A beautiful coffee table book is not only fun to flip through, but it can do amazing things for your home decor! Stacking coffee table books is a classic designer trick to elevate the look of any room. So, break out your cup of coffee (or glass of wine), grab a cozy throw blanket, and get ready to check out some of the best coffee table books for decorating!
If you’re short on time, and just want to see the list of my favorite coffee table books for decorating, click HERE!
Source: Studio McGee
Chanel: Collections and Creations
I see this book everywhere! It’s definitely a favorite of both designers and home stagers because of its timeless, traditional vibe, and versatile black and white color. Not only is the book a great decorative piece, but it will take you on a beautiful visual journey, as well. This coffee table book is a true classic! Buy your copy HERE.
Made for Living
Interior designer Amber Lewis is the creative talent behind Amber Interiors, the design firm that practically invented “California Cool” style. Her designs are effortless and timeless, and she’s sharing many of her secrets in this book. Not only will you find over 200 gorgeous photos of her signature interiors, but you’ll find some tips on layering and mixing elements to create a lived-in lookIt’s a great book for anyone that loves interior design, and also a good-looking book to enhance your decor. Buy your copy HERE.
Elements of Style: Designing a Home & A Life
This is another coffee table book that I see everywhere in designer living rooms. It makes a great decorative statement in any room with its eye-catching black and white stripes on the spine. Taken straight from the super popular design blog Elements of Style, this book is full of honest advice, inspiration, ideas, and lessons learned about designing a home that reflects your personality and style. It’s a fun read, full of real-life stories from the author, interior designer Erin Gates. Buy your copy HERE.
Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style
This simple, elegant-looking coffee table book, has fabulous neutral coloring, and will look gorgeous among a stack of books on your coffee table or bookshelves. Inside, you’ll find some pictorial history about the magazine itself, but, you’ll also get to peak inside the private spaces of celebrity homes, and see the work of top designers throughout the years. If you’ve looked at an Architectural Digest magazine, then you know the type of beautiful full-page pictures that await you in this book. Buy your copy HERE.
The Finer Things: Timeless Furniture, Textiles, and Details
This book is just stunningly gorgeous! Even if you don’t care about what’s inside, I would buy this book for its decorative value alone! What’s it about? Who cares…just kidding! It’s about learning to recognize high-quality, timeless design pieces, like furniture, wallpaper, accessories, and textiles. The author has included expert interviews and guidance, along with some luxurious interior images to highlight “the finer things.” Buy your copy HERE.
Eat Drink Nap: Bringing the House Home
I love this coffee table book! Not only is it fun to look at, but the neutral, textured linen cover looks amazing as a decorative accent. This book has a mix of cooking, style, and decorating inspiration from Soho House – the world’s leading private club. Learn how to throw a party, how to make people feel welcome in your home, and how to design a bedroom from experts who have perfected the art of entertaining! Buy yours HERE.
Live Beautiful
From celebrated design expert and interior designer Athena Calderone of EyeSwoon, this coffee table book is a glimpse into how designers are inspired to create beautiful spaces. She offers helpful tips on how to bring different elements of a room together, and shares gorgeous design photos. Not only that, but this book is pretty to look at, so it will be a great addition to your home decor. Buy your copy HERE.
This is Home: The Art of Simple Living
This is Home is a practical guide with tons of tips on how to create happy interiors that reflect both your functional needs and style. It’s a coffee table book filled with gorgeous pictures of global interiors, but it also is a great guide with tips about budget decorating, finding your decorating style, how to achieve balance in a space, and how to keep your home looking fresh. Get your copy HERE.
Down to Earth: Laid-Back Interiors for Modern Living
You may know designer Lauren Leiss from her popular design blog Pure Style Home, or her HGTV show Best House on the Block. Down to Earth is her second design book focused on creating approachable, easy-going interiors. Inside you’ll find lots of pretty photos, and a wealth of design advice, as she walks you through six unique homes. This coffee table book will also make a nice-looking addition to your decor, with its gray spine and neutral colors. Buy your copy HERE.
Simplicity
If you like the minimalist style, you’ll love this book from interior designer Nancy Braithwaite. She is known for creating sophisticated, less-is-more designs, and believes in simplicity over excess. But, probably the best reason to buy this book is for its looks! It has a unique polka dot hardcover, with a dust jacket that doesn’t go all the way to the top, so the polka dots peek out from the top. Perfect for decorating any minimalist space, but it would also be a fun accent book for any style. Shop your copy HERE.
1000 Places to See Before You Die
Finally, a coffee table book that isn’t about design! Well, you can’t blame me for loving so many interior design books, since they tend to work so nicely for decorating! This book, however, is also gorgeous on the outside, and works great with today’s popular navy blue color palettes. Inside, you’ll find breathtaking images of the best places the world has to offer, and get some major inspiration for your next travel adventure. Buy your copy HERE.
Vanity Fair 100 Years
The simplicity of this book cover makes it a great book for decorating, but the true beauty of this book is the historical journey and groundbreaking imagery you’ll find inside. It’s a stunning collection of visual storytelling that reflects the changes our society has seen over the last century. Buy this big, heavy book for what’s on the inside, and use it as the base of your coffee table book stack. Get yours HERE.
Louis Vuitton: The Birth of Modern Luxury
Where are my fashion lovers at? This book gets a designer thumbs-up for aesthetics (no, that leather handle isn’t real), and looks fantastic on a coffee table or bookcase. Just know that it’s big and heavy, and filled with information and images describing the history of this luxury company. The book was originally published in 2004, and then revised in 2012 to cover the brand’s more recent history. Get your copy HERE.
Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave
After Fixer Upper first aired in 2013, Joanna Gaines sparked a design revolution with her signature Farmhouse style. In Homebody, she walks you through how to create a home that reflects your personality, with practical steps for discovering and embracing your own design style. Filled with beautiful pictures of Joanna’s work, this is a great book for anyone who has been a Fixer Upper fan, but also a lovely-looking book for your coffee table or bookshelves. Shop your copy HERE.
Living with Pattern: Color, Texture, and Print at Home
I love this book, with its eye-catching pattern and gorgeous colors! If you’ve ever struggled to use pattern in your home, this book will help you understand how to incorporate it into your decorating, and how to mix and layer different patterns throughout your home. Inside this gorgeous book, you’ll find pictures with creative uses of pattern in homes all over the country, and inspiration for how you can inject a little more pattern into your life. Grab your copy HERE.
How many coffee table books do you need?
In general, a stack of 2 to 4 books will be the perfect amount for your coffee table, or any other surface (e.g. bookshelf, dresser, console table, etc)
How do you style a coffee table with books?
Here are a few tips for styling your coffee table with books:
Tip #1 – Color
First, choose your books based on color. Neutral colors (black, white, gray) will work with any color palette, so they are a safe choice. But, a colorful or patterned coffee table book can be a great way to propagate your color scheme, and enhance your decor.
Source: Pottery Barn
Tip #2 – Size
Vary the size of your books, slightly. If your books are all the exact same size, your stack could look a little forced and unnatural. Try to select a large book for the base of your stack, and one or two more books that are slightly smaller to create a more visually interesting, and effortless look.
Source: West Elm
Tip #3 – Layers
Layer a decorative object on top of your books to add height and sophistication to your coffee table decor. Candles, bowls, small plants, boxes, and other small accents are all great choices!
Source: Lux Deco
Here are a few of my favorite styling pieces that pair beautifully with coffee table books:
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