Last weekend, I had my friend come to visit. We got to explore a lot of the neighbourhood, but one of the highlights of the weekend for both of us was a visit to Libreria, a beautiful bookshop that opened on Hanbury street.
The shop is dimly lit, and beautifully designed, with little reading nooks dotted about the place.
You can really see just how much work and thought has gone into the design of the shop. While big, highstreet retailers organise their stores to try and maximise customer footfall, Libreria seems to be designed to encourage exploring and wandering around the shelves.
The organisation of the books is something special too. You won’t find sections labelled “Fiction” and “Travel” here, you’ll find “Despair and redemption” and “Wanderlust”. It feels like these sections were carefully chosen so we can find books depending on how we’re feeling, not throwing things into a big, broad category.
I ended up buying two books, a really pretty little graphic novel and a gorgeous little hardback book on physics. I know we’re not meant to judge a book by its cover, but I just loved how pretty everything in the store was. You can tell that someone’s care and thought has gone into every little nook and cranny, and it makes for something very special.
Next time you’re in the area, make sure you go and check it out.
Shoreditch Girl 