It’s been pretty gray and dreary in New York this week (Why is it 55° in June??), and I was yawning around my office drinking my second cup of coffee this morning when an email from Areaware popped up in my inbox and made me smile. Behold, the world’s most perfect paper clips!
Photo via Daphna Laurens
The paper clips (cleverly named “Paper Clips”) are the work of Dutch designer Daphna Laurens. They began life in concept only as part of an exercise to create 60 “imagination tools” using only the color black. Now that they’re in real-life production, they come in sets of reds, greens, and, of course, black.
Areaware has a really cool section on their website called Origin Stories, where they delve into the design process of their products through prototype illustrations and photos from their designers. I love seeing this kind of stuff! There’s a section on the beginnings of these paper clips, and I must say…I’d like a large print of one of those drawings almost as much as I’d like to stock my office with the clips themselves. Perhaps more so. Aren’t the shapes so lovely?
Photo via Daphna Laurens
Going a little deeper, I found a photo of the cast metal objects that were created by Daphna Laurens’ studio prior to their life as paper clips. A great example of how “working with form can result in functional objects with, nonetheless, a fluent visual appearance.” Yes!
12 Comments
these look like ear rings
I would LOVE them as earrings!
UH OH. I’m about to drop a lot of money on paperclips.
Should life really be any other way? Hah.
why are you posting the most useless info? please please please bring back the renovations.
1. Because what you call “useless” (in this case, the documented process of a designer’s work, from concept to prototype to realization) is really, really interesting to me. I LOVE design. I’m a designer. Design is what I think about all day long, and things like these paper clips are the reason I wanted to renovate a house in the first place. What I do in life—my entire career—is based on the desire to make something visually pleasing.
2. Renovations of what?
those really are some beautiful paper clips! i love when form meets function.
Anything that makes paperwork more beautiful deserves appreciation! On a side note – am loving those black pyramid drink rocks…
Thanks for sharing Anna. I’m a fan of light-hearted office supplies, and these fit the bill. Confession time: I have and love the Alessi Dozi in green- I bet he’d look even more handsome than usual adorned with these clips. I love him so much, though I know he might be more twee than your taste runs to. 🙂
http://www.allmodern.com/Alessi-Dozi-Paper-Clip-Holder-by-Mika-J.-H.-Kim-AMK01-AAS1057.html
Finally got a moment to come re-read this post and ogle nice shapes. These clips look seriously similar to the ones offered by Present & Correct (http://presentandcorrect.com/item.php?item_id=1793&category_id=3). I often find myself drooling over P&C’s collection (and their Instagram), but delving into the design process via Origin Stories is even more gratifying! Thank you for sharing.
You may also delight in:
Classic Brass Paperclips (http://presentandcorrect.com/item.php?item_id=1713&category_id=3)
Paperclip Index Chart (http://presentandcorrect.com/item.php?item_id=1746)
Hi Janet, I would imagine the clips at Present & Correct are indeed the same Daphna Laurens design (they are beyond similar—they’re identical), and that they have simply picked up the UK distribution of the product from Areaware.
Hi Anna,
My first tine seeing your blog, and I see you live in Newburgh. We live in New Windsor, so we are sort of neighbors.
Your house in Newburgh is beautiful. You’ve done a wonderful job renovating. It is very attractive. I am sure you will find a buyer soon.
My partner and I are preparing to sell our house too and all your woes are what we’re going through.
We’ve lived here for 35 yrs. We worked and live in the house which has a separate building as a studio, plus other outer buildings.
And yet we must leave this place which is too large for us to manage now that we’re retired and aging.
Best of luck to you. I will follow your blog…I’m starting a blog too as soon as I can get it going.