Treasure Hunt

BEAUTIFUL THINGS WE STUMBLED UPON

Article

April 2026

Those who look closely, see more. From ingenious objects and beautiful invitations to lines of poetry or something lovely from nature. Treasures found on, around and far from the editorial office that caught our attention. Today: the remarkable tear-off calendar by Dutch graphic designer Karel Martens.

Detail bibliotheek met boekenkast van Nils Holger Moormann en uitstalling van boekje en kalender van Karel Martens.

Fig 1. Detail of the library, with a bookcase by Nils Holger Moormann and a display of a booklet and calendar by Karel Martens.

Nicole Ex: ‘For the very first TREASURE HUNT, I secretly slipped into the professor’s study at home. For that is where he has built an altar, dedicated entirely to one particular tear-off calendar by the Dutch graphic designer Karel Martens: Every Day is a New Day 2026. The calendar consists of a block of 365 sheets of paper, each day bearing a unique abstract design in luminous colours.

The professor can hardly stop talking about it: “It’s astonishing how many different forms a single number can take — what a virtuoso that man is.” The number 1, the number 2, the number 3: they are as changeable as Ovid’s metamorphoses. The calendar is sold out. There is nothing for it but to sit out the year and be ready in time when the 2027 edition appears. Leave that last part to us — we’re on it. Inspired by him, I have since started my own little Karel Martens collection: a display of cards arranged along the ledge of the wainscoting.’

MORE BY KAREL MARTENS

In the See All This Shop you can find this set of 3 guest towels, part of the collection by Karel Martens in collaboration with SUITE702 Amsterdam.

The collection is based on the art project Colors on the Beach. What makes this set special is that the front and back of each guest towel are different.

View in the See All This Shop >