Put me in any city and I’ll probably find my way to a bookstore filled with art books and indie design magazines. Which is why I felt right as home the first time I stepped into New Mags, and feel compiled to return every time I’m in Copenhagen. New Mags is somewhere between a bookstore and gallery. The books are displayed like art with their covers facing out, inviting you to judge them by their covers with confidence. The space, designed by Norm Architects, is a masterclass in minimalist tranquility, that sits back and lets the print publications take center stage as design objects ready to adorn any tasteful shelf or coffee table.

The showroom is just one part of the New Mags ecosystem, they do sell their inventory online as well, but there’s something so wonderful about the tactile experience of shopping for art books. Oak wood and sandstone make for an understated backdrop for browsing, lingering. And perhaps most importantly of all, New Mags is the kind of place that attracts a certain kind of community. One that is made up of design enthusiasts, industry insiders, tastemakers and artists who appreciate the art of the printed page and the balance of style and substance for an art book in a home.