Washington, D.C. - March 01, 2006

Cover Story

Distinctive Bookbinding

You seem like a thoughtful person.

But most of the time you barely pull it off. Your loved ones would never guess that you keep a stash of unisex, one-size -fits-all sale gifts in the bottom of your closet.

For a novel gift idea, try leather bookbinding at Distinctive Bookbinding in Dupont. The master craftsmen at the newly opened store use traditional Italian leatherwork to restore, conserve, or decorate beloved tomes.

Refurbish your father’s treasured first-edition Hemingway, add a special touch to your best friend’s just-published poetry anthology, or preserve your ragtag copy of The Poky Little Puppy for your own kids. No book is too bent, stained, or frayed; the artists can even sew torn pages.

You can also customize with a variety of leathers for the cover, cloth and other materials for the interior and panels, and decorative accents such as embossing or ribbon. The result: a stunning book that finally does justice to the great story inside.

Guess you can judge a book by its cover after all.

Distinctive Bookbinding, 1755 S Street NW, between 17th and 18th Streets (202-328-0555 or distinctivebookbinding.com).