Today, almost everyone is inseparable from digital gadgets, typing our most important tasks onto soulless touch screens. Paper-based notes are quite different, however; it is not just about being impervious to losing “half of our life” with a seemingly harmless software update – writing in a stylish notebook with a real pen or pencil is a special experience in and of itself. So draw, take notes, write a diary, or start a planner using one of these distinctive notebooks made by independent artisans in Budapest, ready for all of your creative needs.
We discovered this brand back before the Christmas shopping spree, when we immediately pounced on their unique postcards. Judit Szolnoki-Szendrődi has since expanded her range of products, and recently launched a complete spring collection of notebooks. The covers entice us with appealing pastel colors like pale pink and green, and also feature new graphics evocative of small gardens, making crafts, and forest walks. In addition to nice 48-page mini notebooks, Malinovka also offers a sketchbook that is a real delight to draw in with pencils, fountain pens, or even felt-tips.
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Available at: Fian Koncept, Flatlab, Insitu, Két Egér Bookstore, Ludwig Museum Shop, Mono art & design
Price: small notebook: 700-1,000 HUF; 3-pack: 1,800-2,000 HUF; sketchbook (only available at Mono art & design): 5,000 HUF
The joint brand of two designers, Kriszti Balla and Lilla Oszvald, is difficult to categorize, since they work in various mediums. Their products include concrete jewelry, home-décor items, and screen-printed notebooks as well, which are connected by unique visuals. Their newest collection is named Bodycon, the notebooks of this line are decorated by webs, line systems, nodes, and intersections, giving an overall picture as complex as the invisible network of relations that interlace our everyday lives.
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Available at: The 9 Design Studio, Printa, Zerka (in Győr)
Price: A5 notebook, 2-pack: 2,400 HUF; A6 notebook, 2-pack: 1,800 HUF
“Actually, I noticed the lack of aesthetic notebooks made from high-quality materials on the domestic market after I filled a great Italian notebook and started searching for a new one,” wrote the founder of Noto. The products of this creative entrepreneur are not only uniquely designed, but also made from carefully selected recycled paper in a small workshop. Their colors are flat yet characteristic, and the covers are dominated by either typography or drawings. The work often starts with visual sketches, while at other times, the notebooks are inspired by works of contemporary font designers and simple patterns.
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Available at: Insitu, Írók Boltja, Két Egér Bookstore, Kunsthalle Art Box, Printa, Rododendron
Price: 2,600-5,000 HUF
Officially, Janka Arnóczy is a fashion designer, but she started collaborating with a print shop during her studies. Since she is a huge notebook fan as well, her paper-related work did not end once she finished school. Today, she makes small notebooks, planners, and spiral-bound notepads under her own brand name, naturally decorated by her own patterns. The covers usually result from long hours of scribbling and sketching. For example, her latest pieces were inspired by an exotic trip, and the vibrant colors and patterns she saw during this journey.
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Available at: Open Showroom
Price: 3,800-5,000 HUF
Graphic designer Péter Mészáros processes various themes on his notebooks. In addition to his characteristic team of mustachioed figures (the Mustache Guards), he is also a fan of drawing old buildings and vehicles; last summer, he began a series called Mohapest, which he used to commemorate the eclectic buildings of Budapest. He hopes to feature all of the city’s exciting buildings on his covers – sooner or later. He likes to paint on the pages of old books and magazines, but also enjoys digital coloring after scanning. The notebook of MOHA fits in a pocket and is an environmentally friendly product, available by itself or in a gift package with a pen.
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Available at: Könyvtársaság, Colorbar, Insitu, Két Egér Bookstore, Magma, Pro Forma, Szimpla Design Shop
Price: from 800 HUF
Lonely matrons, two-headed twins, acrobats, and funny dogs line up on the wry, sometimes slightly surreal paper products of Deluxe Dollz. The notebooks are actually imprints of an unusual friendship between theatrical circus performer Kovács Eszter (who makes the drawings) and Nedda Négyessy, who works as a painter-designer. Their first collection features the residents of “Dark Hearts Hostel” (“Sötét Szívek Szálló”), who are strange but lovable creatures. Their latest collection will come out soon, with similarly unique characters.
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Available at: Artushka, Fian Koncept, Simon's Gallery, XD Design & Souvenir, Vintage & Art, Zöldbazár, WAMP design fair
Price: notebook: 500-1,700 HUF; spiral-bound notebook: 1,100-2,300 HUF; hardcover spiral-bound notebook: 2,000-4,000 HUF; planner – small: 2,900 HUF, large: 3,900 HUF
