13 coffee table books

13 COFFEE TABLE BOOKS
BY EMILY FARAONE

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As we are spending more time at home, I’m noticing the things around me a little deeper. We recently bought an additional bookshelf for our home and have been shifting books around and restyling our shelving. We have SO many books! Styling our shelves takes longer and longer as I stop to flip through our book collection, especially our coffee table books. I am challenged to somehow display all our coffee table books to ensure they are seen and getting appreciated… way trickier than you think! This got me thinking… what makes a book a “coffee table book?”

Well, according to Oxford, a coffee table book is “a large, expensive, lavishly illustrated book, intended especially for casual reading.” I have to say this definition made me smile a bit… a little over the top?

I frequently return to my coffee table books and flip through them with a fresh eye. I’m inspired by aspects I hadn’t noticed before. One of my favorites that are currently featured in our home is Surf Shack: Laid-Back Living by the Water. We don’t exactly live by the water, but I love adding elements of that “laid-back” lifestyle into our city apartment. There is a freshness, but also a lived-in feel that is balanced perfectly in those spaces.

It is important to surround ourselves with elements of inspiration and coffee table books are one of my favorite ways to do so. These books have become my go-to presents as they give knowledge, beauty, decor, and sentiment. Challenge yourself to surround yourself more with these books— in a variety of subjects. Surprisingly, as a designer, I try to limit the amount of interior design-focused coffee table books. There is something more analytical about finding inspiration from different fields and bringing them into your own.

We have compiled some coffee table books to inspire you. Maybe a gift for someone? Mother’s Day is near…