Coffee table books: let’s talk about them! They’re dense, often expensive, but the good ones are SO worth the price of admission. As a voracious reader-turned-design fanatic, I’ve collected my share of big ol’ tomes – so today, I want to show you my fifteen favorite coffee table books. The catch? They’re all ones that I’ve learned from!
Let’s be real: a lot of coffee table books are photo-heavy, but my current budget is dedicated towards the titles that are both beautiful AND helpful. Below, you’ll find the books that taught me how to spot good vintage, how to mix patterns, how to identify American architecture by name (saltbox? Beaux Arts? Richardsonian Romanesque? I know them all!), and how to live comfortably in my home. I own and love every single one of these books.
But before you get started, I have a tip for you! Most of these are available to preview on Amazon – just click the button right below the cover image. I’m a big fan of thoughtful consumption these days, so make sure that you love the book before you add it to cart! (And if your budget allows, I’ve shared links to independent booksellers when available! Let’s keep those little stores in business. :)) Now, onwards, to what I’ve learned from the fifteen books that have shaped my design world…
Lesson 1: How To Modernize, Respectfully
$64, Amazon
Historic Style: Kelee Katillac – Honoring the Past with Design for Today by Jorge Arango: Full disclosure: this one is a BEHEMOTH (in a good way). It has it all: historic preservation! Classic interiors-turned-technicolor showstoppers! 400 years of design knowledge! It’s eight solid pounds filled with enormous shots of brilliant, thoughtfully crafted interiors.
I love Kelee’s fresh, modern eye – her spaces mix old and new in a bold, dynamic way. This book is the perfect mix of information and inspiration – if you’ve ever enjoyed a design history post on the blog, Historic Style is RIGHT up your alley. Preservation has never been more interesting!
Lesson 2: Make Your Home Feel Like You
$25, Amazon | $46.50, Bookshop
British Designers At Home by Jenny Rose-Innes: When I’m feeling stuck with my color palettes, British Designers At Home yanks me RIGHT out of that creative rut. The spaces featured in the book run the gamut, style-wise – some are grandiose, some are simple – but they all have that cozy, collected, distinctly-British vibe that we’ve come to admire. If you’re looking to make your “house” feel more like a “home,” there’s some great inspiration here. (Jenny is also the author of Australian Designers at Home, if you’d like to complete your set!)
Lesson 3: How To Do…Everything
$17.69, Amazon | $27.89, Bookshop
The Interior Design Handbook: Furnish, Decorate, and Style Your Space by Frida Ramstedt: This book was marketed as the “comprehensive bible of interior design,” which would have been brash had it not been TOTALLY TRUE. If my memory was erased and I needed to re-learn everything (not a joke – everything) about interior design, this would be the first book I’d pick up.
LOOK AT THAT! I’m an over-thinker, so having a list of rules for every possible design scenario punctuated by simple, clear illustrations is SO helpful. I’m of firm belief that we all should own a copy The Interior Design Handbook – it’s that good.
Lesson 4: How To Find Inspiration Anywhere
$27.70, Amazon | $32.55, Bookshop
Creative Spaces: People, Homes, and Studios to Inspire by Poketo: Before Em moved to Portland, she (very graciously!) allowed me to pull a few books from her stash. Creative Spaces was one of the titles I pulled and I’m so glad I did – it’s packed with all kinds of interiors, crafted by all kinds of creative types. If you were also a daily DesignSponge reader (RIP), you’ll LOVE this book.
Lesson 5: How To Spot High-Quality Pieces
$35.49, Amazon | $55.80, Bookshop
The Finer Things: Timeless Furniture, Textiles, and Details by Christiane Lemieux: This one’s a must-read for my fellow flea market and Facebook Marketplace fans! The goal of The Finer Things is to train your eye so you can recognize (and appreciate) those valuable, well-made pieces in the wild.
There’s a ton of great design history in the book, too, along with some stunning interior photos. I credit Christiane with SO MUCH of my design education – last year, we ended up in a few of the the same Zoom meetings and it took everything in me not to fangirl!
Lesson 6: How To Live More Sustainably
$24.69, Amazon | $37.20, Bookshop
The Low-Impact Home: A Sourcebook for Stylish, Eco-Conscious Living by Remodelista: There’s no shortage of great coffee table books from the Remodelista team, but I’m especially partial to The Low Impact Home. I picked this one up after a trip to Antarctica left me with some residual climate panic and I’ve really enjoyed implementing the tips I’ve learned in this book! It’s exciting to read about the future possibilities, too. (PS. If you’re currently renovating, you might find some eco-friendly money-saving ideas in here!)
Lesson 7: How To Take (and Embrace) Risks
$37.30, Amazon
Wonderland: Adventures in Decorating by Summer Thorton: OBSESSED. This is actually my favorite coffee table book – Summer’s spaces are just beyond. She’s mastered the art of the mix-and-match and she’s spilling her secrets in this book!
Her spaces are maximalist AND uncluttered; bold AND calm; whimsical AND sophisticated. Wonderland is a total masterclass in how spaces come together – if you’ve ever felt nervous or unsure about your design taste or skill, Summer’s words will reassure and embolden you.
