My two personal sized Barenia leather Atelier Philippe traveler’s notebooks arrived about a week ago. They are absolutely beautiful. One is for me and one is for a friend.

Jerome does beautiful work. He uses leather from the tannery that provides Hermés with their hides, and he stitches everything by hand.

I usually like thick, stiff, pebbly, rustic leather. This is anything but, but I love it. It is clean, smooth, minimal and totally stylish and elegant. It does not show wear though and water seems to run right off it.

I strung these myself and I always leave long strands at the ends until I put the books in and can see where the tension should be. Too tight and the spine buckles. Too loose and the inserts fall forward. As I have them in this pic is the perfect tension for me.

As they mould themselves around inserts with use, the covers naturally fall into place. In the beginning the leather forms its own shape.

These are the inserts from Yellow Paper House. Dot covers for me, with ivory tiny grid inserts, and lined covers for my friend, with ivory lined inserts.

I usually choose bright and cheerful inserts but these covers seemed to gently whisper for something understated and elegant.

Categories: Diaries and Journals, Midori and other Traveler's Notebooks, Notebooks