The Mysterious bookcase, westbourne
KTM Design was delighted to be appointed to design a brick and mortar space for The Mysterious Bookcase, independent booksellers in Bournemouth. Founders Ally and Matt had spent the previous two years growing their online bookselling business and were able to move into a physical space through a Kickstarter fundraising exercise.
The design brief was to create an inviting and cosy interior for customers to peruse the books. Bespoke floor-to-ceiling shelving was added throughout the space, with classic piping and cornice details to mimic the famous historical and academic libraries across Europe. The interior and exterior were both painted in a mid forest green to give a heritage feel and the impression of classic elegance and timelessness, despite being a new build.
The focus for the main shop area was to showcase the products. This was achieved by creating floor-to-ceiling bookshelves to maximise storage space. The entire space was then colour-drenched in a heritage green to allow the coloured spines of the books to shine.
In the shop counter area, we created a space for the owners to work with clear sightlines across the shop, and a focus point to display the company’s branding. A banquette was fitted in the window as another area for customers to sit and read or wait for assistance in comfort.
A soft seating area was placed in the back of the shop to allow customers to linger while choosing their books. Here, the designers took inspiration from original features, such as the existing fireplace and positioned the seating around a central coffee table to display more books.
The furniture and fittings used throughout were carefully curated from vintage pieces and antiques, in keeping with the building’s history. A mirror was placed above the fireplace to reflect light around the room at the back of the shop, where light levels were lower. Vintage art pieces were sourced to decorate the walls. The Chesterfield sofa was adorned with patterned cushions, again to create a comfortable space akin to a living room to put customers at ease.
The client was truly pleased with the outcome. They felt the brief was hit perfectly, and the finished product oozes character and charm, despite being on a tight budget.
The images provided are 3D visuals from KTM’s design presentation. We hope to have professional photographs soon.
