Papeterie

Stationery is a blend of storage and display. Books and magazines don’t disappear from view; instead, a small selection is given a place in the room.

The slanted back keeps books and magazines in place, while the ribbed bottom prevents them from sliding away. That ribbed texture also provides space for smaller items such as pens, keys, or remote controls.

You can use Papeterie in various places around the house: directly on the floor next to a sofa or lounge chair, on a cabinet, shelf, or side table, but also, for example, in the kitchen for cookbooks you like to keep close at hand. That way, Papeterie always finds a place right where you need it

Looking for larger quantities or to use this product in a project? Ask for a free quotation here. On our download page, you can find 3d models, high-res images, and other product information.

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Vij5
steps
from
Papeterie

Transparency of the production chain comes naturally to us.

For us, that doesn't just mean giving information about where something has been produced. Our chain starts much earlier: with the designer of the product!

We'll tell you the whole story. Click on the buttons to discover the different steps:

Papeterie was designed b by , Fynn Freyschmidt, and Lisa Keller, who work together under the name KellerFreyschmidt. They are based in Viersen, Germany, where they run their joint design practice from home. In addition, Lisa works as a design instructor, and Fynn also takes on projects for other clients.

Their approach to Design is deeply intertwined with everyday life. Ideas often arise from something they see around them or something they need themselves. They create prototypes, test them at home, and then develop a design step by step. In doing so, they believe it’s important that a product doesn’t dictate everything to the user, but rather leaves room for the user to find their own way of using it.

Many of those principles come together in Papeterie. Fynn and Lisa noticed that books and magazines often naturally accumulate in the places where you actually use them: next to the couch, by a chair, on the table, or in the kitchen. That observation sparked the idea for Papeterie: instead of constantly tidying those piles away into a fixed bookshelf, they set out to find a simple way to organize them right where they are and keep them visible.

In doing so, Fynn and Lisa deliberately explored what was required, at a minimum, to fulfill that function effectively, without specifying where the product should be placed or exactly how it should be used. As a result, the design doesn’t fit easily into any single existing product category. It is neither a bookshelf nor a traditional magazine rack, but rather a freestanding object that provides a place for a small selection of books and magazines right where you use them.

It is precisely this unique quality that makes Papeterie an interesting addition to an interior. It brings order, but at the same time, as a standalone object, it can add something to a space.

Tip:Takea look inside Fynn & Lisa’s home and learn more about their design philosophy in our Designer Interview on the blog page

“Aspace always needs a few objects that tell their own story, that are just a little different from the rest.”

Fynn Freyschmidt

KellerFreyschmidt

Papeterie has been part of the “ Vij5 ” collection since 2026. Our collaboration with Fynn and Lisa began earlier with the product “Chaku.” During a visit to their home in Germany, they intentionally showed us a number of new “ Design ” and ideas they were working on themselves. Papeterie was one of them.

The design fit in quite naturally among their own belongings. That’s exactly what appealed to us: it didn’t feel like a contrived product that still needed to be given a function, but rather like an object that had emerged from everyday use and had already found its place there.

Another thing that drew us to Papeterie was that it’s not a product you’d naturally go looking for. We see this in several items within the Vij5 collection: Design —things you might not have realized you needed beforehand. You don’t immediately think you need an object to organize a small selection of books and magazines, but as soon as you see Papeterie, you can instantly imagine how and where you’d use this product. It serves a practical purpose, but at the same time, as an object, it also adds something to the space.

“Stationeryis one of those products you didn’t know you needed. You see it and think, ‘I want this’—even though you weren’t looking for it at all.”

Anieke Branderhorst

It’s precisely those products that propose a new way of looking at or using them that sometimes require a little more context. That’s why, in our view, stationery fits so well into the “ Vij5 ” collection. The design is unique and a bit unexpected, without becoming “ Wrapped .” This is also where we, as a publisher, play a role: not to adapt a design into something generic or recognizable, but to preserve its original character as much as possible and then highlight why it’s special, how it can be used, and what idea lies at its core.

