Phoenix designer Cory Skaaren approaches paper like he approaches people: “Every page tells a story.” It’s a philosophy that’s become the tagline of his company Resketch, which creates notebooks, journals and paper products ($6-$48) from reclaimed paper. Skaaren leafs through his products like a socialite introducing guests at a party, recalling the backstory behind every sheet. The pages of a journal had a past life as the “ugly paper” nobody wanted at the FedEx store. “I love taking things that other people see as garbage and turning it, kind of through alchemy, into a high-end product,” Skaaren says. He never knows what types of paper he’ll get, so each page is unique. Reclaimed paper is not recycled paper, a popular misconception Skaaren hears. Recycled paper is created from a chemical slurry of broken-down wastepaper, but Resketch’s reclaimed paper is scrap paper that’s rescued before it heads to the recycling plant. For anyone looking to turn the page in the new year, Resketch’s notebooks bring order while still being open to what comes. “Every page tells a story,” Skaaren says. “Now tell yours.”
