Books are having a bit of a moment in the world of interiors and none more so than the iconic Penguin.

Its distinctive design has appeared on deckchairs, wallpaper and now, thanks to Canford Cliffs couple David and Yoka Mulley, preloved Penguins have become art in themselves, framed to hang on the wall.

Their company, Original Wall, has taken the classic Penguin book and mounted it in a stylish white, black or oak box frame to add a streamlined shot of nostalgia to the modern home.

“We got the idea when we were framing our own art,” says Yoka, who has started collecting the books from charity shops, car boot sales and online. She admits: “It has become a bit on an obsession.

“You can spot a Penguin book from 20 paces.”

But not all books make the grade – titles that are too obscure, nonsensical or dull are left on the shelf.

There is a strict vetting process so only Penguins that are in the right condition are picked to join the Original Wall collection.

“The books need to be distressed but not too distressed,” says David.

“The aging process is very attractive and the fact that the books have survived for so long is astonishing.”

They often feel that ‘their’ books once meant a lot to their original owners.

“We have one book with an inscription which says; ‘Dear John, I still love you in spite of everything, Merry Christmas’,”says Yoka.

Both believe it is the personality of the books that makes the brand so special. Shoppers can browse the range of funny, insightful and thought-provoking titles in their collection including; ‘Man, the Unknown’, ‘Bullets for the Bridegroom’ and David’s personal favourite; ‘The Social Life of the Insect World’.

The books are colour-coded in the Penguin house style – orange for fiction, blue for biography, pink for travel and adventure, green for crime and light blue for Pelican non-fiction.

Hanging a number of different coloured books in a row to create repetition can help to make a real statement in the home, says David.

“One of our customers, a banker in London, selected 36 framed books and displayed them in a grid of six across and six down, creating a very effective feature wall.”

The idea has proved so popular the couple have also branched into framing DC comics and USA number-plates.

They seem determined to live up to the beliefs of Penguin’s founder, Allen Lane, who declared: “Good design is no more expensive than bad.”

Just don’t ask the couple what their books are about.

“I don’t think I’ve read any of our Penguin collection!” says David.

“I just stick them in frames.”

originalwall.co.uk