making a vintage-inspired bat mask ๐Ÿฆ‡๐Ÿ–คโœ‚๏ธ making a vintage-inspired bat mask ๐Ÿฆ‡๐Ÿ–คโœ‚๏ธ
โ€ข
๐Ÿ–ค Weโ€™re baaaack ๐Ÿ‘ป keep your eyes peeled for @frightfemmes content all month long with the super talented @caropozo & @the.vintage.raven ๐ŸŒ™๐Ÿ”ฎโœจ #FrightFemmesFriday
โ€ข
#halloweenlook #halloweencostumeideas #diyhalloween #vintagehalloween #spookyszn
Monochromatic ๐ŸคŽ๐Ÿ‘œ๐Ÿน I like to mix different Monochromatic ๐ŸคŽ๐Ÿ‘œ๐Ÿน I like to mix different shades of the same color and tie them together with a print (scarf/belt/bag) that picks up every shade. ๐Ÿ‚ #fallfashiontrends #suedeboots #falloutfits #thriftedfinds #out๏ฌtideas #wearingvsstyling #monochromaticoutfit
no time for boredom ๐Ÿน #hobbies #creativeinspira no time for boredom ๐Ÿน #hobbies #creativeinspiration #craftingideas #cozyhobbies #sewing #jewelrymaking #journaling #digitalart #coloring #diyprojects
polka dots today ๐Ÿ–ค๐Ÿค #pinterestoutfit #outfit polka dots today ๐Ÿ–ค๐Ÿค #pinterestoutfit #outfitinspo #ootd #polkadots #falltrends
new month, new mood โญ๏ธ in my digital planner x new month, new mood โญ๏ธ in my digital planner x @twgdesigns #digitalplanner #moodboardaesthetic #pinterestvibes #fallinspo #septembermood #falltrends
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pillow case to purse ๐Ÿ’Ÿ #thriftflip #sewingproje pillow case to purse ๐Ÿ’Ÿ #thriftflip #sewingproject #sewingdiy #handmadefashion #hobobag #bohostyle
outfit ๐Ÿงก #thriftedstyle #whatiwore outfit ๐Ÿงก #thriftedstyle #whatiwore
โœ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ†๐ŸŽ€ #procreateapp โœ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ†๐ŸŽ€ #procreateapp
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Books, Featured, Lifestyle · May 29, 2024

Beautiful Books | For the Art, Fashion, and Home Decor Lovers

In this post, I’ll be sharing a curated list ofย 12 stunningly beautiful booksย that would make wonderful additions to your personal library or ideal gifts for the art, fashion, and home decor lovers.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

beautiful books about art, fashion, design, and home decor displayed on a table next to brass candlestick holders and a chinoiserie catchall dish.

For art, fashion, design, and home decor enthusiasts, the allure of a beautifully crafted book is irresistible.

Whether you are looking to adorn your home with a touch of elegance or seeking knowledge and inspiration about your favorite subjects, these books are perfect companions on your journey of artistic discovery.

Beyond their stunning covers placed on coffee tables or stacked decoratively in vignettes across a home, these books offer high-value content that delves deep into the world of creativity in the art, fashion, design, and interior spaces. Each one brimming with insights and perspectives from around the globe that can transform and elevate your aesthetic boundaries.

Today, I’m sharing a curated list of 12 stunningly beautiful books that would make wonderful additions to your personal library or ideal gifts for a creatively inclined friend for any special occasion.

Beautiful Books: art, fashion, & design

Click on a title for details and purchase links. For even more beautiful book suggestions, click here to see my complete list.

  1. S Is for Style: The Schumacher Book of Decoration by Dara Caponigro
  2. Menu Design in Europe: A Visual and Culinary History of Graphic Styles and Design 1800-2000 by Jim Heimann, Steven Heller, and Marc Selvaggio
  3. Anna Spiro A Life in Pattern by Anna Spiro
  4. Home Sweet Maison: The French Art of Making a Home by Danielle Postel-Vinay
  5. Color Charts: A History by Anna Varichon
  6. Collecting Fashion: Nostalgia, Passion, Obsession by Alexandra Carl
  7. The Costume History 1852-1893: From Ancient Times to the 19th Century by Auguste Racinet
  8. The Complete Pattern Directory: 1500 Designs from All Ages and Cultures by Elizabeth Wilhide
  9. The Perfectly Imperfect Home: How to Decorate and Live Well by Deborah Needleman
  10. Heirloom Rooms: Soulful Stories of Home by Erin Napier
  11. 20th-Century Fashion by Jim Heimann and Alison A. Nieder
  12. Domino: Your Guide to a Stylish Home by Jessica Romm Perez and Shani Silver

1 / S Is for Style: The Schumacher Book of Decoration by Dara Caponigro

With a focus on Schumacher’s greatest contemporary patterns–everything from classic stripes and exuberant florals to edgy animal prints–this accessible and highly useful style guide is organized thematically by chapters such as “Sensual & Spare”; “Preppy”; and “Opulent,” with each featuring a stunning selection of patterns along with inspiring interiors designed in the same spirit.

