Today, there are so many pretty coffee table books to choose from. Here on Mornington Lane, it's all about aesthetically pleasing home decor, including books for styling as well as reading, of course. I'm talking about a beautiful spine, a pretty cover, and a book that looks great anywhere you style it. With so many choices, you have come to the right place to find the best gift guide a coffee table book lover could want!
Here are 15 of my (current) favorite coffee table books, mostly about interior design, that would make great gifts for the reader in your life.
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- The Beauty of Home: Redefining Traditional Interiors - One of the foremost interior designers of today, Marie Flanigan's book sits pretty on a coffee table, but you also won't want to put it down! I usually take the dust jacket off of books, but not hers; it is too pretty. Substantial in size, her book is filled with inspiring (and aspiring) interiors you can't miss!
- Home At Last: Enduring Design for the New American Home - Renowned architect, Gil Schafer III is no stranger to timeless, classic design. His third book is a testament to staying true to classicism while evolving design within our current ways of living. This book was such a joy to read. I especially enjoyed reading about the bucolic field-stone clad Hudson Valley home (pg. 59 English Speaking) that looks as natural in New York as it would in England. Anyone who loves a great coffee table book would love to receive this as a gift.
- The Love of Home: Interiors for Beauty, Balance, and Belonging - The eponymous interior designer, Kate Marker features her personal home throughout this book. Filled with practical advice when making design decisions, a lover of neutral design will appreciate this book.
- Gather at Home: Over 100 Simple Recipes, DIYs, and Inspiration for a Year of Occasions - I love this book so much! Written by the influential designer Monika Hibbs, this book is one part decorating, one part family recipes, and another part fun DIYs and craft projects. A pretty spine that looks like linen and a soft palette for a cover make this a wonderful coffee table book gift.
- The Well Adorned Home: Making Luxury Livable - Penned by renowned interior designer Cathy Kincaid, this book demonstrates her singular style. You may have even witnessed her style in person, if you have ever been to Beacon Hill Books & Cafe in Boston. Classic, lived in rooms fill the pages of this special book.
- Elements of Timeless Style: Creating a Forever Home - Well-known interior designer Erin Gates shares her own home in her third book. Even the cover features her family room, complete with the blue paint color everyone can't stop asking about! Gates is known for unique book spines, and the white greek key detail sets this book apart. Design lovers who want project details, down to paint colors used, will enjoy this book.
- Interiors for A Life in Good Taste - Traditional design reigns supreme in this book by famed interior designer Caroline Gidiere. Pattern upon pattern, layer upon layer, each space more inviting than the next. Timeless, traditional design enthusiasts will not be able to put this book down.
- Sophisticated Simplicity - Eponymous interior designer turned-Ballard Design partner, Suzanne Kasler is known for creating spaces people want to spend time in. Her use of layering art with furnishings is mesmerizing - just look at the cover. Her signature style comes through, but in a way that makes each space feel unique to the homeowner.
- Return to Pretty: Giving New Life to Traditional Style - Known as much for her use of color as her gorgeous rugs, Caitlin Wilson eschews neutral for life filled with color and pattern. Her style, and this book, straddles the line between traditional to transitional in a refreshing way. Personally, I like the blue cover and so will your pattern-loving friends!
- Timeless: Classic American Architecture for Contemporary Living - Arguably one of the most influential architects in New England, Patrick Ahearn's Timeless is just that: a walk through time but for contemporary living. He tells a story about how a home has evolved, a unique approach to architecture and home renovations. Beautiful photography caps off this wonderful book.
- Beautiful: All-American Decorating and Timeless Style - Mark D. Sikes trilogy of "Beautiful" books - Beautiful, More Beautiful, and Forever Beautiful - all make wonderful coffee table books. It's this Beautiful book, in particular, that draws you in. Welcoming, relaxed spaces define Sikes work, with photography that captures the feeling perfectly.
- Arriving Home: A Gracious Southern Welcome - Pattern play and color is synonymous with author, James T. Farmer. This book is southern hospitality as a design style - it is inviting and feels like home. Gorgeously layered spaces are featured heavily, which makes this a great gift for the lover of maximalist design.
- Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style - Architectural Digest did a great service by creating a book that is as pretty on the outside as it is on the inside. You have no doubt seen this in every interior designer's list of must-have books, because it is that good. From the creamy linen-clad cover to the neutral spine, if you can't make up your mind which book to gift someone, let it be this one.
- Relaxed Elegance: Rooms for Living Well - Brittany Bromley goes all in with her designs, reaching into every corner of a room to create a moment. Her design style is refreshing and not something you see every day. Gift this book to those who appreciate interior design in all its forms.
- The Art of Home: A Designer Guide to Creating an Elevated Yet Approachable Home - Taking the design world by storm, Shea McGee takes the mystery out of designing pretty rooms, discussing how she approaches each space. She provides guides to space planning, choosing furnishings, and more. This may contain more pictures than any of the books on this list, and what a treat for the eyes!
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