When we first saw Papeterie, the prototype’s basic concept was already working. The slanted angle, the ribbed bottom, and the way the books rest against the back all came together to form a compelling whole. The next step, therefore, was to refine it.

Together, we examined the proportions, the material thickness, and—above all—the shape and size of the ridges. These needed to provide enough grip to keep books and magazines in place, while at the same time being subtle enough to allow items of various thicknesses and sizes to stand securely. In the initial prototypes, the grooves were even coarser; as development progressed, they became increasingly refined.

An important detail emerged at the outer edges. Instead of letting the ridges end abruptly there, the edges were rounded off, causing the pattern to fade gradually from the surface. It may seem like a small detail, but it is precisely this that gives Papeterie its calm and natural look.

“I find themoment when the ridges slowly fade into the rounded edge almost magical. That detail is what makes the design truly special.”

Fynn Freyschmidt

The color also demanded attention. With lighter, more transparent finishes, the wood grain remained highly visible, causing it to compete too much with the form and making the product appear less refined. That’s why we began searching for colors with greater opacity, which lend the design a sense of calm and allow the form to speak for itself. The wood’s texture and grain remain subtly visible.

During development, we all contributed ideas for possible changes. Because we were working directly with models and the milling machine, we were able to immediately Translate those ideas into a new version.

Fynn also visited our workshop for that purpose. by By working together at the machine, we were able to switch gears even faster: discuss a detail, try it out right away, and then use the actual product to see if it worked. This created a direct back-and-forth between conceiving, making, testing, and readjusting. That made the development process very tangible.

This way of working suits both KellerFreyschmidt and Vij5 well: by By working together—observing, creating, and trying again—the final product took shape.

Stationery may seem simple in design, but it is precisely that simplicity that demands precision. The angle of the back, the proportions of the parts, and the spacing and depth of the ridges all work together to determine how the product functions.

Our stationery is made entirely in our own workshop in Den Bosch. We use solid ash wood, which we shape using various milling machines and then finish by hand.

The base plate is given its ribbed texture on the CNC milling machine. The grooves are slowly milled out of the wood, layer by layer, to ensure that the pattern is precise and uniform. The outer edges are then rounded off on a different milling machine. The back plate is also custom-made in our workshop.

Next, all the pieces are thoroughly sanded, glued, and finished with colored linseed oil. The oil protects the wood and gives the surface a matte finish, while the wood grain remains subtly visible.

Stationery is available in black and dove blue [and possibly brick red] as standard. Other colors are also available for an additional charge. Please feel free to contact us for more information.

Because we handle the entire manufacturing process ourselves, we remain closely involved with the product and can effectively monitor quality at every step.

“Youcan’t view a product in isolation from the way it’s made. Production is part of the design.”

Lisa Keller

In the material passport you can find where and by whom the different parts of this product are made.

Would you like to see this product in real life?

Visit our showroom in Den Bosch or stop by one of our ambassadors or other retail partners. We do recommend checking in advance whether they currently have this item on display, as not every location carries the full collection.

In need of larger quantities or considering it for a project?

Please contact Arjan and request a quotation here.

Vij5 webshop

All Vij5 products can of course also be ordered directly from our own webshop:

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We work from an easily accessible industrial hall (2 minutes from the A2) near the residential boulevard of Den Bosch. Most products can be seen here, but at the moment the showroom is in use for another large project. So please get in touch and especially let us know what you'd like to see, and we'll see what's possible!

You can make an appointment by email or phone.

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A Vij5 Ambassador is, just like us, a great fan of the Vij5 collection. It is more than just a point of sale — it is a store that knows our products that little bit better. There is always someone available who can tell you all about the Vij5 collection.

Vij5 Ambassadors are specialists in, for example, our lighting, furniture and/or accessories, and are happy to advise you. A beautiful selection of products from our collection is available in their stores. If a particular item is not in stock, a Vij5 Ambassador can always order it for you.