Curate your coffee table books like Karl Lagerfeld: eye-catching tomes from Taschen and Assouline just scream sophistication

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.

While candles and home fragrances are expected, other ideas include small plants or flowers to add height and colour, while pottery and other artworks speak even more to your personality. Djerejian-Shiever recommends the addition of board games if space allows – they often promote conversation and engage people as much as the books themselves.

“Remember your coffee table serves as the centrepiece of a social space. I suggest clients look down at the table from above to get a better idea of scale and proportion. You don’t want to have your table appear too crammed as at the end of the day it also needs to be functional. You want to be able to fit a glass on there,” she says.

If you have the space, books can serve as an interesting styling tool beyond coffee tables or shelves and can even double as furniture. Trends include creating stacks to form “pillars” that accent other key objects in the room such as a fireplace. Add a plank of wood atop your pile of tomes to form a makeshift console. They can also be used as stylish risers to elevate objects on shelves such as sculptures, plants or vases.

There’s no reason that your book collection should be confined to living spaces or libraries. Now more than ever, people are placing their favourite books in unexpected areas such as kitchens and even bathrooms. Experts suggest you choose a more lighthearted selection for these areas, such as Taschen’s Gourmand Series.

“I love to see cookbooks, or even books about food, in the kitchen, mixed in with stacks of mugs and plates. The bathroom is a great place for joke books and travel books. When guests come to stay, there’s nothing better than personally selecting a few books for them to browse while hanging out in their room,” says Djerejian-Shiever.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to switch things up and change your displays from time to time.

“‘Never bore, always excite’ is one of our favourite sayings, and I believe it to be an important and relevant styling lesson today,” says Moyersoen. “Books shouldn’t be sedentary and gather dust: they should be treated as living objects and switched up to your heart’s desire. You can have a book within view, discover it, tire of it, put it on a shelf and replace it with another, only to then remember and rediscover it later.

Tips on styling your tomes at home

1. Vintage and out-of-print titles look less contrived, while novels will add more personality to your displays.

2. Instead of colour-coded displays, experiment with a monochromatic palette or books with unique or textured covers.

3. Don’t underestimate bookends. These allow you to play with different heights and depths, and come in modern materials such as acrylic.

4. Combine vertical and horizontal spines for a less organised look.

5. Transform your book collection into a pedestal to showcase other decorative objects.