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My partner and I are moving in together and looking for a wall calendar to use as a shared calendar/to-do list/etc. He suggested a dry-erase calendar and while I love the idea of an ecofriendly, reusable option, I don’t want our apartment to feel like an office. Wondering if you have any suggestions that offer a little more form with function.
My unscientific observation is that the continuing popularity of bullet journaling and all things productivity has begat a whole cottage industry of design-y products in this category, including stylish wall calendars that are not only good-looking but also practical. (I should know, as a self-proclaimed stationery obsessive.) This aestheticization has extended to dry-erase options as well. While I love a classic At-a-Glance wall situation, I agree that it’s definitely corporate. But there are plenty of plain, minimalist options out there that I’ve compiled for you below — some even customizable. And if you prefer paper calendars, that opens up an even vaster universe of possibilities. One note: It’s a little early for 2024 calendars if you’re looking for dated ones (or not), so check back in a couple of months for more options. (For example, this (undated) task calendar from Appointed looks great, but it’s sadly out of stock at the moment.)
Dry-erase wall calendars
Acrylic calendars — essentially clear slabs you can write on — are the aesthetic answer to traditional whiteboard calendars, but they tend to be on the more expensive side. This one from Target is actually made of glass and is half the price of acrylic ones, as you’ll see below. It comes with a marker, gold accents, and mounting hardware, and disappears into the background.
If the glass calendar feels a little too ghostly, consider this framed whiteboard option from Pottery Barn that doesn’t look like it belongs over a desk. Framed in a brass- or black-finished metal, it reminds me of those unassuming round wall mirrors you see everywhere. I like this one of the best because it looks clean and hefty. Available in a weekly (vertical) or monthly format (horizontal) that you fill in yourself, it’s also magnetic.
I’m including these two inexpensive options, even though they’re admittedly a little more utilitarian — but no less functional. This plain, reusable, undated At-a-Glance wall calendar that you simply stick on the wall doesn’t have shading or lines typical of the brand’s planners, which to me makes it a bit more home-friendly.
If you want something that’s rigid, here’s a straightforward calendar that’s not too large and not too office-y if you go with the light border. It comes with markers, magnets, and an eraser, and is also reversible — the backside is blank for free-style note-making.
If you’re afraid of glass shattering on the floor, opt for an acrylic calendar like this one from Russell and Hazel that’s one of the cheaper ones I found. (For whatever reason, a lot of the acrylic calendars I came across were over $100.) It’s slightly bigger than the Target pick at 24 inches square.
For slightly more money, you can even customize your own acrylic wall calendar from Artifact Uprising, which makes some of our favorite photo albums. You can choose from portrait or landscape orientation (26 by 15.5 inches); black, silver, or brass hardware; and your choice of title in any font. You simply circle the month in question and write in the dates.
Paper wall calendars
As I said before, you can’t go wrong with a trusty At-a-Glance paper wall calendar, but it’s not necessarily the most inspiring thing to look at. Schoolhouse makes a couple of options that are streamlined and spacious enough for you to keep track of your appointments and decorate as you please. This monthly one has an easy-to-mount wire loop and perforated pages.
To keep track of your entire year in one space, Schoolhouse makes a “Big Picture” poster calendar with color-coded weekends. At the end of the year, you can flip it over to find a display-worthy image of iconic Schoolhouse designs. There’s not much room for weekly tasks, but I imagine it’s useful for marking vacations, holidays, and other long-term happenings. For students, check out the academic version that goes from August to August.
I love this rainbow wall planner from Poketo that has a different colored page for each month. It’s poster-size (it measures approximately 30 by 21 inches) and open-dated so there’s plenty of room for writing in all of your to-dos and engagements. It’s available in “vibrant,” “earthy,” and gray color schemes. You can also display each month side by side for a massive long-term view of your year. Pair it with the brand’s acrylic poster hanger for easy mounting.
If the above is too big, Poketo makes a mini version (approximately 12 by eight inches) as well that’s more like a standard calendar.
This is the wall calendar I used in college, but more as an art poster than an actual task manager. It’s huge (36 by 48 inches) and graphic and was designed by Massimo Vignelli in 1966, so it’s definitely a statement piece, but the benefit of its large format is that you could use Post-its (or other sticky notepad) over the dates and move things around as needed.
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