There's a new coffee table styling trend designers are loving for a less pretentious living room

Styling a coffee table is an art in itself and, in all honesty, it's one that sometimes eludes me. A coffee table is such a functional piece of furniture, yet at the same time inhabits some of the most prime real estate in your living room. The challenge comes in creating a coffee table that delivers on your (doubtless) impeccable sense of taste, while not feeling over-posed. It's a fine line to walk.

When styling a piece of furniture, I usually advocate being as creative as possible with form, texture and color. Yet, of late, there's been an interior design trend I've been pinning, hearting and saving that's quite the opposite. It uses almost exclusively one piece of decor, and it's a trend I'm calling coffee table stacking. 

We spoke to some interior designers who are embracing the trend as a way to bring some casual elegance to this essential piece of living room furniture. 

What is this trend all about?

This trend is all about going big with books, piling them high as a bold coffee table decor statement. 'I remember seeing a picture of Elton John’s home in England years ago,' recalls Hamptons-based interior design Timothy Godbold, 'and his library table had a huge amount of stacked books and a statue, of all things, amongst it in the center.'

I know what you're thinking - Elton John is an unlikely frontman for an interior design trend we're billing as the epitome of casual chic, but it does go to prove how this decor idea can transcend styles. 'I liked how it was a little in-your-face and maximalist,' Timothy continues, 'but also I’m not a fan of an overly-styled coffee table. It doesn’t feel authentic and I prefer a more lived-in look.'

It's also a way to create a talking point for this sociable space, and set out your passions for the world (or at least anyone who visits your home) to see. 'I love using stacks of books on coffee tables,' says interior designer Justin Charette. 'It can provide a lot of insight into the homeowners' interests.'

Of course, as much as it's a good spot to create your personal manifesto, it's a trick that also problem solves some of the issues of styling a coffee table. 'It creates layers for the table that can be handy in placing objects on top of,' Justin adds, 'plus, it's a great way to fill a table while keeping budget in mind.'

Choosing the right books

While I might love that laissez-faire idea of taking a stack of books from the shelves and strewing them haphazardly on the coffee table, being selective with your choices is probably a good idea. 

'The book selection should always be a mixture of different topics because people actually do read them,' suggests Timothy Godbold, 'but I do also look at color...'

'In this Hamptons property, I didn’t do white, blue books in the room as I didn’t like that color with everything that was there, he says. 'I tend to knock out a couple of colors when I stack a table to give it a more symbiotic feel.'

Justin agrees that there's balance to be found in subject matter and good looks, while working with your coffee table size. 'It’s best to include books that reflect your personal interests, while keeping in mind that the cover and spine of book should be good looking.' he advises. 'I’d say make sure they are all hard covers, and for the most part keep them fairly large scale.' 

The finishing touches 

This trend may go heavy on the coffee table books, but it's more limiting than it needs to be to say exclusively so, especially when the right piece of decor can add a sprinkle of magic. 'I add personal belongings from the owners on top of the stacks to add different heights,' Timothy says. 'They had a beautiful Hermes key tray I found, a couple of vases for flowers and a few objet that worked well.'

If you find yourself falling back into the overly ornate coffee table trap, Timothy has a simple piece of advice. 'Make it look personal, not too decorated.' 

Livingetc's coffee table design book essentials