So many of us work from home now, and we want the room we spend most of our weekdays in to reflect our personal style. Plus, even if you commute into the office or don’t have a desk job, it’s still nice to have a dedicated spot at home where you set up your computer and do focused online project work in comfort.
In this article, we’re inviting you to reimagine and refresh that very personal, very important room where most of your digital creations come to fruition. If you love aviation like we do, you’re in for a treat because we will be sharing the very best ways – both large and unexpected – to create a pilot-themed office space you’ll love spending time in.
Ready? Let the planning begin.
Aviation Themed Home Office Décor
The easiest place to start creating your perfect aviator office is with collectible pilot artwork. Place your favorite aircraft models on your built-in shelves or a bookcase. Then fill in empty wall space with a piece of mixed media art or a retro aviation sign. Mix in certificates and awards for a well-balanced, curated collection feel.
Aviation Bookshelf
Books serve double duty as pilot resources and themed décor. Place the must-have aviation books on your office bookshelves, then frame the collection with a classic set of vintage biplane bookends.
Pilot Paperweights
Granted, we all have far fewer pieces of paper floating around our desks than we did thirty years ago. Still, there’s something very satisfying about placing a decorative-yet-functional paperweight atop the stack of memos.
We like the visual reminder that “Flying is Freedom,” emblazoned on both this crystal logo cube and this standing disk paperweight.
Aviation Themed Office Supplies
Even the paperwork on your desk gets an aviation spin with the unexpected whimsical touch of airplane paperclips. Sending multi-page documents or packing slips to aviation-industry contacts? Slide one of these little clips on top to spark joy and make a lasting impression for your attention to detail.
Looking for another fun little pilot office accessory? We all use sticky notes, but do your average stickies remind you to power through your work week because a weekend flight awaits? Didn’t think so. That’s why it’s time to gift yourself (or your office friend) a mid-week dose of pilot inspiration courtesy of a Flying is Freedom Thumbs-Up sticky book.
Greeting Cards for Pilots
Stock your desk drawer with a set of colorful, aviation-inspired greeting cards. They’re perfect for jotting down a quick thank you note after a meeting or sending a just-because “thinking of you” letter to a friend.
Brighten your recipient’s day with an artwork-like quilled floatplane design or an uplifting quilled hot air balloon scene.
Writing to a military member or veteran? Honor their service with an American Heroes patriotic themed card printed with black service member silhouettes on top of a waving U.S. flag.
Pilot Pens
Yes, you can go out and buy a box of perfectly acceptable generic pens, but why do that when you have access to amazing aviation-themed alternatives?
If you’re fed up with pens that must be held at a certain angle or that stop writing when they run into a little bit of coffee or a dab of French fry grease on the paper (no judgement), it is time to grab yourself the Fisher Space Pen (with bonus capacitive stylus).
No more exploded or frozen ink. Leave it in your car in below zero weather – no problem; it will still write. Same thing if you forget it outside on even the most blazingly hot days. If it works for astronauts, it will work for the rest of us.
Instead of keeping four different pins in your drawer, combine black, blue, red, and green into one compact torpedo-shaped 4 color pen.
Two of our absolute favorite pens (both for ourselves and for gift-giving) are the Retro51 tornado vintage Metalsmith rollerballs.
The P-51 Mustang pen body is stylized with the classic livery that all military aircraft buffs will instantly recognize and the P-47 Thunderbolt pen is equally distinctive with its signature nose art and military green paint.
Need to run out to a quick in-person, off-site meeting? Grab your PilotMall.com hard cover journal and pen set on your way out the door. This compact journal is perfect for jotting down important notes and ideas and the elastic pen holder ensures you’ll always have something to write with.
Airplane (and Helicopter) Deck Clocks
Instead of reaching for your cell phone, make quick mid-day time checks just a little more fun (and less distracting) with a statement aviation desk clock that doubles as a creative work of art.
High wing, low wing, bi-plane, helicopter – we have them all, and in a rainbow of colors, so you’re sure to find one that fits your style and office aesthetics.
If you’re a Citizen watch wearer who also loves the Blue Angels, stop scrolling and check out the visually stunning Blue Angels tabletop Citizen clock. It is perfection.
Ready to browse the other fun options? Pick out your perfect desk timepiece from the list below:
- Black Biplane Desk Clock
- White and Red Biplane Desk Clock
- Silver Biplane Desk Clock
- Black Airplane Alarm Clock
- Red High Wing Desk Clock
- Black and White Gee Bee Desk Clock
- Orange and Silver Gee Bee Desk Clock
- Blue High Wing Desk Clock
- Silver Helicopter Desk Clock
- Blue Helicopter Desk Clock
Aviation-Themed Wall Clocks
Augment your desk clock with a full-size mounted wall clock that ties in with your pilot décor theme.
For an elevated, sophisticated aesthetic, we love the silver-tone hygrometer-thermometer CITIZEN wall clock. Not only does the face of this clock resemble that of a chronograph watch, but it also measures temperature and humidity in addition to telling time.
Is your office set-up less corporate professional and a little more casual retro? If you’re able to be a bit more playful with your décor, bring aviation past to life with one of the Vintage Sign Company’s retro pinup girl bombshell and historic plane designs.
The hardest part is choosing between the:
- P51 Big Beautiful Doll (as flown by Flying Ace John Dave Landers)
- Memphis Belle (the Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress from WWII)
- American Beauties (with the Grumman F6F Hellcat)
- Need a Lift (with the A-7 Corsair II from the Vietnam and Gulf Wars)
- P40 Warhawk
- A Beautiful View (with the Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boat from WWII)
- Bombs Away (with the B-25J Mitchell)
Pilot Home Office Minibar
First, a disclaimer: we realize not everyone can (or should) have decanters of whiskey, bourbon, or cognac within easy reach at their home office minibar. Still, it can be a very nice touch to offer a dram of whiskey, a snifter of cognac, or a glass of wine to your guests.
If you’re going to set up an in-office drink station, carry on the aviation theme with a contemporary etched glass Flying is Freedom carafe and glasses set or a classically elegant wooden airplane and global etched glass decanter and glass set.
Keeping a bottle of wine on short final? Set you and your guests up for a perfect landing with a stained wood Chinook helicopter wine bottle holder. We all know Chinooks can carry heavy loads, so it’s no surprise that this conversation-starting chopper can stow an entire bottle of wine in its cargo bay while balancing four wine glasses (not included) on its back rotor.
The Chinook isn’t the only helicopter making a wine run. If the green stained look of the Chinook doesn’t match your décor, try a neutral wood tone of our single rotor chopper that still manages to carry the same loadout of a bottle of wine and four glasses.
After pouring everyone their beverages of choice, protect the finish of your wood desk by smoothly supplying your guests with a classy metal instrument gauge coaster or a fun travel themed ceramic coaster to rest their glass on.
It’s your turn
What does your home (or corporate) pilot-themed office look like? Let us know in the comments below and share a photo on Instagram (@pilotmall).
Still spending your days slogging through work in a bland, boring cubicle? Check out our full aviation themed office collection for easy inspiration.
