<papelote>paper</papelote>

In the spring of 2010, Kateřina Šachová, Denisa Havrdová, and Filip Šach approached us to help create an original interior for the new Czech stationery store papelote. The stationery shop is connected to a small workshop where authorial and handmade notebooks, notepads, pencil cases, wrapping papers, and other clever ideas are created.

The papelote product range is primarily about the material, as suggested by the papelote motto "paper in body and soul." Whether it's recycled paper, cardboard, or pencil cases made from colorful felt, all the materials used for production are natural. Therefore, the unifying element of the entire interior for us became mainly the material. The main idea of the design lies in the recycling of original surfaces, which we decided to uncover in the old building. By scraping the walls, we revealed colorful layers of plaster that unveiled the house's memory, and on the floor, we discovered beautiful oak parquet hidden under the carpet, which was subsequently sanded and waxed. Associated with stationery, we often recall memories from our school years, so we designed an entire wall as a large bulletin board made from a grid of hanging paper clips (approximately 180 pieces). This is a way to display products playfully and interactively depending on the current offering, but equally, the wall also opens up for occasional small exhibitions. On the opposite wall of the store is a blackboard that brings a second variable layer into the room, inspired by school years – it serves very well for conducting "paper" workshops for children and adults.

The original space available in Vojtěšská Street in Prague is divided into two parts – one room with a storefront facing the street and the other opening into the courtyard. We vaulted the sales room with a low paper barrel vault featuring the texture of one of papelote's wrapping papers. The main focal wall opposite the entrance is equipped with simple wooden boxes made from natural plywood, from which two large custom-made mobile tables are also constructed in the space. The sliding tables with large wheels allow the interior to be easily rearranged according to current needs – for retail, workshops, exhibitions, etc. The entire shop interior is illuminated by nine milk glass spheres hovering overhead.

The second room facing the courtyard is dedicated to a workshop equipped with paper processing machines and also serves as storage for materials and finished products, including a small kitchenette. Work that does not create noise takes place directly at one of the tables in the shop, so when visiting papelote, you have the opportunity to purchase, but also to see firsthand the production of some of the paper blocks, envelopes, or other original pieces from papelote.