Edwards Lowell’s latest edition, the Edwards Lowell Book Store, is building on a strength they have seen in their Portomaso Boutique, a two-storey, multifunctional shopping experience that includes an art gallery, champagne bar, high-end library and displays of the finest watches and jewellery on the market. 

With the launch of the shop on Zachary Street in Valletta, they are putting luxury books into the limelight. 

Despite the increase in digital technologies that are changing the way people digest information, the global book market is expected to expand by 1.9 per cent to $164.22 billion by 2030 according to a report by Grand View Research Inc.

Nothing compares to the feeling of a good book in your hands, and Edward Lowell wants to showcase its favourite volumes in a space that’s comfortable, personal and unique. 

“A vast selection of attractively presented books”

While public and university libraries are often vast and full of splendour, home libraries are more intimate (but not any less gorgeous). The room can be formal and elegant or colourful and cosy, and stylish focal points like a fireplace, desk or snug sitting area keep things just as interesting as the volumes on the shelves.

For most, books are a source of pleasure, telling great stories through words or images, but a well-curated library is more than just solving a storage problem, it is an expression of luxury, art and culture. 

The Edwards Lowell Book Store is the latest addition to their growing iniatives. Not only are they selling high-end coffee table books, but they are also assisting with the curation of libraries for hotels, residences, private offices and more.

With 97 years at the forefront of the luxury watch and fine jewellery business in Malta, representing brands like Rolex, Patek-Philippe and Cartier, Edwards Lowell have experience in quality, style and 

attention to detail. This gives them a unique outlook when curating both personal and corporate libraries for their clients, addressing individual needs.

The idea behind curating a personalised library is to create the most beautiful and sophisticated space that will enable people to unplug and enjoy the moment and this is why every project is one-of-a-kind. 

The unique design seeks to include a variety of genres while adding decorations to the library space, such as rare statues and sculptures – objects that help take guests on a visual journey and add conceptual depth to the library.

Also available from the Elcol website, the Edwards Lowell Book Store offers a vast selection of perfectly bound, attractively presented books on art, fashion, photography, travel and lifestyle, books of the highest quality with distinctive graphic identity and editorial savoir-faire, including those from high-quality publishers Assouline and Taschen. These books are not simply words and pictures, but experiences which unfold as one turns the pages. 

The Assouline publishing house is the gold standard for luxury fashion and lifestyle books, chronicling the history of everything from the house of Chanel to Coca-Cola to the Carlyle Hotel, with Alex Assouline introducing a service to design private libraries to the company. 

The Assouline Collection lies side by side with another world-famous publisher – Taschen, a publisher that has become synonymous with accessible, eclectic publishing. From the affordable Basic Art series to highly collectible limited editions, Taschen specialises in illustrated publications on a range of themes including art, architecture, design, film, photography, pop culture and lifestyle.

A private library is more than just a way to organise one’s books; it’s an expression of character and a symbol of style. Adding publications by both Assouline and Taschen – hand-bound books using traditional techniques, with colour plates hand-tipped on art-quality paper – will lift one’s spaces from simple bookshelves to a library that expresses oneself. 

The books at Edwards Lowell Book Store are ones one can judge by their cover.

Visit the bookstore at 50, Zachary Steet, Valletta. For more info, call 2568 3070, e-mail info@elcol.com or visit www.elcol.com.