There are probably endless bookshelves everywhere you look! However, have you thought about displaying books on your coffee table?
These books are typically not your average novel, and tend to tie together your home decor and color scheme.
Let’s take a look at what a coffee table book is exactly, and which ones you can add to your home.
6 Best Coffee Table Books You Should Buy
Ultimately, the books you buy will depend on your taste, and the style of your home. But, I have some of the most popular and prominent books that you can display on your coffee table here.
Our first option is one of the most popular best selling coffee table books. It has been selected as the ‘Best Coffee Table Book’ by Stylecaster, and has been featured in the New York Times and many other magazines.
This book simply looks stunning on a coffee table, with a white and gold cover, offering readers tips on how to create a functional, but beautifully styled home.
With a good ratio of images and text, this book can inspire you to uplift your home, and give your guests something fun to read and flick through.
Pros
Perfect for those who love home organization
Looks great on display on the coffee table
Been dubbed the best coffee table book
Has plenty of images, and text to read
Offers tips, and a guide on how to transform your home and life
Cons
If you’re not that into home organization, then this may not work for you.
If you want a coffee table book that inspires conversation, then this is the one for you.
It is a number one best seller, and a visual field guide of how to do all of the things you’ve always wanted to know how to do.
It is more craftsmanship based, with information on how to be a utilitarian, with helpful life skills from cooking an egg to splitting wood, building fires, growing your own food, or brewing your own coffee.
It is positively filled with tricks and tips of things you have probably never considered before.
With visual images and easy to follow how-to steps, this is a great book for anyone who wants to be more skilled and thoughtful in life.
Pros
Fascinating read filled with tips, steps, and how-tos of some of the most interesting things and skills you can have
Has five section from home, garden, kitchen, and outdoor work included
Written by Kaufmann Mercantile experts
Will open up a fun conversation and discussion that you and your guests can enjoy
Cons
Cover is not spectacular, but the content is great.
If you want a book that can make you feel like you are away on a tropical island, and helps you escape the doldrums of life, then Let’s Get Lost is a great option.
It has a striking blue-green color, with a breathtaking landscape as the main image, and is filled with amazing pictures of the most remote and beautiful places in the world.
If you are someone who loves to travel, and you want to spark your wanderlust and imagination again, then this is a great option.
This book has been curated by an award winning travel photographer, and has over 200 shots of the most remote places in the world.
This book urges you to travel to the most stunning places of natural beauty and off the beaten track.
You, and your guests will love flicking through the pages and finding unique spots to add to your bucket lists!
Pros
Inspiring
Can show you some of the hidden gems in the world
Filled with over 200 photographs
Captures coastal views, forests, mountains, and the wilderness
A very visual book with a calming hardcover
Cons
Not a whole lot of reading material, mainly photography based.
Nowadays, minimalism is at the forefront of the home decor industry. More and more people prefer a simple, warm, clean, and comfortable home style.
This book will look wonderful in a home with a beige, neutral color palette, and has a stunning hardcover to display on a coffee table.
The book tells you how to elevate your home, transform your life, and organize your space in amazing ways.
It is funny to read, direct and straight to the point, and will tell you tips and tricks to keep your home tidy, and become a better version of yourself.
It’s a fun read that you or your guests can flick through, filled with plenty of images and information to pique your interest.
Pros
Tells you how to transform your life by editing, organizing, elevating, and maintaining your home and yourself.
Beautiful cover that would match a minimalistic, neutral home
Written in small bite size chunks to make it easy to read and flick through
Written by a professional home organizer
Cons
If you don’t have a minimalist home or style, then this book may not work for you, or reflect your personality.
Another option is the American Cowboys book by Anouk Masson Krantz. This is a historical and contemporary large format book with a black and white image on the cover.
It will look great if you have a simple home decor style, and want to have something that matches a black and white color scheme.
This book is stunning to look at, with pages filled with the photography of the author.
It allows a fresh perspective of cowboy culture, showcasing the men, women, children, and families that are still living to this day in ranching communities, or partaking in the rodeo.
It displays the life of those in the American West, and allows outsiders insight into the private lives of the real American Cowboys today.
Krantz has been widely acclaimed for her work and has been showcased in many exhibits and galleries in the past, but this book is arguably one of her best yet, and will look great on any coffee table.
Pros
Beautiful, large format book
Photographs are breathtaking, with great use of white space
Allows a more contemporary perspective of American cowboy culture
Includes real people and real stories
Cons
All images are black and white, whereas some may prefer more colorful images to display
If you want something a little more quirky, that discusses important topics, then this is the book for you. It has a stunning monochrome, black and white cover with a cute picture of a shelter dog.
This is a short read, in a hardcover book that will look great on a coffee table, or on a shelf.
The book is written by Traer Scott, who started out by photographing the many dogs in animal shelters while she volunteered at them.
It is moving, including short stories of the tough beginnings in life these dogs had, and how they found their happy endings after being adopted by loving, caring families.
With extensive images, and an important message and tribute to these animals that need homes, it’s a great way to start a discussion about adopting animals in need, yet also has lovely photographs for your guests to flick through.
Pros
Will look great if you want a monochrome style in your home
Filled with photographs of real dogs
Real-life stories from tough starts, difficult transitions to happy endings
Can start a discussion
Cons
May not be for everyone, as some stories are saddening.
Final Thoughts
If you want to make your home look great, while also showing guests your interests and hobbies, then a few good coffee table books will be just what you need.
How To Choose The Right Coffee Table Books
Choose Ones That Match Your Home Decor
If you want to tie in the coffee table books and use them to elevate the space, then you should choose ones that match your home decor.
I do always say never judge a book by its cover, but if you are displaying the books on your coffee table, then you will want to choose attractive editions, and ones that match the color scheme of your home.
Choose Your All-Time Favorite Books
If you’re unsure which coffee table books to display, then you can always opt for your all-time favorite novels.
This is a much more personal approach, and allows you to display something that is unique and personal to you.
Your home will then reflect your personality, your likes, and your interests for all to see.
Choose Vintage Books
You could also opt for vintage books or first edition books. These make for a great conversation starter, and can be something that you love to collect.
You can show guests and friends your vintage, antique books and wow them with your collection.
Choose Only A Few
For the best results, you will want to choose between two to four books. You won’t want to overload your coffee table or make it look really cluttered.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is A Coffee Table Book?
Coffee table books tend not to be novels. They are typically larger books, with lavish covers, and are beautifully illustrated or have lots of pictures in them.
They are intended for light, casual reading, and for guests to flick through when in your home.
These books tend to be cookbooks, sports books, fashion, film and TV, lifestyle or photography books, and are usually hardback with beautiful covers.
Coffee table books should be interesting, fascinating, and invite your guests to take a look through them when waiting for you, or when over for a dinner party or coffee date.
As a result, they may often be artsy books, photography books, or ones with factual information that can work as a conversation starter.
Alternatively, some people prefer to display books that lend insight into themselves, as the owner.
That way, your guests can look at the books that you have on your coffee table, and understand you a little better, based on the content of the book, or what you like to read.
Hi, my name is Anna Davis and I have been working with books for five years now. I got a job at my local library, so I could be closer to all of the books! I created this website in the hopes of inspiring others to start reading again. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your new favorite book from my site!
