New York: Where to Shop: Books & Paper: Archivia Books

Archivia Books

Some bookstores lure you in with their homey, overstuffed furniture and their cozy little book-lined nooks and crannies. Archivia Books, which specializes in visual and applied arts books, takes a more chic, minimalist approach. Its bright, open rectangle of a store contains polished maple shelves, sleek marble countertops, white leather Eames chairs and an orange-hued carpet that was inspired from Christo Gates’ installation in Central Park. Upper Eastsiders might remember the original Madison Avenue store next to the Whitney, Archivia: the Decorative Arts Book Shop, which was owned by Cynthia Conigliaro and Joan Gersand and was a favorite with design cognoscenti. The new Archivia Books, which is run solely by Conigliaro, has a more contemporary focus—in both decor and in book selection—but still features many books from hard-to-find domestic and foreign publishers as well as several out-of-print titles. It too looks poised to become a hit: recent visitors included decorating mavens Charlotte Moss and Carolina Irving.