Journey Notebooks
Matisse Notebook
About
The Journey Notebooks are cut from full-grain vacchetta leather produced by the Badalassi Carlo tannery in Tuscany, Italy. Badalassi Carlo maintains a membership to the Pelle Vegetale Consortium, certifying their adherence to traditional leather tanning practices. The Journey Notebook’s unmistakable warmth and softness is owed to the high fat content of the vacchetta, meaning it will deepen it’s sheen and develop a gorgeous patina over time. Each piece of leather varies slightly, that variation is all part of the charm.
Every notebook is constructed by hand in my workshop. The edges of the notebook are polished in beeswax to a near-glass finish. The edges take on an almost sculptural look while the covers retain their natural grain. Metal grommets reinforce the stress points so the leather is resistant to stretches or tears, & the elastic bands are finished with metal caps for longevity. The A6 format carries two notebooks by default & comfortably holds up to four. The A5 format carries four notebooks by default & comfortably holds up to 6.
The Journey Notebooks are meant to be lived with. Not stored, not protected, but used. It’s built for the cook who scribbles measurements with dirty hands, the researcher making notes between flights, the hiker noting trail distances at camp. Over years, the leather settles into the curve of your palm until it feels less like an object & more like something familiar; a part of you.
Details
Size
A5
Hardware
Bronze
Color
Verdigris
Elastic
Red
Inspiration
The Dessert: Harmony in Red (The Red Room) by Henri Matisse
The Notebook
The Matisse Notebook is built in Verdigris vacchetta leather, a warm, deep green with a richness of oxidized copper & shaded gardens. In person, it is a refined tone that shifts subtly across the grain as light moves over it. Verdigris softens beautifully with use, developing a deeper, more rustic patina over time.
To bring contrast, the notebook is bound with a red elastic. The pairing is bold but balanced, without ever feeling decorative.
Bronze grommets & metal-capped elastics blend naturally with the leather’s tone, adding a muted warmth that completes the composition. These details are both form & function, reinforcing the notebook’s structure to ensure durability through years of use.
By Request
If you’d like to order this notebook or commission a piece made specifically for you, I welcome you to reach out. Every notebook is crafted by hand in my studio, & I’m happy to tailor colors, sizing, hardware, or details to fit the way you work & live.