad: things that expire. Today’s list, phone numbers you will save later, quick sums, a name you need to remember for the next hour.
When the notepad fills up, you have a record of days, not of ideas, and you can let it go. The notebook stays as your archive. Keeping the two separate means you never dig through a shopping list to find a client’s requirement.
The Hydra Bottle: the one that stays on the desk
The Hydra Bottle holds 750 ml and is made of matte 304 stainless steel. It has a vertical EKVAAR engraving, a leak-proof lid and a carry strap, and it costs ₹499.
Three details are worth a closer look.
- 750 ml: that is three quarters of a litre. Two fills across a working day give you a litre and a half, which makes it easy to track how much you have had without counting glasses.
- Matte 304 stainless steel: 304 is a common grade of stainless steel used for bottles and kitchenware. A matte finish also hides fingerprints better than a shiny one.
- Leak-proof lid and carry strap: the lid is there so the bottle can lie in a bag next to your notebook without trouble. The strap lets you carry it by hand or hook it on a finger when your other hand has a laptop and a phone.
The bottle is the simplest of the desk essentials, and a small habit with a real effect. If it is in sight, you drink from it. If it is in the bag, you forget. This one is built to be looked at, with a clean engraving rather than a loud logo.
The three desk essentials together
Add up the desk essentials and you get ₹1,197 for the notebook, the notepad and the bottle. The two writing pieces alone come to ₹698, and the notebook with the bottle comes to ₹898. You can choose any combination of these desk essentials, because each piece works on its own.
| Piece | Price | Made for |
|---|---|---|
| Original Notebook | ₹399 | Notes you keep |
| Original Notepad | ₹299 | Lists you finish |
| Hydra Bottle | ₹499 | Water within reach |
Who each of the desk essentials suits
- Students and early-career people: the notebook and the bottle. They cover lectures, first jobs and long commutes.
- Managers and freelancers: the notepad for daily tasks, the notebook for client detail.
- Anyone who gifts: the desk essentials make a quiet gift for a colleague or a friend starting a new job. For more ideas, see our guide to gifts for someone who has everything.
How Origins fits with the rest of the house
EKVAAR is a House of Originals with five houses: Solids, Layers, Street, Luxe and Origins. Solids are the plain everyday clothes, Layers add small marks and embroidery, Street carries bolder graphics, Luxe is the heavier, quieter tier and Origins is the accessories. These desk essentials all belong to that last one. If you also want something to wear with the set, the same idea runs into our headwear: read how to choose between the Active Cap and the Signature Cap.
Everything in Origins, these desk essentials included, is made to order in India and made for you once you reserve it, so nothing sits in a warehouse waiting. Shipping is free across India.
Small tips for making your desk essentials last
- Keep the notebook and notepad away from open water. A bottle with a leak-proof lid is safe in a bag, but a wet counter is not kind to paper.
- Write the date at the top of every notepad page. It costs two seconds and saves guesswork later.
- Wash the bottle by hand with warm water and a little soap, and let it dry with the lid off. Follow any care note on the product page.
- Use the last page of the notebook as an index. Write page numbers next to topics as you go.
FAQs
What size is the Original Notebook?
It is an A5 notebook with 120 pages of 70 GSM paper and a 300 GSM black cover carrying the EKVAAR monogram. You can choose ruled or unruled pages on the product page.
What is the difference between the Original Notebook and the Original Notepad?
The notebook has a black 300 GSM cover with the monogram and is meant for notes you keep. The notepad is wire-bound with a white 300 GSM cover in the EKVAAR pattern, so it opens flat for quick lists. Both are A5 with 120 pages of 70 GSM paper.
How much does the Hydra Bottle hold and what is it made of?
It holds 750 ml and is made of matte 304 stainless steel. It has a vertical EKVAAR engraving, a leak-proof lid and a carry strap.
Are the desk essentials made to order?
Yes. Origins pieces are made to order in India and made for you once you reserve them. Shipping is free across India.
When you are ready, browse the full range in the EKVAAR shop.
