Prague stationery store and paper workshop Papelote is the result of graduate thesis work done by graphic designer Kateřina Šachová during her time at the city's Academy of Arts Architecture and Design. Šachová is serious about paper; she explains that Papelote is "where paper is not a simple base for writing, but a material full of flavor, scent, sound, and color."
Šachová, along with husband, Filip Šach, and friend Denisa Havrdová, were looking to revive the Czech Republic's lagging stationery market by improving the quality of existing products and also keeping responsible manufacturing top of mind. After building a small collection of their own paper goods made within the country, the trio enlisted A1 Architects to help design a store, which they opened in the summer of 2010. For more information, visit Papelote.
Photographs courtesy of Papelote (unless otherwise noted).
Above: The store is housed in an old residential building where the walls were scraped to reveal layers of colored plaster. Removed carpets uncovered a lucky discovery: herringbone oak wood floors that were then polished and waxed.
Above: Referencing old schoolhouses, A1 Architects designed an entire wall as an oversized bulletin board using a grid of metal pins and paper clips. Photograph via A1 Architects.
Above: The board now functions as a small exhibition space on constant rotation. Photograph via A1 Architects.
Above: Strings of paper stars from an origami workshop held at Papelote.
Above: Echoing the schoolhouse feel, a large rectangular blackboard hangs on the back wall. Overhead are nine milk glass globe lights that cast a warm glow.
Above: A customized stationery workshop in progress.
Above: All of Papelote products are made in the Czech Republic from environmentally-friendly or recycled materials. Shown here are Czech Centres, Papelote's version of the standard envelope used by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These are Tyvek, a material combining paper, foil, and fabric that is 100-percent recyclable.
Above: A series of open and closed plywood boxes form a shelving system behind the sales counter. In the foreground, plywood tables on wheels allow the owners to easily rearrange the store for events and workshops. Photograph via A1 Architects.
Location of Papelote in Prague:
For another stationery shop we love, see our previous post Present & Correct: Now Present in London, and check out other design destinations in Eastern Europe in our City Guides section.