Coffee table books are the ultimate escape. I’ve been a fan for as long as I’ve had a home of my own and am as proud of my collection as I am of my garden, such is the effort I’ve gone to cultivate it. I’ve learned much about interiors from countless beautiful pages curated by like-minded interiors addicts. The inspiration gleaned has informed my aesthetic and furnished not just my home, but my creative soul with colour and wonder.
The best thing about coffee table books is that they become part of the environment they encourage – stacked and styled in vignettes and carefully curated bookshelves in an ever-changing display. I keep them on constant rotation, so inspiration is always close to hand. Glancing at a familiar spine will spark furniture rearrangement or a market trip for fresh flowers.
Whether it’s a vicarious visit to the Amalfi coast, a consultation with your favourite interior designer, or a detailed how-to for arranging flowers or styling your bedside table, a comprehensive collection of coffee table books is the key to success for anyone addicted to interior design.
Here’s my round-up of the best and most inspiring coffee books for interior design lovers.
How do you decorate with coffee table books?
The beauty of coffee table books is that they don’t only make for inspirational reads, but provide an effortless coffee table décor solution. The styling opportunities are endless, with one coffee table book looking just as stylish as a statement as a pile of them stacked up.
Whether you need a pop of red or a splash of bright yellow, coffee table books are also an easy and (temporary) way of playing with new colours in a room, and are a nice way to showcase your personal interests and style.
When decorating with coffee table books, we recommend sticking to the rule of three (three items being the most aesthetic to look at) and making sure your largest books are at the bottom of the stack and your smallest are at the top. Also, don’t be afraid to complete your stack with an additional décor item, such as a lamp, decorative bowl, candle or house plant.
2024’s top coffee table books
- Style: The Art Of Creating A Beautiful Home by Natalie Walton, $53.97, Amazon
- Assouline Byron Bay, $185, Bed Threads
- Live Beautiful by Athena Calderone, $65, The Iconic
The best interior design coffee table books to buy in 2024
Style: The Art of Creating a Beautiful Home by Natalie Walton
from $53.97, Amazon
By helping you connect with your personal style, Natalie Walton teaches you how to elevate your spaces with the items you already have.
Style doesn’t just offer a wealth of valuable interior advice, it also makes for a particularly aesthetic décor item on any coffee table.
Key features:
- 22.48cm x 2.79cm x 30.73cm
- 240 pages
- Photographed by Chris Warnes
Available at:
Assouline Byron Bay by Shannon Fricke
from $185, Bed Threads
Part of the popular Assouline series, which feature images from some of the world’s most mesmerising locations, Shannon Fricke’s Byron Bay is one for Assouline fans to add to their collection.
Plus, with its serene sky blue cover art, this one is the perfect coffee table book for any coastal-inspired homes.
Key features:
- 25cm x 33cm x 5cm
- 280 pages
- Linen hardcover
Available at:
Living Well By Design by Melissa Penfold
from $65, The Iconic
Melissa Penfold’s Living Well By Design remains one of Australia’s best interior design bibles.
Sharing her three decades of expertise, Melissa educates readers on the most important decorating principles and how to use them to turn their house into a home.
Key features:
- 24.38cm x 2.54cm x 31.37cm
- 208 pages
- Hardcover book
Anna Spiro: A Life In Pattern
from $90, The Iconic
Anna Spiro is Australia’s voice on colour, pattern and print. In her gorgeous interiors coffee table book, the designer shares her design philosophy through mood boards, furniture suggestions, room layouts and photographs from more than 20 of her interior design projects.
Key features:
- 25.7cm x 33.5cm x 2.9cm
- 260 pages
- Hardcover
Available at:
Dirty Janes Vintage Style by Jane Crowley
$59.95, The Iconic
With more than 220 pages of inspiration from the beloved Dirty Janes Vintage Style emporiums in both Bowral and Canberra, Dirty Janes Vintage Style is a must-have coffee table book for all lovers of antique and vintage homewares.
Key features:
- 22.9cm x 29.8cm x 2.4cm
- 220 pages
- Hardcover
Available at:
The New Antiquarians: At Home with Young Collectors by Michael Diaz-Griffith
$69.26, Amazon
With 256 pages of eclectic design inspiration, this unique coffee table book puts a spotlight on a new generation of antique collectors from across the globe and their inspiring homes.
Key features:
- 25 x 3 x 29.9 cm
- 256 pages
- Hardcover
A Place in the Sun by Slim Aarons
$119, Temple & Webster
Featuring a series of photographs from iconic Hollywood photographer Slim Aarons, A Place In The Sun is an inspiring catalogue of some of the world’s most stylish locales.
Key features:
- 31.4cm x 26.6cm x 2.9cm
- 240
- Hardback
Available at:
Resident Dog: Volume Two by Nicole England
$65, David Jones
Resident Dog showcases 25 of the world’s most incredible houses — and the dogs who live there. The photographs are all by Nicole England, a architecture photographer who found that her most memorable shoots were the ones with dogs present.
Key features:
- 22.86 x 3.56 x 28.7 cm
- 272 pages
- Hardcover
Available at:
A Slice of England: The Story Of Four Houses by India Hicks
$70.76, Amazon
Best for: reason
British design enthusiasts will love this exploration of English interiors from India Hicks. The book gives us a peek inside her family homes and estates, as well as at how she has reinterpreted English tradition inside the home she calls her own.
Key features:
- 23.88 x 2.57 x 28.7 cm
- 224 pages
- Hardcover
This article originally appeared on Home Beautiful and is republished here with permission.
