Refining materials with lavender and hay

Book covers made from fragrant blossoms and Alpine hay that has been scythed by hand turn books into a sensual experience

Organoid’s natural surfaces (https://www.organoids.com) provide a real treat for your senses. Alpine hay, cornflowers, peppermint stems and lemongrass serve as naturally grown raw materials that always add something very special to packaging, a book cover or interior decor. 

Depending on the actual materials being used, it is possible to press sheets and boards from a mixture of dry plants and an ecological binding agent in thicknesses ranging from 0.1 mm to 3 mm. In the next stage, the sheets can be applied to different carrier materials and turned into acoustic panels, wallpaper, paper or self-adhesive film.

This material can then be used, for example, to create special, regenerative book covers. Dirk Lämmche of Anders Drucken [Engl.: Print Differently] creates such unique products in collaboration with a bookbinder. In his opinion, “The Organoid surfaces mean that you are able to transport people to another world with a book cover. The material is an excellent way of allowing even the book cover to tell its own story.”

Feel the Provence

The plants that have been processed are immediately recognisable from the cover. A book cover created from lavender immediately whisks you away to France, for example. Every bloom, leaf and stem can be felt as the cover has not been sealed with any sort of film. A delicate fragrance underlines the sensuous experience. The cover smells naturally of lavender, without the addition of any artificial aromas.

Dirk Lämmche is persuaded by the radiance and emotionality of the plant books, which stand in his eyes for authenticity and being close to nature, “Customers today attach a lot of importance to genuine emotional communication. We provide this with our books that already convey that they have a unique story to tell by the unusual nature of their covers.” The plants make every book very special because its cover is made of real blooms and leaves, meaning that every finished product is unique.

The world of plants on offer

Organoid has a large range of plants and natural materials on offer. More than 40 parameters are continually monitored to ensure that the surfaces they create are as authentic and individual as possible. This way, the Tirol company guarantees a unique design in combination with the highest standards of quality. As standard, surfaces are left untreated but can be varnished to make them more durable, fadeproof and resistant to scratches. Organoid also does special editions if your preferred raw material is not yet included in its standard range. Notebooks with plant covers are also offered by, amongst others, Winter & Company.

Text: Caroline Zöller
Images: Anders Drucken