r.s.v.p. card* + glassine envelopes
It might be a bit of an exaggeration to say I visited Berlin specifically to check out R.S.V.P., but not by much. Owner Meike Wander’s stationery shop, located on a quiet street in the hip Mitte neighborhood, is tiny but filled with a meticulously edited and artfully presented selection of products you will not readily find in the US, but will soon find yourself unable to live without. This trip, I happily discovered Berlin’s own Wednesday Paper Works line, chock-full of minimal goodness. I’ve also long been an advocate for Ohto’s “Japan” clips and gachuck power clipper, as they’re not just gorgeous from a design perspective but fantastic clips, too.
Have a browse through R.S.V.P.’s webstore to see what you’re missing. Good luck resisting temptation: a flight to Berlin (or some e-shopping) may be in order.
signage
artful display of products
office supplies, framed
brilliant slogan
what i bought**
* business card and ** stork illustrations by elisabeth von treskow, who founded r.s.v.p. in 2001 (the shop was sold to meike wander in 2004)
a few more pictures from r.s.v.p. are posted at my flickr berlin set
My buddy starts high school today, and although my input on his school supplies is limited (the list is very specific), I can’t help but pick up a few new items for my personal stash when August rolls around. A few of my finds for 2012 are:
- Cheese + Skins Stickies ruled vellum stickies are an elegant way to mark magazine pages with notes.
- russell + hazel Field Book multi-purpose grid pages + a glassine envelope for storing the inevitable acquisition of ephemera.
- Astier de Villatte mechanical pencil + scented eraser très luxe + three scent options for the eraser.
- Monocle Shop’s Preco pen I’m partial to rollerballs and Preco’s simple design for Monocle appeals.
- Seeso Graphics’ Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Times an excellent way to visually organize your life: monthly for at-a-glance, weekly for family planning/posting, and daily to tuck into your tote on those extra-busy days.
- Muji EVA zip pouches if you only knew how many of these nifty pouches I own. I can’t seem to leave a Muji store without one. The B6 size is my favorite as it’s the perfect size to store souvenirs while on vacation (business cards, receipts, etc.). My buddy chose one for his pen/pencil pouch.
Happy New (School) Year!
image credits: 1./thehach.com (a fantastic design/paper store in vancouver, bc) 2./russellandhazel.com 3./luckymag.com 4./monocle.com 5./seeso graphics’ facebook page 6./muji.us
layout and type by jane potrykus
“big” apartment*
Traveling to Berlin and want the comforts of home? Soho House Berlin‘s new apartments would make an ideal base of operations. I recently stayed two nights in a one-bedroom apartment thanks to an unexpected-but-welcome upgrade at check-in. My family and I were wowed by the space: the living areas were elegantly decorated and accessorized, but at the same time felt airy, modern, and comfortable. As Berlin was our first stop, it was nice to have such a welcoming space to help us quickly recover from jet lag and get the most out of our days in Germany. Our first night in Berlin, we kicked back, sipped cocktails, and played a spirited, and timed, game of Monopoly. (Obviously, Monopoly was not my idea, but the cocktails helped.)
Each apartment features a fully-equipped kitchen (complete with washer/dryer), a king-sized bed, and a bathroom stocked with a full range of Cowshed products. In addition, the Soho House Berlin property has a rooftop pool, Club Floor restaurant and Cowshed Spa should you desire additional pampering. I’d return in a heartbeat.
“studio” apartment*
bedroom from our apartment
a peek at our bathroom
room key
cowshed spa*
*photos courtesy of soho house; others by jane potrykus
New York City’s Spruce specializes in elegantly simple floral arrangements. Launched with a declared “New England Garden” aesthetic, florist/owner Gaige Clark has an amazing eye (and a clientele list to die for). I’m loving the roses submerged in water, pictured above. The roses, held in place by rocks, last for a week, and in my book, that’s a week of Zen happiness. You can see more at the Spruce website, or better yet, if you’re in NYC’s Chelsea neighborhood, stop in.
“nantucket” arrangement
images courtesy of spruce
Happy August again! I’ve just returned from nine days in Berlin, Stockholm, and Copenhagen, and am digging out from laundry, mail, and 500+ photos. We walked all day each day so we could fit in as much as possible. A highlight in Berlin was meeting (finally!) and spending an afternoon with Chelsea Fuss, of {frolic!}, who is even sweeter than I’d imagined.
I’ll be featuring bits and bobs from our travels here and at Instagram/Flickr/Twitter, but until then, please enjoy a smattering of my favorite Flickr photos from July:
- Plums
- july 27.
- 365 days of 39:242
- Tall Ship Moon
- Tomato Tarts & Panzanella Salad
- a foggy summer morning
- week one hundred & sixty six
photo taken at stockholm’s rosendals trädgård by jane potrykus
