I love it so much because it's so big and it fills our fairly large living room quite nicely. It also gives me plenty of surface area to play around on. At this point, my life passion has truly become restyling my coffee table! You will know by now that my rule of thumb is books, books, and more books so I thought it would be appropriate to share some of my favorite coffee table books that I have collected over the years!
1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Masterpiece Paintings text by Kathryn Calley Galitz
This was my Mother's Day gift this year and it's definitely a new favorite! I am by no means an expert but I love art. I love looking at it and I love reading about it. Some of my favorite classes from my college program were actually my art history classes. I came to find out that people love art not to be pretentious but because it's beautiful and equally fascinating. Paintings especially are like little mysteries that each viewer has to solve for themselves. One of the best examples of this would be The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eych, 1434. I remember studying this painting in one of my classes. What is the relationship between the two people in the foreground? On the wall in the background there is a mirror and if you look closely there are two people entering the room. Who are they and why are they there? Is the woman in green pregnant or is she merely hopeful to concieve? There are so many questions but also so many little details were included to aide in answering them. Okay, that's the fun of art but back to the book!
I love the feminine figure and muted color scheme found on the cover, I think it adds the right amount of sophisticated charm to the room. And if I can't live two blocks away from the Met then I may as well have a massive (this book could be a weapon) book full of beautiful paintings sitting right in the middle of my table!
2. The Puffin in Bloom edition of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Something about my own personal style is that I love the juxtaposition between sophistication and whimsy. I love the eclectic effect that it gives and if the first book I mentioned is just the right amount of sophistication then this book is just the right amount of whimsy. I mean, it is Alice right? This specific edition is fully illustrated by Anna Bond who is the founder of Rifle Paper Co. and if you know me, you know that I am an absolute sucker for Rifle Paper Co! I actually display this book on my coffee table without the dust jacket because I love the design on the spine underneath. And here's the thing about a beautiful spine: you can stack another book on top and you still get a statement. Like, "you can't see all of me, but I'm here and I'm super cute!"
3. Domino: Your Guide to a Stylish Home by domino editors Jessica Romm Perez and Shani Silver
I have both editions of this book but I specifically love the second. The soft pink cove with the butterflies is so fun and the content inside is even better. The thing I love most about this book is it's "perfectly imperfect" approach to design. It's not about perfection it's about making your home yours and if that includes a permanent dip in your couch from reading a thousand books in the same spot or a crooked picture of your grandparents on the wall, so be it. I highly recommend this book!
4. Pretty City London by Siobhan Ferguson
London/England in general is currently number one on my list of travel destinations. Even though I haven't been there yet I feel like England just screams aesthetic and this book definitely proves it. It is filled with the most gorgeous photos of all of London's nooks and crannies. Even though it gives me serious FOMO, I love flipping through it for inspiration. This same author actually has another book called Pretty City New York and I would love to check that one out soon too!
5. The Flower Expert: Ideas and Inspiration for a Life With Flowers by Fleur McHarg
Bringing in fresh flowers is such an easy way to elevate whatever space you are working in. You can play around with color, shape, texture and this book is a sure source of inspiration! I really loved reading Fleur McHarg's short introduction at the beginning. She sees the world through such a unique lens and you can seriously feel her passion jump off the page. By the time I was done reading her introduction I said to myself, "okay, I trust this woman!" If you love flowers, than this book is most definitely for you!
Bonus: Vogue Magazine
I am a long time lover of Vogue. When I was in high school I used to save every single copy and by the time I moved out they were taking over so I had to get rid of a lot of them. Now I just save special issues I've picked up while traveling and also every September issue. I love the September issues because they are huge and it's essentially like buying a book only at a fraction of the price. They look so chic all stacked up together. Just a fun little tip to add some variety.
Well, that about wraps it up! I tried to share a little bit of everything to pique different interests and as always, I hope I have inspired you in some way. Happy book hunting!
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