Full of inspiring design ideas, as well as an unparalleled resource of prints and patterns, S Is for Style is a visual feast of interior design for all styles and tastes.

buy the book

2 / Menu Design in Europe: A Visual and Culinary History of Graphic Styles and Design 1800-2000 by Jim Heimann, Steven Heller, and Marc Selvaggio

Jim Heimannโ€™s book on Menu Design in Europe is a mouthwatering feast for the eyes, featuring hundreds of European menus from the early 19th century to the end of the millennium. At once a history of continental cuisine and a sprawling survey of graphic styles, Menu Design in Europe satisfies the craving for foodies and design enthusiasts alike.

BUY THE BOOK

3 / Anna Spiro A Life in Pattern by Anna Spiro

A field guide to charming, colorful interiors from successful interior designer Anna Spiro. From mood boards to finished rooms, this exploration of Spiroโ€™s design philosophy gives readers the framework to create fiercely unique, surprising spaces that sing with individuality.

BUY THE BOOK

4 / Home Sweet Maison: The French Art of Making a Home by Danielle Postel-Vinay

Experiencing first-handย la belle vieโ€”the beautiful lifeโ€”Postel-Vinay now shows everyone how to create their own French sanctuary, a home sweet maison, no matter where they live. Providing more than just interior decorating and design tips, Postel-Vinay teaches you how to foster the warmth, beauty, and rituals inherent in the French home and create an environment better suited to living a rich, full, connected life.

At the center of the book is the idea that your house should be a reflection of you, your hobbies, your family history, your rituals, all the things that make your life unique. A happy home is a home that expresses your rituals and your taste, not one that relies on prefab dรฉcor from a mass retailer.

BUY THE BOOK

5 / Color Charts: A History by Anna Varichon

A beautifully illustrated history of the many inventive, poetic, and alluring ways in which color swatches have been selected and staged. Color Chartsย describes the many different methods and ingenious devices developed since the fifteenth century by doctors, naturalists, dyers, and painters to catalog fragments of colors.

Drawing on nearly two hundred documents from public and private collections, almost all of them previously unpublished, this wonderfully illustrated book shows how the color chart, in its many distinct forms and expressions, is a practical tool that has transcended its original purpose to become an educational aid and subject of contemplation worthy of being studied and admired.

BUY THE BOOK

6 / Collecting Fashion: Nostalgia, Passion, Obsession by Alexandra Carl

An indispensable survey of the most important archival collections assembled by fashionโ€™s key players. This book gathers the preeminent collections of archival obsessives, capturing the closets of an impressive list of fashion and design talent. Essays throughout by leading thinkers and writers provide insightful commentary alongside each collection featured in this new, enlightening fashion bible.

BUY THE BOOK

7 / The Costume History 1852-1893: From Ancient Times to the 19th Century by Auguste Racinet

Originally published in France between 1876 and 1888, Auguste Racinetโ€™s Le Costume historique was in its day the most wide-ranging and incisive study of clothing ever attempted. Covering the world history of costume, dress, and style from antiquity through to the end of the 19th century, the six volume work remains completely unique in its scope and detail.

BUY THE BOOK

8 / The Complete Pattern Directory: 1500 Designs from All Ages and Cultures by Elizabeth Wilhide

An essential resource for any designer, crafter, artist, or historian,ย The Complete Pattern Dictionaryย is the most comprehensive, practical, and beautiful directory of patterns throughout history, covering all periods, styles, and cultures. With 1500 illustrations of patterns from all ages and cultures,ย the book is arranged thematically according to pattern type, with chapters on Flora, Fauna, Pictorial, Geometric, and Abstract designs.ย 

BUY THE BOOK

9 / The Perfectly Imperfect Home: How to Decorate and Live Well by Deborah Needleman

Style is a luxury, and luxury is simply what makes you happy.

Over the years, founding editor in chief ofย dominoย magazine Deborah Needleman has seen all kinds of rooms, with all kinds of furnishings. Her conclusion: Itโ€™s not hard to create a relaxed, stylish, and comfortable home. Just a few well-considered items can completely change the feel of your space, andย The Perfectly Imperfect Homeย reveals them all.

