Treasure the Days
A word rooted in diarium (“to shine”) and dies (“day”), a diary is, in essence, an object of days kept and pages treasured. A meaning that shone even brighter in the hands of the brand’s founder, Frank Smythson. In 1887, Smythson - an acclaimed silversmith - brought the arts of engraving, precision and polish into the world of stationery, becoming a jeweller of pages.
From this dual heritage - of shining days and the silversmith stationer - the Smythson narrative emerged: ‘treasuring the days’. And with it, an unmistakable design language - drawn from the compositional elegance of Arts & Crafts tradition, and the airy restraint of early Modernism.
The wordmark was re-cut for balance and composure. Two typefaces: a copperplate titling face that echoes engraving tradition, paired with a literary serif worthy of fine book printing. And within the brand’s refined palette, Smythson Blue - a colour of thought, imagination, and clarity - was elevated to halo status.
Across every touchpoint, compositions are exquisitely arranged - never cluttered, always considered. Imagery reflects a lightness of spirit: daylight on grosgrain, ink gathering on featherweight paper, the pleasure of arranging and keeping.
In the end, perhaps Smythson was never just about organising days - but about offering more beautiful ways to treasure them.
