Inspired by the success of his online venture 25books.com, Bodo von Hodenberg, a former sales director for heavyweight pioneers Taschen, opened Bildshöne Bücher in Berlin, Germany.  Seeking to create a physical space in which to curate and sell a refined collection of 25 books per month, the main goal was an environment where senses are free from the overwhelming crush of choice. A honed, focused collection chosen from “the heart or from the stomach,” as von Hodenberg puts it, allows a visitor to “feel good, and not overwhelmed.”

The store is even more focused, in that the selections come solely from art, photography and architecture. Von Hodenberg speaks of falling in love with the selections, and by that standard, he says almost 80 percent of the books that truly capture him end up being photography. Upon entering the store, a single, central table displays the month’s 25 books. Beyond is a reading table, and against one wall are shelves which hold the past months selections; the store’s stock being made up exclusively of past titles.

In Bildschöne Bücher, Von Hodenberg has calmly sidestepped the paralysis some customers experience from the shear force of mass variety—addition by subtraction at its finest.

Pictured at top is a selection from last month’s collection of books. Dirt Ollies is a photography project documenting a 2004 skateboarding trip to Mongolia. Inspired by an aerial photograph of a inexplicable skatepark in the middle of  Ulaanbaatar, 11 skateboarders journeyed to ride the park. Upon their arrival, they faced only the remnants; the park having been dismantled just weeks prior. Below, a trailer for the film that resulted from the trip.