BUY THE BOOK

10 / Heirloom Rooms: Soulful Stories of Home by Erin Napier

Our homes are more than an assemblage of bricks and glass, wood and nails. They are the keepers of our childhood memories, our milestones, and heartaches. They evolve as we do. As a family grows and eventually retracts, a home can change hands and begin again. We are the chapters in the book of a house. They carry on after we are gone, setting the stage for another story, a new life, new memories.

With essays that evoke her Southern home, photos of the beautifully imperfect, lived-in spaces of her family and friends, and prompts for us to document our own homemade memories,ย Heirloom Roomsย feels like walking through the front door of the collected and loved-in houses Erin and Ben are known for revitalizing in HGTVโ€™s #1 hit series,ย Home Town.

BUY THE BOOK

11 / 20th-Century Fashion by Jim Heimann and Alison A. Nieder

The 20th century saw fashion evolve from an exclusive Parisian salon business catering for the wealthy elite into a global industry employing millions, with new trends whisked into stores before the last model has even left the catwalk.

20th-Century Fashion offers a retrospective of the last hundred years of style via 400 fashion advertisements from the Jim Heimann Collection. The images trace not only the changing trends but also the evolution in their marketing and audience, as fashion was adopted into popular culture and the mass market, decade by decade.

BUY THE BOOK

12 / Domino: Your Guide to a Stylish Home by Jessica Romm Perez and Shani Silver

Since launching in 2005,ย dominoย has attracted a fiercely loyal following, which looks to the brand as the definitive source for decorating and style. The brandโ€™s first book,ย domino: The Book of Decorating, was an immediate bestseller upon its release and has established itself as the quintessential guide to demystifying interior design.

In a time when the flood of decorating advice and inspiration online can feel overwhelming,ย domino: Your Guide to a Stylish Homeย provides a trusted filter, using the friendly and authoritative voice ofย dominoย to teach readers about attainable, stylish design and how to make it uniquely your own.

BUY THE BOOK

stunningly beautiful books about art, fashion, design, and home decor.

These decorative coffee table books are not merely pages bound together; they are gorgeous treasures, each one a visual feast that elevates any living space.

Donโ€™t overlook the visual insights and creativity that await within the pages of beautiful coffee table books. The power of a carefully curated personal library can spark inspiration and elevate your aesthetic in all areas of life, from fashion to home decor.

I hope you stumbled across some gems in this list that piqued your interest. For more beautiful book recommendations, check out my complete list here!

Xx Laura

Like this content? Check out these posts below:
– Dark Academia Inspired Gift Ideas | Gift Guide
– Aesthetic Spring Color Palettes For Digital Planning
– Thriving as a multi-passionate creative

PS โ€“ Follow along on Instagram for more posts and stories related to this topic!


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In: Books, Featured, Lifestyle · Tagged: aesthetic books, aesthetic decor books, art books, book recommendations, book recs, book suggestions, booktok, coffee table books, design books, fashion books, interior design books

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making a vintage-inspired bat mask ๐Ÿฆ‡๐Ÿ–คโœ‚๏ธ making a vintage-inspired bat mask ๐Ÿฆ‡๐Ÿ–คโœ‚๏ธ
โ€ข
๐Ÿ–ค Weโ€™re baaaack ๐Ÿ‘ป keep your eyes peeled for @frightfemmes content all month long with the super talented @caropozo & @the.vintage.raven ๐ŸŒ™๐Ÿ”ฎโœจ #FrightFemmesFriday
โ€ข
#halloweenlook #halloweencostumeideas #diyhalloween #vintagehalloween #spookyszn
Monochromatic ๐ŸคŽ๐Ÿ‘œ๐Ÿน I like to mix different Monochromatic ๐ŸคŽ๐Ÿ‘œ๐Ÿน I like to mix different shades of the same color and tie them together with a print (scarf/belt/bag) that picks up every shade. ๐Ÿ‚ #fallfashiontrends #suedeboots #falloutfits #thriftedfinds #out๏ฌtideas #wearingvsstyling #monochromaticoutfit
no time for boredom ๐Ÿน #hobbies #creativeinspira no time for boredom ๐Ÿน #hobbies #creativeinspiration #craftingideas #cozyhobbies #sewing #jewelrymaking #journaling #digitalart #coloring #diyprojects
polka dots today ๐Ÿ–ค๐Ÿค #pinterestoutfit #outfit polka dots today ๐Ÿ–ค๐Ÿค #pinterestoutfit #outfitinspo #ootd #polkadots #falltrends
new month, new mood โญ๏ธ in my digital planner x new month, new mood โญ๏ธ in my digital planner x @twgdesigns #digitalplanner #moodboardaesthetic #pinterestvibes #fallinspo #septembermood #falltrends

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