July 2025 | Wellness, But Make It Literary

Let’s be honest: for a while, books kind of became… props.

We arranged them by color. We stacked them under candles and crystals. We left them half-read on coffee tables to impress our guests with how cultured we are. Somewhere between the rise of Instagram, TikTok, and ten-second attention spans, the act of actually reading felt like a luxury we no longer had time for. Our shelves looked great, but our minds? Starved.

But here’s the plot twist no one saw coming: books are back—and not just as décor.

It started quietly. A few beautifully designed coffee-table books here, a few celeb-recommended reads there. Then came the cultural shift. Suddenly, being well-read was cool again. It wasn’t just about how books looked on your shelf, but how they made you feel—grounded, inspired, unplugged.

And let’s give credit where it’s due. Luxury publishing house Assouline basically rebranded books as objects of desire. Their oversized, glossy tomes on travel, fashion, architecture, and art are the Birkin bags of the literary world. With titles like Amalfi Coast, Marrakech Flair, and Ibiza Bohemia, they’ve turned libraries into dreamscapes—and turned books into visual escapes as much as literary ones.

Their newest launch, The Ultimate Collection for Library Lovers, is a swoon-worthy celebration of just that: the library—not as a dusty academic space, but as a sensual, soulful part of the home. Think: velvet armchairs, candlelight, and a perfectly placed espresso on the side table. Whether you actually read every page is beside the point. (Although if you do, even better.)

Still, it’s not all about luxury bindings and curated shelves. The love for books is finding new energy in unexpected places—like your favorite pop star’s Instagram. Yes, Dua Lipa, the queen of reinvention, has become an unlikely literary tastemaker thanks to her platform, Service95. With its thoughtful reading lists, interviews with authors, and articles that go way deeper than the usual pop culture fluff, Dua has managed to make bookworm energy not only acceptable—but aspirational.

Her vibe says: read Virginia Woolf and wear Loewe. And honestly? We’re into it.

Because here’s the thing: books are more than just content. They’re rituals. You light a candle, pour a glass of wine, put your phone on silent—and suddenly, you’re in another world. Reading forces us to slow down. It’s a kind of meditation, one that doesn’t ask you to be productive or perfect. Just present.

And in a world obsessed with self-care—serums, supplements, sound baths—it turns out one of the most powerful wellness tools might be sitting right on your shelf.

So yes, the book-as-decor era had its moment (and honestly, still looks great on Instagram). But now, we’re moving into a more meaningful chapter. One where we light the fire, pull out that untouched Assouline volume, crack the spine—and actually read it.

Or at the very least, flip through with intention.

And that, darling, is growth.

ELENI NODARAKI

Creative Editorial Director

Write to me on eleni@decorationrunway.com