6 Coffee Table Books for the Design Lover
To say I devoured this book is an understatement. I picked it up from the library without much thought and ended up spending an entire evening taking in every photo, every word, every book recommendation. If you love reading, this book is for you. If you love design, this book is for you. If you don’t love either… maybe this book will change that. ;) Can we get a Volume II, Sadie Stein and Nina Freudenberger?
Mother and daughter duo, Caitlin Flemming and Julie Goebel, explore the beautifully curated homes of designers and interview them on how travel influences their style and work. It’s a great book for globetrotters to reference and get ideas for curating interior spaces that tell a story of your experiences in an artistic and appealing way. I personally am such a sucker for an eclectic vignette of travel mementos. I try to bring home a piece of art from all my trips, and cherish my collected ceramics, paintings, and other bits and bobs.
Design inspiration comes from so much more than just strictly interior design books. Cookbooks, photography books, and travel books are all great resources too, and equally aesthetically pleasing to keep around your house. Every spread in A Table for Friends by Skye McAlpine is a dinner party I want to be at. The dishware, table settings, and even Skye’s patterned dresses all serve as colorful design inspiration.
You’ll come across the theme of British design at The Sunday Collection a lot. Not sure if it’s because of my British ancestral roots or what, but I find myself constantly drawn to British design — everything from electic town homes to rustic English cottages. The emphasis on warmth and cozy and the total embracing of color and pattern all makes me so happy.
If you haven’t already had the pleasure, meet the queens of eclectic, Emily Ward and Louisa Pierce. I’ve gone down the Pierce & Ward rabbit hole on Pinterest many ‘a time, so I was so happy to hear of their recent book launch, where I could treasure their work “in person.” They have that admirable ability to piece together a room of objects that on their own I would never give a second glance, but when they come together there’s a magic you can’t quite put your finger on. HOW? WHY? And can you teach me your ways?
The first of two lifestyle books by Soho Home (home brand of Soho House), Eat Drink Nap is a look into the interior spaces of each Soho House location (my personal favorites are Barcelona, Istanbul, Amsterdam, and Mumbai). They go through the design process and inspirations, and also share details from other elements of their houses like recipes to popular menu items, and playlists of music you would likely hear inside each house. It’s a great aspirational book to flip through for design as well as travel.