Curate your coffee table books like Karl Lagerfeld: eye-catching tomes from Taschen and Assouline just scream sophistication
The late Chanel designer launched his own bookshop called 7L, recreated at The Karl Lagerfeld Hotel in Macau, while New York-based interior stylist Pier Djerejian-Shiever advises Hyatt and Rosewood hotels on books as decor
The books you choose to display in your home are not just a reflection of your personal interests but also speak volumes – pardon the pun – about your style and taste.
While a well-stocked library, an entire roomful of books, was the height of sophistication for the wealthier homeowner in Victorian times, today a well-curated selection of coffee table books has become essential in any beautifully designed home.
“Using books as an interior styling tool isn’t new, but as more people had spillover from their bookcases or personal libraries, they’ve started to experiment with coffee tablescapes in their homes. The trend has become more refined as it has spread to spaces like luxury hotels,” says New York-based interior stylist Pier Djerejian-Shiever, whose clients include hotel groups like Hyatt and Rosewood.
Books are now objects of desire for intellectuals and aesthetes alike. Celebrities often show off their home libraries on the pages of magazines like Architectural Digest, while late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld loved books so much – he owned over 300,000 – that he launched his own bookshop, called 7L. Renowned publishers like Assouline and Taschen have also made a lucrative business out of creating stylish books for public and private spaces that are as alluring on the outside as they are informative on the inside.
“Books are an impactful visual key to a homeowner’s centres of interest. They send an instant message about a person’s passions … they work as a subtle yet effective tool in shaping an audience’s sense of the person,” says Valériane Moyersoen, international sales director of Taschen.
As books have evolved into more of a styling tool, creating that perfect coffee table “vignette”, as Djerejian-Shiever calls it, takes some practice. While personal interests should always dictate your selection and can cover a wide range of topics, from art and design to fashion and food, visual elements are equally important.
Unlike a functioning library, which would normally be categorised by alphabet, topic or author, there are no rules when it comes to your coffee table selection. While it has become popular to group or stack books together based on their size or colour – vibrant rainbow-hued book collections such as Assouline’s Travel Series are extremely Instagrammable – experts advise that you opt for a less contrived look.
“I like the idea of an organised mess. I prefer putting certain collections together while purposefully breaking the rules with different sizes and colours,” says Alexandre Assouline, chief of operations, brand and strategy at Assouline.
“I also like to have objects alongside the books, whether they are organised horizontally or vertically. This approach adds an eclectic and visually appealing element to the area, creating a dynamic and unique display,” he says.