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I love surrounding myself with books.
I whole-heartedly agree with Cicero when he said that “A room without books is like a body without a soul.”
As someone who grew up an avid reader, I’ve always appreciated books. So much so that I majored in English literature in college. There’s an old family story about how upset I would get because I couldn’t read before I learned how to. I remember pouting over it. So, as you can imagine, once I learned, there was no stopping me!
I’m happy to report that I proudly have books in pretty much every room of my home.
Every bedroom has a bookcase containing books (not just tchotchkes). We keep a small bookcase full of our cookbooks in a cozy corner of our dining room. The family room has an entire wall of books.
Adding these volumes of intellectual interest to the living room, or, as I like to refer to it, my evening salon, wasn’t so obvious. The limited wallspace presents a challenge on where to place any bookcases.
It was important to me to add books to the atmosphere and decor of my main living room where I hang out and decompress. Books help to make my environment comfortable, cozy and collected. I like knowing they’re there. They make me happy.
And so, I gathered some of the coffee table books in my library and brought them in here.
Pro tip: not only do carefully selected books provide a specific decor story but they’re great for doing double duty as analog entertainment!
Coffee table books are great for dipping by their very nature of being full of high quality photos, pictures and limited text.
My current coffee table dipping books consist of topics on homemaking, decor and hospitality. I like having the visually pleasing covers and spines. I feel that they speak to my personality and the atmosphere I’m trying to convey in my living space.
I do like to rotate some of the titles with the seasons because I’m such a mood and seasonal reader. I think, eventually, I will collect season specific books to add to my collection.
So, what are these dipping books? Here’s the list!
Home Body: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave by Joanna Gaines
Well, it’s Joanna Gaines, the OG. This book was the epitome for decorating your home in a way that you love. I think her philosophy is timeless, even as the trends change and evolve.
Feels Like Home: Transforming Your Space from Uninspiring to Uniquely Yours by Marian Parsons
This book gives so much inspiration, tips and tutorials to make your space truly yours. Marian is a gifted and skilled craftswoman, artist and writer. I have loved Marian’s home aesthetic for years and I’ve followed her blog for a long time. This is a beautiful volume of her home decorating style that teaches you how to achieve your own style.
The Year of Cozy: 125 Recipes, Crafts, and other Homemade Adventures by Adrianna Adarme
Organized seasonally, this book provides recipes and crafts throughout the year. I love it because it offers cozy treats and non-digital, handmade treasures to make each month cozy, not just the obvious ones.
The Gift of Gathering: Beautiful Tablescapes to Welcome & Celebrate Your Friends and Family by Bre Doucette from the Rooms for Rent Blog
Full of recipes, ideas and inspiration for making gatherings with friends and family special in any season. The whole concept is inviting and I love having it at my fingertips.
It’s so important to surround yourself with things that “spark joy” and make you happy. With all the heavy things of life and going on in the world, I think it’s still important to find joy in small things. Sometimes those things are trivial when compared to big things happening out there. But that’s what our homes are supposed to be about. A refuge, a sanctuary for each of us to retreat to for rest and sustenance before heading back out into the whirlwind.
