07/12/17

As a lover of books, it’s no surprise that my recent fixation with home decor is coffee table books. What better way to add height, levels of interest in coffee table and book shelf styling, beauty, education, and interest than with a good coffee table book? Answer: there is no better way.

A good stack of books is instant art but even better because this art gives you hours of enjoyment, endless talking points, and entertaining conversation. My infatuation with these books began as a girl, pooling over my parents’ Erte art books; looking at them now, I still feel the rush of fascination and nostalgia with each colorful, exotic page.

My book picks have something for everyone – the traveler, hostess, floral enthusiast, bakers or lovers of cake, the fashionistas, fun-fact wizards, home decor aficionado, lovers of art, elegance, people, the world, and everything in between. {Just click the images or text below to learn more.}

16 Must-have coffee table books

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I can’t think of better gifts to yourself, friends and family, and what hostess wouldn’t love one of these instead of another bottle of wine?!

1. kate spade new york: all in good taste: “in this charming guide to entertaining, kate spade new york throws rigid rules out the door and shares unpretentious ideas for the modern-day hostess that are easy, festive, authentic, and always with an air of deliberate polish.” 2. In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs: “Over 100 exceptional and influential women describe how they embraced their creative spirit, overcame adversity, and sparked a global movement of entrepreneurship.” 3. Elements of Style: Designing a Home & a Life: “From the rising-star designer and author of the hit blog, Elements of Style, a full-color, fully illustrated book packed with honest advice, inspiration, ideas, and lessons learned about designing a home that reflects your personality and style.” 4. Bad Girls Throughout History: 100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World: “The 100 revolutionary women highlighted in this gorgeously illustrated book were bad in the best sense of the word: they challenged the status quo and changed the rules for all who followed. ” 5. The Book of General Ignorance: “Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more…a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.” 6. Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Greatest Trips: “Compiled from the favorite trips of National Geographic’s travel writers…It presents an incredible diversity of possibilities, from ocean cruises around Antarctica to horse treks in the Andes. Every continent and every possible form of transport is covered.” 7. Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World’s Most Amazing Places: “National Geographic takes you on a photographic tour of the world’s most spectacular destinations, inspiring tangible ideas for your next trip. Hundreds of the most breathtaking locales—both natural and man-made—are illustrated with vivid images taken by the organization’s world-class photographers.” 8. Naked Cakes: Simply Beautiful Handmade Creations: “Fondant haters, lazy bakers and time-poor hosts rejoice! These naked cakes are achievable, budget friendly and swoon-worthy-and they provide an ideal opportunity to experiment with and display your individual creativity!” 9. Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People: “Lavishly illustrated in full color, a book of thirty-six spectacular houses and gardens—whose owners come from the worlds of fashion, music, art, and society—drawing on stories from the pages of Vogue and Vogue Living as well as never-before-published images by iconic photographers.” 10. PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives: “The project that captured a nation’s imagination. You are invited to anonymously contribute a secret to a group art project. Your secret can be a regret, fear, betrayal, desire, confession, or childhood humiliation. Reveal anything — as long as it is true and you have never shared it with anyone before. Be brief. Be legible. Be creative.” 11. The Magic of Motherhood: The Good Stuff, the Hard Stuff, and Everything In Between: “The Magic of Motherhood celebrates your life as a mom—the good stuff, the hard stuff, and everything in between.” 12. Nasty Galaxy: “From Sophia Amoruso…, a lushly illustrated embodiment of the collective spirit of the Nasty Gal brand, Sophia’s own personal brand, and girlbosses everywhere… Warning: this is not a style book. It’s not about how to mix prints—it’s about how to leave yours on everything you touch.” 13. Remembering Diana: A Life in Photographs : “Commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, this exquisite book, with a foreword by best-selling author Tina Brown, celebrates the life of one of the most iconic women in the world.” 14. Erté: Art Deco Master of Graphic Art & Illustration (Masterworks): “Perhaps no individual is more associated with the 20th century art deco revival than Russian-born French artist and designer, Erté. Although his talent spanned many creative fields, Erté is perhaps best-known for his theatre and fashion designs, which were often later translated into beautiful silkscreen prints.” 15. Fashion Books:New York, London, Paris, Milan: “Calling all fashionistas! Celebrate your love of fashion with these bold black and white decorative books featuring the cities of New York, Milan, London, and Paris. These books are sure to make a statement on your bookshelf or coffee table.” 16. Influence: “Influence is about the Olsen twins’ influences in fashion and style, the book includes interviews with: Karl Lagerfeld Diane Von Furstenberg John Galliano Lauren Hutton Christian Louboutin amongst many others.”

Which ones are on your to-buy list? What other favorites can you share with me?

Hi, I'm Lindsay!

Writer. Mom. Wife. Teacher. I'm passionate about family, manners, and learning and fervently stand up for (and write about) what I believe in. I strive to make myself and the world around me better through blogging. Don't forget to never say no to tea, cookie dough, peonies, or kindness.