Around 6 years ago I discovered the Takeo Paper Show (via the internet) and have been following it ever since. It is held once a year and each year brings with it a new theme. Designers are invited to create paper products based on that years theme, using an extensive range of papers from the Takeo paper collection, which happens to be quite extensive btw, with more than 9400 papers on offer. Wow! The show provides a great opportunity for designers to experiment and explore the many possibilities paper has to offer. The results are always impressive.

Just quickly, Takeo is a paper trading company that represents around 370 brands of paper. It has been around for a very long time, since 1899 in fact and its contribution to the development of paper over these years, has not only been considerable but recognised and rewarded too. It’s a leader in utilising the latest paper-making technologies with a strong commitment to reducing impact on the environment, via their own range of Green Aid (GA), environmentally friendly paper products.

Takeo has two showrooms in Tokyo, and the one I’m sharing with you was designed by Masaaki Hiromura from Hiromura Design in Tokyo. Have you worked out where all the paper is kept yet? Yes that’s right, in the walls! These walls are actually hundreds of drawers filled with paper. Simply write down the codes of the papers you’d like, hand it over to the staff and they will go and pick the papers for you. I would be in heaven working here! There is such an amazing variety of papers in different colours, textures and weights. I’ve never seen such a selection before!

As I buy my papers I notice a steady stream of designers coming in and out, picking up samples to show their clients. I wondered if they realised how lucky they were to have such an invaluable resource like this? With a huge selection of papers made especially for printing on offer, this truly is a designers ‘one stop shop’ for sourcing the perfect paper stock for that next important project.

I brought these samples home with me because I love their texture and design. I think next time I go back, I might stock up on some of my favourites. They are not at all expensive and come in A4 size for easy packing. Even the paper pocket they came in is really nice!

Masaaki Hiromura has an amazing portfolio of work btw. You should take a look. Here is another paper space he has designed that’s just as impressive as Takeo’s!

Takeo is open Mon-Fri from 10am – 7pm. Click here for showroom details.

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