Knights Of Office / Round Table Book Shop

As part of Trifle*s CONSCIENCE we like to dedicate some of our time for free - to help with charity organisations or companies that we believe are doing worthwhile things but cannot afford design consultation. 

Jen, one of our designers and a Brixton resident, came across one such company local to her. Back in December 2018, Knights Of, an independent publisher of children's fiction that promotes diversity and inclusion, were running a pop up shop in Brixton Market while crowdfunding to set up a permanent store.

Shockingly, only one percent of children's books have a Black, Asian, or minority ethnic (BAME) protagonist. Knights Of wants to change this and provide a place where people can find books that represent every background, race, gender, and ability - basically books that represent the real world around us that we see everyday. It's so important for children to be able to identify with books and the characters within them and Knights Of provides and finds titles that allow for just that. Not all princesses have long blond hair, boys also want to be mermaids, and Knights Of celebrates this.

trifle* got involved once they found a permanent space for their bookshop - Round Table Books - in Brixton Village, offering free design consultation, space planning, and furniture sourcing. We immediately LOVED the spirit and enthusiasm of everyone we met at Knights Of.

The space was only 237 sqft/22m2 and presented some challenges in that it needed to fit not only the shop, but also a workspace and storage for Knights Of's 4-person team. The amount of natural light was also limited, as was the budget.

Of course we wanted the shop to be as appealing and functional as possible, but being workspace specialists we also made sure to consider the lovely people who would be working there.

Below is the floor plan we eventually went with, along with one of our initial moodboards. We were guided by the Round Table Books' vibrant branding and their message of diversity and inclusion.

An odd angle at the back of the space was squared off with a curtain to provide flexible storage. The work area is tucked away behind a tall shelf partition, with the bookshop taking the main stage at the front of the space, and we've fit in as many shelves as possible.

Although trifle* worked out the space plans, furniture and lighting, it was Knights Of's brilliant Creative Director Marssaié who brought the space and brand to life with her incredible graphic designs and impeccable colour palette selection.  Special mention must go to the hacked IKEA Kallax shelving unit at the centre of the shop which she assembled and painted herself!   

Usually there is an element of styling and sourcing of accessories we undertake for our clients, but for this one, the vibrant colours and cheerful book covers do all the talking!

It was pure joy working on this project and with everyone at Knights Of / Round Table Books. Please do head to Brixton to have a look at the shop (and buy some amazing books while you're there)!

Round Table Books is located at:

97 Granville Arcade

Brixton Village

London SW9 8SP