Coffee table books make such a fabulous accessory, adding beautiful color and pattern to any area of your home. Learn where to find decorative books for home decor and gifts – and where to use them!
The right decorative coffee table book, also known as a cocktail table book, can be filled with meaning. They can speak to someone’s personal story or interests, and can be excellent conversation starters, too!
Learn where to buy them, what to look for, and how to style them throughout your home. Beautiful books aren’t just for coffee tables! They are excellent for nightstands, end tables, side tables, buffets, consoles and more!
One of the things that really surprised me after my recent post about Bookshelf Decor Ideas was the questions and excitement about my secret (or not-so-secret) sources for books!
While I’m not a huge reader or a collector, I do love to peruse a beautiful coffee table book – especially interior design coffee table books. Whenever a new book from a favorite designer comes out, I can’t resist purchasing out of both support and a genuine love for beautiful design inspiration.
I also love to see the choices my friends and family make for the books in their homes. I think these books can be a little like artwork for your walls, because they truly help to tell a person’s story.
Decorative Books
Decorative coffee table books make excellent gifts – both for their beautiful covers and colorful, fabulously photographed pages. Interior design coffee table books have long held my heart, but I also love travel coffee table books, and really anything that adds a beautiful layer to help create a more cozy home.
Coffee table books do so much more than fill out your Coffee Table Decor or your Built in Bookshelves. Learn all about my favorite coffee table books, as well as my favorite sources, styling tips and more.
Coffee Table Books
Below, you’ll find links to my favorite coffee table books, organized by category. I hope you enjoy perusing these beauties and adding a few to your own collection!
I have a curated list of 112 favorites in my Amazon storefront to make shopping effortless.
Tips
- Group books in odd numbers (a stack of 3 or 5)
- Determine if you want the jacket on or off
- Group by color
- Layer – Place them on a tray or add a decorative object on top (candle, vase, bowl, object) to create interest
Frequently Asked Questions
Because these large, hard-covered books are typically placed on a coffee table to inspire conversation or pass time.
Coffee table books are typically 11″ or larger and at least 28 pages in length with most at 200+ pages.
Amazon is a great resource (each book offers a new and used price). Etsy is also a surprising and fun place to shop for books (you can purchase stacks in the same or complimentary color palette), used book stores and thrift stores.
Where to Use Coffee Table Books
- Coffee Table
- End Table or Side Table
- Nightstand Decorating
- Desk
- Console Table or Buffet
- Bar Cart
- Bookshelves
Blue Coffee Table Books
Sometimes you just need that perfect pop of color, right? Here are a few of the prettiest decorative books in my favorite hue.
Interior Design Coffee Table Books
These books not only look beautiful as part of interior design, but can inspire your own designs. I love perusing through books from my favorite interior designers to seek ideas for design, decor and styling.
Travel Coffee Table Books
Whether you’re planning a trip or just dreaming of a getaway, flipping through travel coffee table books can take you away to a far away place – while making your home feel just as dreamy!
- Great Escapes Italy
- Vogue on Location: People, Places, Portraits
- Island Whimsy
- America’s Best Day Hikes
- Walk With Me: New York
- Pretty City New York
This book will take you away with a classic cover that fits into your home seamlessly!
Neutral Coffee Table Books
What lies beneath is often not revealed when shopping for books online. You rarely see beyond the dust cover (the book jacket that covers the book) to know what a hardback book actually looks like.
As part of our Neutral Living Room, I love a soft, pretty pastel decorative book that fits in with our neutral color scheme.
- The Welcoming House
- Habitat
- Making Past Present
- Gathering: Setting the Natural Table
- Abode (so pretty without the dust cover)
- A Slice of England
- Homebody (remove dust cover to reveal soft gray book)
This book fits almost any space and is filled with serene settings and inspiration for slow living.
Coastal Coffee Table Books
Of course, we can’t skip these! They are some of my favorites and a few are featured in our own Coastal Modern Living Room.
- A Summer Place: Living by the Sea
- Surf Shack: Laid-Back Living by the Water
- Clark Little: The Art of Waves
- Summer to Summer: Houses By the Sea
If you love seaside living, you’re going to love this one!
More Stackable Books
I’ve had so many friends write and create beautiful coffee table books. These are a few favorites!
- The Southern Entertainers Cookbook
- French Country Cottage
- The Gift of Home
- Notebook (available in an array of colors)
Shop Vintage Books
I also love to search vintage resellers to find books in a specific shape, style or color I am seeking (in this case it’s less about the content of the book and more about the cover).
They are often sold in lots, making it so easy to find the perfect color and price point for your coffee table! Start your search for vintage bookshelf books here.
I think coffee table books make such an amazing gift, don’t you? For more favorite gift-giving ideas, see my favorite Amazon Gifts!
