The School of Life, founded by celebrity philosopher Alain de Botton in London in 2008, opened its Melbourne outpost in 2014. With its diverse offering of courses, the school aims to generate discussions surrounding life’s biggest concerns, while boosting emotional intelligence along the way.
The school’s shopfront is an extension of those goals with its sizable range of books, magazines and other products designed to make you think.
The two-room space – which doubles as a classroom – is simple and light-washed. At the entrance there’s a large table filled with the store’s in-house line of products. The eclectic range includes collections of poems, card games and pocket guides to just about everything.
The rest of the shelves burst with a range of books that run the gamut from work and relationships to art and philosophy. Other products include posters that explain philosophies and tote bags with tongue-in-cheek designs.
A renovation swapped out the original cafe component for more seats and sofas. The result is welcoming, and staff will still happily make you a tea or coffee while you browse the range or have a chat.
