Bond & Grace candles are hand-poured in Annapolis, Md. (Photo courtesy of Bond & Grace)
WASHINGTON – Jacqueline Bond was a government consultant, an avid reader and, by her own admission, “obsessed” with Jane Austen. During a job transition several years ago, she began searching for an oversized edition of Pride and Prejudice that would give her a richer experience with the text she knew so well. But, she said she found nothing but kitsch and updated covers.
“I complained enough that my mother told me I should just make it myself,” Bond said.
She couldn’t get the suggestion out of her head, and after recruiting her sister, Savannah Bond, and her friend, Ayana Christie, who worked at Google, and conducting months of intense research into the design and literary worlds, they launched Bond & Grace, a literary lifestyle brand that encompasses a selection of home décor, tabletop and gifts inspired by their love of storytelling.
The process begins with the art Novel.
“We partnered with scholars who live and breathe the text, who are teaching the text, writing books about the authors. They help us write annotations to provide additional context, including information we may not have known before. It was a new way to look at it and understand the author,” said Bond.
But they couldn’t have a coffee table book without making the books look beautiful, so they partnered with 12 fine artists with different backgrounds for each book. Each artist reads the novel and uses it to create three to five original interpretive art pieces.
Each year, Bond & Grace releases one classic text reimagined as an Art Novel, an oversized coffee table book. It folds literary analysis and fine art within the original text of beloved classics like The Secret Garden, Alice in Wonderland and this year, The Great Gatsby. Alongside the Art Novel are hand-poured candles, keepsake matchboxes, table linens, silk scarves, stationery and other items that feature the same artistic imagery as the books. A separate division, Art House by Bond & Grace, focuses solely on the original artwork.
The first book they developed was Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden, in 2022. Coming out soon after COVID, its theme of life after loss resonated, said Bond. It was also filled with luscious florals that translated well into product.
Next came Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which was darker and moody and holds parallels with today’s rapid transition to artificial intelligence, said Bond, followed by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and this year, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel that is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
They select novels that are already in the public domain, and there are more than 20,000 to choose from. “We do a lot of testing before choosing the title,” said Bond. “It’s a mix of science, the top, most-read classic novels, school reading lists and banned book lists. We take all that into account.
“We own all of the art, as well as the patterns, which can be used for future designs like wallpaper, linens, accessories and lamp shades,” she added, noting that they are looking for licensing partners. “It opens the door for home décor and lifestyle products. The options are endless.”
Their typical customer is a “culture connoisseur” who is a reader, loves museums, loves looking at art and cares about the interior design of her home (the prototype customer is almost always a woman, but her age ranges from 30 to 70).
Many people will buy the décor first, and then consider the Art Novel, but the creative process always starts with the book.
Bond & Grace is targeting its collection at higher-end online boutiques, as well as museum and designer shops and bookstores. Looking to expand to a larger audience, Bond & Grace exhibited at NY Now and the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market in June, and will be in the high design section of atlanta market next January.