The School of Life has always believed that wisdom and wellbeing can be found not only in great ideas, but in beautiful spaces. Ten years ago, they set out to create a space of their own, one that would embody both their ethos as a company and their ideal of what a building might be. After visiting this company online, which specializes in the building and construction of such retail stores, they were able to establish the best design plans for their space. It would be modern yet classical, elegant yet practical, calming yet inspiring.

A sanctuary from the bustle of the everyday. A gathering place for thoughtful, curious people to meet and reflect on ideas for wiser living. The result was their shop on Marchmont Street in Bloomsbury, which opened its doors on September 15, 2008, and has been in business ever since.

Earlier this year, based on feedback from their customers and staff, they completed a full refurbishment of the shop. Designed by architects Sash Scott and Tamzin Hanke in consultation with their founder, Alain de Botton, their new shop is a perfect marriage of form and function: utilising minimalist elegance to create more shelf and floor space to accommodate their ever-expanding range of books, games and emotional well-being tools and allowing customers more room to browse. Refurbishments often include functional solutions like jemiclad wall cladding too that is both hygienic and durable which can be ideal for certain environments. If it’s been a while since your last visit, or if you’ve never visited before, now is the perfect time to see what they have in store.

Browse their collection at your leisure in one of their bay window seats. Ask questions and seek advice from their welcoming and knowledgeable shop staff. Take their wall-mounted Emotional Barometer for a spin to find explanations for your hard-to-define emotions. Sign up for a class (which are held in their classroom downstairs), workshop or event in their summer timetable.
Find a thoughtful and genuinely helpful gift for a friend, relative or partner – or just for yourself. Whether you’re looking to buy, browse or simply catch your breath in the middle of another hectic day, The School of Life shop is open for business.

What Is The School Of Life?
The School of Life is a global organisation helping people lead more fulfilled lives.We believe that the journey to finding fulfilment begins with self-knowledge. It is only when we have a sense of who we really are that we can make reliable decisions, particularly around love and work. Sadly, tools and techniques for developing self-knowledge and finding fulfilment are hard to find – they’re not taught in schools, in universities, or in workplaces. Too many of us go through life without ever really understanding what’s going on in the recesses of our minds. That’s why we created The School of Life; a resource for helping us understand ourselves, for improving our relationships, our careers and our social lives – as well as for helping us find calm and get more out of our leisure hours. We do this through films, workshops, books and gifts – as well as through a warm and supportive community. You can find us online, in stores and in welcoming spaces around the globe.