de KEMPEN – A Belgian tradition, brought to life on paper
The story of de KEMPEN goes back much further than the first notebook in the collection. Its roots can be traced to 1796, when Philippus Jacobus Brepols moved to Turnhout, in the Belgian Kempen region, and began what would become a long-standing tradition in printing, paper and bookbinding.
Over the centuries, Brepols developed a reputation for craftsmanship and expertise in the graphic arts. Today, that heritage lives on through de KEMPEN, a contemporary notebook collection created by Brepols with the same respect for paper and binding, but with a fresh and timeless approach.
The idea behind de KEMPEN is rooted in something wonderfully simple: there is still something special about putting words on paper. In a world of digital notes, cloud storage and endless screens, a notebook gives thoughts a physical place to live.
It can hold travel memories, sketches, ideas, plans, recipes or the small details of everyday life.
The name de KEMPEN reflects the brand's origins. The Kempen is the region around Turnhout, where the story of Brepols began and where the company's expertise has been developed over generations.
Every detail of the notebooks combines this heritage with contemporary design.
They feature 90 gsm FSC-certified cream paper and a carefully developed binding that allows the notebook to lay completely flat, making it comfortable to write in from the first page to the last.
Some of the details have an even more direct connection with Brepols' past. The marbled endpapers are based on original Brepols marbled papers preserved at the National Museum of Playing Cards in Turnhout.
The distinctive cut corner is another subtle reference to historic Brepols missals, whose corners were reinforced for protection.
The result is a notebook that feels contemporary without losing its connection to the past.
de KEMPEN brings more than two centuries of Belgian printing and bookbinding tradition to something wonderfully everyday: a notebook made to be written in, carried with you, and kept.
At Casa della Stilografica, we have always been devoted to the world of writing and to the objects that make it such a special experience.
It felt natural, therefore, to explore the world of notebooks as well, looking for pieces that share the same attention to quality, paper and the pleasure of putting pen to paper.
We chose de KEMPEN because they immediately caught our attention: their history, their attention to detail and the way they bring together tradition and contemporary design.
We were genuinely fascinated by them, and felt they naturally belonged alongside the writing instruments we have always chosen for Casa della Stilografica.
