A book design project
This project explores the art of reimagining a collection of classic fairy tales through the lens of contemporary editorial design. The intention was to create a collector’s edition that treats the book not only as a vessel for stories, but as a crafted object of beauty and permanence — something to be read, admired, and treasured.
The design takes inspiration from Benjamin Lacombe’s special edition of Contes Macabres, a reference point for its evocative atmosphere and delicate balance between illustration and typography. From that influence, the project grew into an exploration of how layout, rhythm, and form can shape the reader’s emotional experience. Each spread was conceived as a visual composition, where words and images coexist in a dialogue of texture, silence, and meaning.
The format is almost square, a deliberate choice to break from convention and give the book a distinct, timeless presence. Wide margins create a sense of calm and elegance, allowing the illustrations to breathe and the text to unfold with serenity. The typography combines classic elegance with contemporary restraint — refined yet approachable, precise yet full of warmth.
Every detail, from the placement of the folios to the proportion of the text blocks, was designed to emphasize harmony and visual balance. The pacing of the pages invites slow reading, turning each story into a ritual of discovery. The book becomes a meeting point between narrative and design, where aesthetic sensitivity amplifies the emotional weight of familiar tales.
More than a simple exercise in layout, Classic Tales – Collector’s Edition is a reflection on how editorial design can preserve and reinterpret memory. It asks how we can revisit the stories that shaped us, and how design can frame them in a new light — respectful of their origin yet alive with contemporary sensibility. The result is a book that feels both intimate and grand: an homage to storytelling, to craftsmanship, and to the quiet power of the printed page.
