Using Books As Accessories

Books are such a versatile way to style your home. They’re simple yet inherently stylish and can be used in every corner of your home, from the entranceway console to kitchen shelving, from the bedroom nightstand to the office desk, from the bathroom stool to the living room bookshelves, the possibilities are endless. There are so many ways to style them. Switching up the positioning of books and aligning them vertically and horizontally helps to make shelving feel more dynamic and interesting. You can vary the position of book stacks to the left, right or centre of a shelf to help balance the weight of the styling. You can also face the spines inwards, outwards or you can nonchalantly leave the book open.

Another creative way to display books is to create little stacks that you can use to elevate certain objects. Start with your largest book on the bottom for stability, then add another two to four books on top, odd numbers tend to work best.  Use the stack as a base for an additional item or two, like a bowl, candle, vase or coaster set.

Coffee table books have such beautiful covers and graphic spines, they provide colour and interest to almost any flat surface in your home. If you have a large coffee table, you may want to leave a book displayed open on your favourite page or position a stack on a tray.

Books are great way to add character and personality to your space. They’re great conversation starters, giving visitors and dinner guests some insight into your hobbies and interests. Obviously books are very personal but we have listed some of our top picks below:

Nature Books

• RHS Botany for Gardeners: The art science of Gardening Explained and Explored by The RHS
• Ancient Trees: Portraits of Time Hardcover by Beth Moon
• Wise Trees Hardcover by Diane Cook
• Under the Open Skies Hardcover – by Markus Torgeby
• Martius: The Book of Palms: BU by H Walter Lack 
• The Kinfolk Garden: How to Live with Nature by John Burns
• Wild Creations by Hilton Carter
• The World Atlas of Coffee by James Hoffmann
• Flower School by Calvert Crary
• A Tree in the House by Annabelle Hickson
• Blooms by Phaidon Editors
• Secret Gardeners: Britain's Creatives Reveal Their Private Sanctuaries by Victoria Summerley 
• The Kew Gardener’s Companion to Growing House Plants by Kew Royal Botanic Gardens
• Gardenista: The Definitive Guide to Stylish Outdoor Spaces by Michelle Slatalla 

Interiors and architecture books

• This is Home by Natalie Walton
• Eat, Drink, Nap: Bringing the House Home by Soho House
• Morning, Noon, Night: A Way of Living by Soho House 
• The Kinfolk Home by Nathan Williams
• A Life Less Ordinary: Interiors and inspirations by Zoe Ellison and Alex Legendre
• Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style by Architectural Digest  
• Stone by William Hall 
• Monochrome by Hillary Robertson
• Liaigre: Creation by Francoise-Claire Prodhon 
• Simple Matters by Jenny Mustard  
• Twenty First Century Cotswolds: Volume II Hardcover by Pippa Paton 
• Living with Pattern by Rebecca Atwood
• Made for Living: Collected Interiors for All Sorts of Styles by Amber Lewis  
• The Touch: Spaces Designed for the Senses by Kinfolk
• An Organic Architecture: The Architecture of Democracy by Frank Lloyd Wright

Fashion, art and photography books

• Peter Lindbergh. On Fashion Photography. 40th Anniversary Edition by Peter Lindbergh  
• Vanity Fair 100 Years: From the Jazz Age to Our Age by Graydon
• In Vogue: An Illustrated History of the World's Most Famous Fashion Magazine by Alberto Oliva 
• Dior Catwalk: The Complete Collections by Alexander Fury and Adélia Sabatini
• Painting Beyond Pollock by Morgan Falconer  
• Poolside With Slim Aarons by William Norwich
• The Colour of Time: A New History of the World by Dan Jones and Marina Amaral
• Style of Movement: Fashion and Dance Hardcover by Ken Browar 
• Vogue on Location: People, Places, Portraits
• Tom Ford by Tom Ford 

Animal Books

• Dogs by Lewis Blackwell
• Wild Encounters: Iconic Photographs of the World's Vanishing Animals and Cultures by David Yarrow 
• Lions by Laurent Baheux  
• Land of Giants by Will Burrard-Lucas 
• Equus by Tim Flach  
• On This Earth, A Shadow Falls by Nick Brandt 
• Walter Chandoha. Cats. Photographs 1942–2018: WALTER CHANDOHA. CAT PHOTOS by Susan Michals
• Horses: Portraits by Derry Moore by Derry Moore 
• Equine Beauty (Photography) by Raphael Macek

Travel

• Italy by Gray Malin
• Great Escapes Italy. The Hotel Book by Angelika Taschen
• Great Escapes Europe. The Hotel Book by Angelika Taschen
• Great Escapes Mediterranean. The Hotel Book by Angelika Taschen
• Paris Chic by O Pilcher and Alexandra Senes  
• Cereal City Guide: New York by Rosa Park and Rich Stapleton 
• Powder: The Greatest Ski Runs on the Planet by Patrick Thorne  
• Pretty City New York: Discovering New York's Beautiful Places  by Siobhan Ferguson  
• Pretty City London: Discovering London's Beautiful Places by Siobhan Ferguson  
• Safari Style Africa by Annemarie Meintjies
• Mountains: By Magnum Photographers 
• Bon Voyage: Boutique Hotels for the Conscious Traveler by Gestalten and Clara Le Fort
• Havana Modern: Twentieth-century Architecture and Interiors by Michael Connors
• Rome: Portrait of a City by Giovanni Fanelli
• One Year on a Bike: From Amsterdam to Singapore by Martijn Doolaard
• Above the World: Earth Through a Drone's Eye by teNeues Verlag
• Aspen Style by Aerin Lauder

Cookbooks

• Sunday Suppers: Recipes + Gatherings: Recipes + Gatherings by Karen Mordechai  
• POLPO: A Venetian Cookbook (Of Sorts) by Russell Norman 
• Simply Living Well: A Guide to Creating a Natural, Low-Waste Home by Julia Watkins  
• From the Oven to the Table: Simple dishes that look after themselves by Diana Henry  
• NOPI: The Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully
• The Borough Market Cookbook: Recipes and stories from a year at the market by Ed Smith
• The Silver Spoon Classic by The Silver Spoon Kitchen
• How To Eat A Peach by Diana Henry 
• Sourdough by Casper Andre Lugg and Ivar Hveem Fjeld
• Living Bread by Daniel Leader and Lauren Chattman