- October 26, 2019
- Luis Carmona
Sitting around your friend’s living room, sipping on your favorite evening cocktail surrounded by those who bring you great conversation and laughs, you’re distracted. An eye-grabbing book lies on the surface of the space’s centerpiece, the coffee table, and you can’t help but imagine what wonders you’d see underneath the hard, matte-finished cover. You don’t want to interrupt your friend who’s discussing their favorite new podcast, but the book is tempting you to grab and explore every inch of it.
Taschen’s Extraordinary, The Spirit of Bentley
That’s the power of a successful coffee table book. On a superficial level, it can hold more beauty than any one piece of decor, for each page is a new opportunity to see something spectacular. Additionally, coffee table books can be selected for their exterior color or design to complement the other decor you have on your table. On a personal level, they create an experience for the owner and guest of a space. They can be picked up, pored over, and provoking. Coffee table books can be inspirational and representational. Maybe you’re a car enthusiast, so Be Extraordinary, The Spirit of Bentley by Assouline sits on your living room’s coffee table. Your friends learn you might have an interest in the luxury, English automobile and your passion stares back at you every time you kick back and enjoy your space with loved ones or alone.
Selecting the right topic for your coffee table book might not be difficult, but choosing one that rises to the level of your interior design might take a little extra leg work. To make things easier, we’ll tell you our favorite coffee table book publishers, great books for different interests, and some of our most-loved pieces.
ASSOULINE AND TASCHEN
We gravitate towards the coffee table book publishers Assouline and Taschen for two distinct, and different, reasons. If one of your interests falls under Assouline’s categories, you will most definitely want to purchase their book on the topic. They think about design from every angle, and the pieces they produce never disappoint. Taschen, on the other hand, offers a variety of books. Their products can come in a wide range of designs and sizes, so you might not always get that large, hardcover, piece of art with Taschen. But don’t be mistaken, they do publish that iconic coffee book style and they’re sure to carry a book that covers a topic you’re interested in.
BOOKS BASED ON INTEREST
DESIGN
Since design is our specialty, here are some rich books on design, ranging from fashion to architecture.
FOOD AND DRINK
Whether you’re a creator or enjoyer, beautifully composed photos of food & drink never let you down. If anything, they inspire you to recreate the recipe for your next dinner party (or find a friend who will).
TRAVEL
Some of the best books are the ones that take you away, show you a different side of a culture or landscape that you’ve never seen but now dream to.
OUR FAVORITES
There are some coffee table books we often style our homes with, whether it’s because they play with the color scheme, we know the client will love the topic, or both. Tom Ford by Tom Ford and Bridgett Foley is a go-to book for us. It’s an extremely versatile decor piece and the photography is unmatched. The Chanel collection from Assouline is similar, as it’s black and white, allowing it to fit any sleek, modern space.
Bvlgari Roma and Whiskey Cocktails are new finds for us that we love! Bvlgari Roma is a great color-pop piece while Whiskey Cocktails perfectly accents any bar setting.
You’ve seen a wide variety of books based on interest, style, and design — it’s time you select a coffee table book that’ll inspire and represent you. If you find multiple you want (and it’s very likely you will), we’re close to the holidays — put them on your gift list! Coffee table books make fabulous gifts for the holidays or for that house-warming party you’ve been invited to. They’re thoughtful, beautiful, and sure to get well-used for years.
