The Stendig Calendar is the perfect combination of form and function. Designed in 1966 by Massimo Vignelli it’s literally a piece of art. The big graphic numbers lend lots of design flair while leaving just enough room to add a few words of your own. There’re so many ways to manage your calendar but this is by far the most stylish.
I first saw this calendar in the MoMA store in New York which, up until recently, was one of only a few retailers who were officially allowed to sell it. Since then the publisher, Cromwell Company, opened up resale to online vendors making it possible for anyone to bring this affordable design statement into their home or office. I use mine as a desk blotter, an old-timey accessory that vanished when people stopped doing most of their work with pen and paper. You can think of it as a glorified placemat. It helps me keep my work stuff confined to a dedicated space and when I’m on my laptop it provides a bit of cushion between my wrists and the table top.
Growing up, my mom always had a calendar hanging in the kitchen where we wrote our social commitments and school functions. If it wasn’t on the calendar, it wasn’t happening. I got in the habit of using one at an early age, but as an adult my days are busy, and I have to be able to reference my calendar wherever I am. So, I use my phone to keep track of meetings, appointments, and deadlines. I reserve the precious space on my Stendig for birthdays, holidays, and things I’m looking forward to like vacation. This system works well for me and keeps me from having to look at my overcrowded work calendar when I’m off the clock. At the end of the month the pages are covered in coffee and illegible margin notes, so I find no real reason to keep them for reference. But I don’t just throw them out because the big format and blank backside make the used pages perfect for crafts.
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This calendar looks simple and straight forward but there are a few tricks to make the most of it. The week starts with Monday. While this is typical for European calendars, in the US the week starts with Sunday. So double check the day before fully committing plans to paper. While most of the pages are white with black text, there are a few random pages that are black with white text. This isn’t a printing mistake. I use either a silver Sharpie, or a white gel pen I picked up from the art store. Stickers work well for tracking recurring events throughout the year. Don’t underestimate the size of this calendar. You think you know how big 3 feet wide by 4 feet high is until you unroll this massive tablet of paper and try to find a place to hang it. Measure before you buy. But don’t wait too long, these calendars have a cult following and they usually sell out way before New Year’s.
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