An SF Book Shop Inspired by Esprit - Remodelista
Paulina Nassar, co-owner of Press: Works on Paper in San Francisco, looked to the design sensibility of the 1980s in her book shop's design. "When we first took over the space it was a disaster. Purple and black paint everywhere, terrifying fluorescent lighting, and ugly, uneven beams," says Paulina. It usually ends up being 'DIT' (Do It Together)," says Nassar, who worked with local contractors and friends to pull the space together. Before opening Press, Nassar's partner, Nick Sarno, worked in bookstores and as the founding editor of Chicago-based Green Lantern Press. Press holds frequent readings and is hosting one with SF-based journal Fourteen Hills on Friday, January 5th, beginning at 7pm. "Our neon sign is a true dream come true for a child of the 1980s," says Paulina: "I can now die a happy woman." A collection of art and photography titles that are mostly out of print, along with used vintage modern library editions. "I love all things 1980s Esprit: the spirit and ingenuity of the original founders, the color palette, the packaging, the designs of the store fronts, their old SF offices, but especially the joyousness," says Paulina. The walls are painted in Benjamin Moore's Super White (also a favorite white of Brooklyn-based Delson or Sherman Architects) and the floors are painted in Farrow & Ball's Down Pipe. Cultish magazines from Here and There to Purple Fashion and Self Service are illuminated by the neon sign in the window. The shop's branding was designed by Brent Freaney, "the wavy e is a loving homage to Esprit as well as the symbol of the pages of a book."