Modernbook

Publication Date: Wednesday Nov 24, 1999

An oasis in a chain store desert
Palo Alto's Modernbook takes artistic approach to business

by Jennifer Deitz

The holiday shopping season is upon us again, and if you're already dreading the next encounter with overworked salespeople and their bargain bins of cashmere sweaters, give yourself a break and stop by the newly opened Modernbook in downtown Palo Alto. With its bare white walls and soft-white track lighting, the sparse room is as calming as a cup of hot tea, and the one-of-a-kind collection of cutting-edge books on photography, architecture, fashion and graphic and interior design should capture the imagination.

Owners Bryan Yedinak and Mark Pinsukanjana opened Modernbook, at 494 University Ave. (cross street Cowper), on Nov. 1, hoping to fill a niche the big chains can't reach.

Through the huge glass windows, the space looks as much like a San Francisco artist's loft as it does a bookstore. Rather than clutter the room with crowded shelves, most of the books are stacked flat on industrial-strength tables for easy browsing. Steely colored racks hold sleek, hard-to-find magazines, including "Wallpaper" from England and "Dutch" from Amsterdam. On the opposite wall is a shelf filled with stationery and black-and-white postcards of Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly.

Toward the back, hardwood steps climb up to a gallery where striking prints by Del Jeronimo line the walls. Even from a distance, the tilted camera angle makes a dark-skinned woman in a sheer blue dress seem ready to lean out of the giant photo and into three-dimensional life.

Overhead sits a loft hand-built by the owners, which houses the office for now, (although couches for the "in" crowd may be added later). Bare wooden beams and a boxy air vent finish off the store's hip, urban look.

There is substance to all this style as well. What makes shopping here particularly pleasant is the meticulous care the owners have taken to weed their selection of titles down to a manageable few.

"When you go into some bookstores, you can get bombarded by the books," said Yedinak. "We wanted everything to appeal to the senses."

Like the store itself, each book looks and feels like a fine work of art. There are collector's books like Francois Nars' "X-Ray" (priced at $85). "X-Ray" is filled with vivid and slightly bizarre photographic images, including a famous shot of Kate Moss dressed up in gingham as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Stranger still is the photo of a man in a sharp suit donning a hat made of feathery red, green and blue women's slippers.

A more affordable favorite (with 10 sold already and more on order) is the "Celebration of the World's Favorite Car: Collecting the Beetle," a stocking-stuffer-sized book with photos and text following the ascension of the VW Bug.

A rare find are the last books in the "Visionaire" series, which go for $150 a copy. Each book in the series brings together photographs by a variety of artists based on a single theme; religion, movement and woman are just a few. Only 6,000 copies of each edition are printed, and the owners say the earliest ones now sell for up to $1,000.

One of the most refreshing elements of Modernbook, however, is the charm and affability of its owners. Careful not to let their sophisticated image veer into pretentiousness, they dress casually in denim and treat their customers much like regulars at a local bar. Closing time at Modernbook is never set, and if people passing by on their way back from dinner or drinks keep filtering in, the doors stay open as late as midnight.

Far from eyeing coolly the shopper who stands too long reading magazines, Pinsukanjana and Yedinak encourage loitering. Both see the store as a place for people to hang out as well as to shop. They've enjoyed overhearing a late-night group of young professionals making Internet deals in the corner at one moment and, in the next, having a man walk to the middle of the room and ask out loud, "What the hell is this place?"

"It looks like a party," Yedinak admits. "It doesn't look like a traditional bookstore."

Apparently, such reactions are common. Stand for no more than a minute flipping pages in a high-end fashion magazine and a man in a tweed jacket sidles over and asks quietly, "What is this place?"

Try to explain the mix of architecture and fashion and he turns back to his magazine only to pause again, and comment, "I'm amazed. This is great."

Twenty minutes later, after a long conversation with Yedinak, Fred Bisharat, a retired architect, appears sold.

"I'm impressed by beautiful books they have here," says Bisharat. "When I go to (a local chain store), I have to sift through a lot of stuff to come up with the right book, whereas here, it seems like all the books are quality."

The idea for opening Modernbook took root while Pinsukanjana and Yedinak were in school together at Long Beach State University. Pinsukanjana grew up in Palo Alto, attending Gunn High School, before moving on to study accounting. Yedinak grew up in San Jose and, after majoring in art, studied architecture independently.

Over the last few years, Yedinek worked in retail and Pinsukanjan was a financial director, but all the while they were saving money and doing research, preparing to open Modernbook.

So far, it appears their complementary backgrounds will serve their venture well. While Yedinak points out the finer details of the shop's design--they've decided the rust marks left on the floor by the last owners will fit in with their industrial feel--Pinsukanjana keeps at least one eye trained on the bottom line, throwing in a pitch to Internet start-up companies, architecture firms and other businesses that might be interested in using the space for parties or presentations.

Still, the best party scheduled thus far should be their own grand opening on Dec. 3. Starting around 7 p.m., the wine bottles will come out and Del Jeronimo will be on hand to give a slide presentation of his photography, which ranges from edgy shots of local models to awe-inspiring architecture photos, such as one taken upside down while driving over the Golden Gate Bridge.

The party is open to all, be they friends, family, regular customers or casual passersby. But, if even crackers and caviar can't tempt you away from your holiday shopping, look around the store for Yedinak's mom. She'll be set up at a table for most of December, ready to gift-wrap any book you choose, in sparkling silver paper and ribbon. ?