Stationery shops are not what they used to be—they’ve become designer shops and luxury paper boutiques in their own right. More than the go-to for back-to-school bargains and craft-obsessed moms, designer stationery boutiques offer a wealth of inspiration. From minimal Japanese notebooks to letterpress greeting cards, here are some wonderful designer stationery shops around the world, from Los Angeles to Berlin.
Luiban
Berlin, Germany
This museum-esque luxury paper boutique is a cabinet of curiosities. They carry all sorts of fantastic stationery and stock their shelves with a wide range of independent German design, from designer pens to stationery and desk accessories, as well as artisan notebooks and calendars. A few items include sealing wax from the German city of Bern and cute notebooks by the Berlin-based Wednesday Paper. Some of their international brands include brass shelving by Denmark’s Ferm Living, leather wallets from Postalco in Japan and notebooks by Paperways from South Korea. They also have letterpress cards and Kaweco pens, as well as a handmade, blue leather traveler’s notebook made from vegetable-tanned leather.
Greenwich Letterpress
New York City
http://greenwichletterpress.com/
Founded in 2005 by New Jersey-born sisters Beth Salvini and Amy Swanson, this West Village shop continues the third-generation tradition in a family of letterpress printers. They carry their own exclusive letterpress stationery made at their letterpress studio, which is spearheaded by Swanson, who is the designer specializing in business cards, greeting cards and wedding invitations. This is probably one of the best places to score a really unique, handmade New York City design souvenir.
Kakimori
Tokyo
It goes without saying in the land of origami that the Japanese love paper, so you can just imagine what kind of stationery shops they have. Kakimori specializes in its own unique service where you can create your own notebook by choosing from different stocks of paper and covers to create your own journal in 15 minutes or less.
Quill
London
The home to some of London’s most stylish stationery, they have everything from San Francisco Letterpress to gift wrap from Brooklyn and neon iPad covers from Japan. A few highlights include their old school clipboards, their glitter twine and their palm tree-patterned weekly planner. Searching for a striped agenda for 2017? Look no further. Want to attend a modern calligraphy workshop? This is the place to sign up and develop your own lettering style.
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Muji
Toronto
For those who embrace the minimal life, there is Muji. This Japanese brand has been bringing everything from housewares to oddly-shaped paperclips for 35 years. Their philosophy: keeping it simple (you won’t find any big brand names here, either). Their stationery department offers a quintessentially Japanese selection, including simple recycled paper binders, Kraft envelopes and a wide variety of origami alongside a selection of Japanese board games.
Paperchase
Glasgow
This UK stationery shop has a cutting-edge variety of stylish greeting cards, designer gifts and desk accessories. With over 130 stores across Europe and the Middle East, one of their flagship stores is in Glasgow, offering a wide range of their own designer goods, and their desk accessories are super fun—from a plastic chicken stapler to rain-patterned binders, quaint writing books and dapper organizers.
Paper Source
Los Angeles
Featuring original designs from their Chicago design team, their first shop in Chicago was founded by Sue Lindstrom in 1983. Now, they have 110 stores. Staying true to their old fashioned vibe, perusing their stationery shops are like stepping back in time. They specialize in seasonal entertaining (tiki-themed summer parties, anyone?), desk accessories and day planners, as well as adult coloring books and extraordinary nautical-themed gift wrap that range from sea anchors to sharks. With green choices in mind, their paper collection—including their cards and envelopes—are made from at least 30 percent recycled paper; they also use recycled leather for their day planners and journals.
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Typography is one of the most essential and omnipresent fields today, and while Type Design is only a part of the larger typography field, it is indispensable for learning how to perceive the intricacies of typographic perception. In this course, Dr Shelley Gruendler of Typecamp, will guide you through the process of designing your own type. Learn more and register.