Scandinavian Design | Notem Studio Notebook Collection Review
While we couldn't wait to bid 2020 farewell and welcome 2021, we're especially ecstatic along with the hope that we will be able to add more events to our planners this year! Every new year brings the new joy of starting a new planner, and nothing feels better than a diving into a fresh beginning in the form of Notem Studio's notebook and planner collection.
In the past few years, 'Hygge' has become a new buzzword from Danish origin referring to the feeling of cosiness and contentment that we enjoy alone or with our loved ones. To us, nothing feels more 'hygge' than cracking open and writing in a brand new planner!
All of Notem Studio's notebooks are designed in Denmark and made in Europe with creamy, lightweight Scandinavian paper. Their designs are inspired by the clean and minimalistic aesthetic of Nordic design, with a focus on space and light. Notem Studio's products add a touch of flair to your stationery collection with its timeless patterns.
MILO Weekly Planner Book, Light Gray
To start things off with, I picked our store favourite, the weekly MILO Planner that features a soft, uncoated softcover in a light-gray grid pattern. With 56 pages in total, this planner is lightweight enough to carry around without compromising space in my work bag. My favourite part is that it lies flat on the desk, and I can write without holding down one side or damaging the spine.
MILO has a vertical overview with 26 weeks worth of space for planning out all your schedules. I was a bit intimidated by the rather large size (170mm x 235 mm) at first, but it turned out to be a big plus as I could fit a whole lot of scribbles and plans and it still wouldn't look too cluttered! Not to mention, this would be perfect for minimalists who prefer a bit more breathing space in their planners as well.
A quick wrap up:
- Ideal for minimalists, and those who have big handwriting who don't want their planners to look too squished
- Lightweight, portable
- Lie-flat binding makes it loads easier to write in
- Larger size might not fit in certain smaller handbags
- Soft cover might crease easily, but as long as you take good care it should be fine!
To us, we always think two is better than one! Next up, we're introducing MILO's smaller cousin, the VITA softcover notebook with horizontal stripes in size small.
VITA is also lightweight, versatile in terms of use and has the same paper quality as MILO. I picked VITA in a calming shade of Athol Blue, containing 64 pages of ruled sheets with margins and a subject line on the top. Needless to mention, VITA can also lie flat with ease.
VITA Softcover Notebook - Small, Athol Blue, Lined
If you're a language learner like me, this notebook would be perfect as a vocabulary book or practice book if you're learning a new alphabet.
Of course, there's a plethora of ways to utilise VITA to the fullest. Here are just some alternative ways that I could think of:
- Grocery lists
- Lecture notes
- Recipe book
- To-do lists
- Daily diary entry
- Penmanship practice book
Here's a quick wrap up of the VITA:
- Available in ruled, grids and plain and in two sizes, so you can pick the type that suits your purpose the best
- This size could even fit in my tiniest tote! (unless you're carrying a minibag, of course)
- A bit simple in terms of design, but it makes up for with its beautiful selection of colours
I couldn't resist trying out Notem's UMA notebook, so might as well review this beauty too! For this review, I picked UMA in this simple gray cover with big red grids.
UMA Flat Lay Notebook - Large, Light Gray, Blank and Lined
UMA is special because it has two types of paper. For a blank page on the left, the right would be ruled so you could combine diagrams and drawings next to text on the same spread. UMA is also available in two sizes, medium and large, and has lie-flat binding just like MILO and VITA.
With a hefty 160 pages, UMA is not as ideal for carrying around but the perfect addition to your desk at work or at home. What I love about UMA is that you can really feel the quality of the pages as you flip through, which has plenty of space for your ideas to flow through.
- The combination of page types proves very useful for those who want to get the best of both worlds in one book
- Well, it's quite heavy so not exactly ideal for hauling around. But that's what MILO and VITA are for!
Phew! So that concludes the review for Notem Studio's beautiful assortment of planner and notebooks. Which one piques your interest the most?
MILO, VITA and UMA are also available in a range of patterns and sizes, so feel free to browse through the rest of the collection online or in our physical store in Hong Kong!