BLOG - antique books

Georgia and I are complete book fanatics. From books on art to antique patterns and those out of print treasures, I rate my obsession with gorgeous books right up there with my obsession with smart and functional furniture.  This can be a very expensive and space consuming interest (which explains our Bibliophile's Dining Table and Collector's Coffee Table) which is why I am currently on a book buying hiatus until I go through my collection and sort out what I have and how I can fill in the holes.  In the meantime I still love visiting antique book shops such as Argosy on the Upper East Side and Bauman Rare Books on Madison in the 50s.  On my most recent trip to Argosy, I started browsing the racks of $3 and $10 loose pages from old books as well as their extensive collection of marbleized papers (the best ones are upstairs, so make sure you ask to see those!)

As part of our ongoing product development, I am constantly looking at things, old and new, and thinking of ways to incorporate them into our line.  We have always wanted to make paper goods and notebooks so I thought I would try covering some standard paper bound moleskin notebooks with some of the papers I found at Argosy.  I tried out a few different adhesives and sealants and settled on Hodge Podge.  I like that it left a satin finish and dried quickly.  Below are the images and a few instructions. 

A COLLECTION OF NOTEBOOKS THAT I COVERED IN ANTIQUE MARBLE PAPERS THE SECOND ONE FROM THE LEFT IS COVERED IN ONE OF OUR OWN FABRICS.

FOR THIS BOOK I USED THREE DIFFERENT PAPERS ON THE FRONT, BACK AND BINDING. I LOVE THE CONTRAST OF PATTERNS AND COLORS.

BE PREPARED FOR A MESS....ABOVE ARE ALL THE TOOLS I USED TO CREATE THESE NOTEBOOKS YOU WILL NEED MODGE PODGE OR ANOTHER SEALANT AS WELL AS SCISSORS, SPONGE BRUSHES AND YOUR FAVORITE COLLECTION OF PAPERS, AND SCRAPS.

While at Argosy I also found the below loose lithograph of JS Bach, the famous classical musician.  I knew that my father would appreciate this find (at only $3!!) so I grab it and mounted it on one of the sheets of marbleized papers. For less than $6 I was able to give him a beautifully mounted historical image of one of his favorite musicians.  All that needs to be done is framing.  I can't wait to make a series of these for the powder room in our new home. It is a beautiful and economical approach to art and decor.