A new place to fall in love with paper in the center of Prague

A block off Wenceslas Square, its entrance down a quiet side street, is Papír Plojhar – a family-run stationery store showcasing one-of-a-kind paper products, home decor, school gear and art supplies from local and international brands. Some of which are making their Czech market debut. 

Here you’ll find colorful gift wrapping and boxes. Unique greeting cards, stickers and envelopes with flair. Delicate paper flower pots, handwoven baskets, lamps and bags. Puzzles, sketch pads and coloring books for budding young artists. And a wide assortment of pens, pencils, brushes and crayons. 

All are carefully arranged on handsome floor-to-ceiling shelving and central display tables whose sturdy cardboard layering, texture and tubing – a nod to the Plojhar family’s original line of business – add an extra spark to this sleekly designed concept shop. 

Papír Plojhar opened last fall in a bid to spice up the local offer, which tends to border on bland monotony, and give locals something exciting and different, not only with regards to products but also when it comes to customer service and community.         

“We want to connect with our customers. We want to build a relationship with our customers. The idea is not just to come to the store and buy something but to come for the experience. You spend time here. You are greeted and supported by professional staff,” says Jakub Plojhar, who, as head of business development at Plojhar s.r.o., is helming the family’s Prague expansion.     

“You feel nice because the place looks different – a nice smell, a nice ambiance, music. You feel like you can actually breathe in and breathe out. Just browse and look for something if you need something or just find some small things that make you happy.”

The Plojhar family, whose South Bohemian cardboard manufacturing empire dates back 130 years, had initially considered opening a stationery store in Prague more than a decade ago but shelved the idea after failing to find the perfect spot.

But at the beginning of 2023, they decided to try again, came across an ideal space in New Town, and decided to go for it. Plojhar tapped his friends at Atelier Monday, a young female-led studio, to design the interiors.              

“I just said I wanted a big part of the store to be made out of cardboard, so it’s connected to our main business. We just really like the material. It’s eco-friendly, it’s sustainable, and it can be used in all kinds of different ways and shapes,” says Plojhar.

“That was the only thing that I told them and they came up with this idea, and I absolutely fell in love with what they did. We can work with the space. We can easily change the brands around, change the layout, and that gives it a fresh vibe.” 

Customers can expect to discover new treasures on the shelves every few weeks. Plojhar is always scouting new brands to introduce to the Czech market, like Pepin Press, a company from the Netherlands that produces coloring books for adults comprised of famous impressionist paintings.    

This strategy has fueled the family’s České Budějovice stationery store for more than three decades. Plojhar is hoping to emulate that kind of success here in Prague, positioning Papír Plojhar as the go-to place for all your stationery, home decor, school supply and artistic needs – or desires.         

“Basically, if you visit our store every two weeks, you will find something new, and that’s what I love,” says Plojhar. “There’s the typical stationery store that sells just the necessities – papers, pencils. We want to go beyond that, from necessities to desires.”

Sure, buying a new notepad might be a necessity, but buying the right one – one that’s study, with a nice design and high-quality paper – can also bring you joy, as can buying the right set of colored pencils or paint brushes.   

To that end, Papír Plojhar is planning to host a number of self-management workshops in the coming weeks that will focus on what types of tools and systems you need for better time management, how to structure your day and write more effective to-do lists.

The evening workshops will be held in the back of the store at a cardboard table made in the Plojhar family factory. “The groups will be small, eight to 10 people max. It’s not about the masses. It’s about the experience,” says Plojhar.         

The store also organizes weekend craft workshops for adults – centered on, for example, gift wrapping, calligraphy, origami and paper lanterns – and is working on putting together a series parents can attend with their kids.You can find more information about upcoming workshops and events on the store’s Instagram page.

“We try to educate parents about how to help their kids’ creativity, that if they give the right tools to their kids, it can actually support their creativity and development,” says Plojhar. “Tools like high-quality crayons, pencils, paper. Come in, have a look around, and let us advise you.”