Lesson 8: How To Win Bar Trivia With A Deep Knowledge Of American Architectural Styles
$70.14, Amazon
A Field Guide to American Houses (Revised): The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America’s Domestic Architecture by Virgina Savage McAlester: This is, for all intents and purposes, an encyclopedia. We start with the Wigwam, we end with 21st-century American architecture, and we learn EVERYTHING in between. A must-read for preservationists, design history lovers, OR for anyone who wants to communicate accurately with their contractors. (The paperback is also available for under $30, which I’d recommend over the hardcover – easier to transport!)
Lesson 9: How To Pick Design Rules To Follow (And Design Rules To Break!)
$25.39, Amazon | $51.15, Bookshop
Every Room Should Sing by Beata Heuman: You’ve undoubtedly seen Beata’s work over the past few years…and now, you can jump inside her brain and learn exactly how she pulled those iconic rooms together.
Her style is famously British – collected, vibrant, warm, and unfussy – so it’s fascinating to learn which rules she keeps in mind when designing! (In the pages above, Beata writes about how she chose denim upholstery to ground the other colors in the room. It’s a classic tip, but her finished room is so fresh and dynamic!)
Lesson 10: How To Blend Pattern, Texture, and Color
$19.99, Amazon | $32.55, Bookshop
Living With Pattern: Color, Texture, and Print at Home by Rebecca Atwood: If you love a good block print or a more worldly, eclectic, California-cool style, Living With Pattern will be especially interesting to you! Rebecca REALLY breaks things down and holds your hand in this one – she makes design feel approachable as she provides room-by-room commentary and tips. (Added bonus: the edges of each page orange, so it looks REALLY cool on a table.)
Lesson 11: How To Implement Your Inspiration
$30.99, Amazon | $37.20, Bookshop
Vivid: Style in Color by Julia Green & Armelle Habib: When they say “style,” they mean it! Vivid is like Pinterest in book form – there are a ton of great home tours, but they’re mixed in with gorgeous travel and fashion photography (arranged by color, no less!).
The spaces featured in this book rely heavily on vintage; they feel lived-in and personal and attainable. Plus, the final two chapters – white and black – showcase some really fun, thoughtful, and fresh neutral spaces.
Lesson 12: How To Build A Dreamy, Functional Kitchen
$27.49, Amazon | $41.85, Bookshop
The deVOL Kitchen: Designing and Styling the Most Important Room in Your Home by Paul O’Leary, Robin McLellan, and Helen Parker: Why aren’t we talking about this book ALL THE TIME? deVOL’s three directors met up, wrote down all of their kitchen design tips and tricks, and you’re still reading my blurb? RUN! Your dream kitchen is waiting! (If you binged For The Love of Kitchens on Magnolia, you’ll adore this one.)
Lesson 13: How To Stop Stressing And Embrace What You Love
$33.99, Amazon | $55.80, Bookshop
How To Live With Objects: A Guide To More Meaningful Interiors by SIGHT UNSEEN: I have a special spot in my heart for this book – I’ve had it for a year and a half, but it just helped me out of my bedroom design rut! I’m a huge over-thinker and designing spaces that will be shared on this platform is pretty nerve-wracking for me – How To Live With Objects is the antidote. It makes design feel less precious and more possible.
This book preaches the gospel of enjoying what you have and working with what you’ve got. It eschews the idea that rooms need to be “designed,” instead suggesting that our homes are more comfortable and more beautiful when we fill them with things we love. Is that obvious? Maybe! But sometimes a mix of practical tips, fantastical photographs, and common-sense advice is just what the doctor ordered, you know?
Lesson 14 & 15: How To Come Full Circle
Left $14.92, Amazon / $30.23, Bookshop | Right: $17.13, Amazon / $30.23, Bookshop
Styled: Secrets for Arranging Rooms, from Tabletops to Bookshelves by Emily Henderson: I’d be remiss if I didn’t call out the book that started it all for me: Styled, written by my boss, Emily Henderson. (It was my first design book, and I bought it years before starting here! It’s crazy to think about. :)) It still holds up, too – I love that it offers a taste of each style and that it really encourages play and exploration in your own home. It’s REALLY fun to flip through and I’m still gleaning new tips with every read, even though I work here now and can literally ask the author questions whenever I want. Books are magic!
The New Design Rules: How to Decorate and Renovate, from Start to Finish by Emily Henderson: And our pride and joy, The New Design Rules. If you could see how much time, care, and heart our team put into this book…well, you’d be pretty sentimental, too! There’s a lovely mix here – need some inspiration? It’s in here. Need a diagram of the stairs or a window with all parts labeled so you can have a coherent conversation with your contractor? That’s also in here! Whatever you need, we’ve got you.
There are a ton of books out there that didn’t make this list – some are just a little light on the text; others I just haven’t read yet! – so let me know if you have any other recommendations! I’d love to prioritize checking out your favorites. And if you liked this format, let me know – maybe we can get some more book recommendations going from the rest of the team. LET’S TALK ABOUT BOOKS!!! I’ll see you down there in the comments. xx
Opening Image Credits: Opening Image Credits: Design by Caitlin Higgins (me!) | Styled by Emily Bowser | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: The Reveal We’ve All Been Waiting For! Caitlin’s Mostly Thrifted, Postmodern Regency Deco Living Room
THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED HERE.
