A curtain

The paper is Japanese, the card supporting it is American, and the stencil came from an office supply shop in San Salvador. Such multinational materials speak to the global pursuit of book making.

Or in this case, book-making skills and supplies put in the service of home improvement.

17 1/2 x 28 inches

The paper curtain hangs by magnets attached to bookcloth-covered supports. By the way, la encuadernación means “the bindery” in Spanish.

Cubes

Problem: Too-high cubbyholes in the closet went unused because they were hard to reach and difficult to fill.

Solution: A cube made of bookboard, Tyvek, and pastepaper that is pushed and pulled off the high shelf via a handle inserted at its base.

Bonus: Though sturdy, the cube is still light enough to pose no serious threat to its handler.

11 1/4 x 12 x 13 1/4 inches

This project took a bit of engineering, mostly for the handle.

The winner ended up being the wire handles stores give out to strengthen their oversize shopping bags. These were tethered to the cube by bookcloth loops and anchored in the bookboard of the cube’s interior.

The Tyvek covering everything but the front allows the cubes to easily slide in and out of place.

The fronts offered a chance to use more flashy papers than one normally sees in the library. Colors and patterns chosen may also serve to recall what’s stored inside.

The papers shown range from studio-made pastepaper to papers from India to Japan to England.

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