Photography: Alana Landsberry / Styling: Katrina Yaxley
Coffee table books are the ultimate escape. I’ve been a fan for as long as I’ve had a home of my own and am as proud of my collection as I am of my garden, such is the effort I’ve gone to cultivate it. I’ve learned much about interiors from countless beautiful pages curated by like-minded interiors enthusiasts. The inspiration gleaned has informed my aesthetic and furnished not just my home, but my creative soul with colour and wonder.
The best thing about coffee table books is that they become part of the environment they encourage – stacked and styled in vignettes and carefully curated bookshelves in an ever-changing display. I keep them on constant rotation, so inspiration is always close at hand. Glancing at a familiar spine will spark furniture rearrangement or a market trip for fresh flowers.
Whether it’s a vicarious visit to the Amalfi coast, a consultation with your favourite interior designer, a detailed how-to for arranging flowers or styling your bedside table, a comprehensive collection of coffee table books is the key to success for anyone addicted to interior design.
Here’s my round-up of the best and most inspiring coffee books for interior design lovers.
2025’s top coffee table books
- Secrets from the Flower Farm: Growing Abundant Flowers in Unpredictable Conditions by Rebecca Starling and Christine McCabe, $57, Freedom (here’s why)
- Natural Living by Design by Melissa Penfold, $50.90, Angus & Robertson (here’s why)
- Huddle: Wisdom, Skills and Recipes for Building a Tomorrow of Togetherness by Jade Miles, $45, Dymocks (here’s why)
How do you decorate with coffee table books?
The beauty of coffee table books is that they don’t only make for inspirational reads, but provide an effortless coffee table décor solution. The styling opportunities are endless, with one coffee table book looking just as stylish as a statement as a pile of them stacked up.
Whether you need a pop of red or a splash of bright yellow, coffee table books are also an easy and (temporary) way of playing with new colours in a room, and are a nice way to showcase your personal interests and style.
When decorating with coffee table books, we recommend sticking to the rule of three (three items being the most aesthetic to look at) and making sure your largest books are at the bottom of the stack and your smallest are at the top. Also, don’t be afraid to complete your stack with an additional décor item, such as a lamp, decorative bowl, candle or house plant.
The best interior design coffee table books to buy in 2025
01
Secrets from the Flower Farm by Rebecca Starling & Christine McCabe
$57 (was $59.95), Freedom
No matter whether you live in the city, the country or somewhere in between, this coffee table book will bring a touch of rural charm to your home. This is excellent for those interested in floral artistry and is a celebration of the natural beauty of flowers.
Key features:
- 30 x 30 x 5 cm
- 240 pages
- Hardback coffee table book
02
Natural Living by Design by Melissa Penfold
$50.90, Angus & Robertson
With an audience of over 2 million people, there’s no doubt that Melissa Penfold is an internationally renowned design and style authority. In her latest book, she encourages her readers to create a home filled with plants that not only look gorgeous but also create a healthy environment.
Key features:
- 30.4 x 23.4 cm
- 208 pages
- Hardback coffee table book
03
Huddle by Jade Miles
$45, Dymocks
Now more than ever, we yearn for community but it can be a difficult thing to create in such an individualistic society. Jade Miles has split this book into eight chapters, each exploring a different aspect of community and how to foster and nurture these relationships. As a bonus, the cover art is as cosy as the topic.
Key features:
- 20 x 25.3 cm
- 288 pages
- Hardcover coffee table book
04
Moments at Home by Steve Cordony
$50, Big W
As one of Australia’s leading interior stylists, Steve Cordony knows how to blend form and function in the home. This book takes readers through every room in the home, sharing expert advice on how to style these spaces. The book even gives us a peek inside Steve’s property, Rosedale farm, which has since been placed on the market.
Key features:
- 30.5 x 25.5 x 3 cm
- 256 pages
- Hardback coffee table book
05
Curated Style by Kerrie-Ann Jones
$59.49, QBD Books
We all know that style is all about personal expression but figuring out how to communicate your personality within your interiors can be difficult. That is exactly what Kerrie-Ann Jones aims to help with in this coffee table book. Showcasing beautiful homes from around the world, Kerrie-Ann shares how to curate your own home.
Key features:
- 21.5 x 27 cm
- 320 pages
- Hardcover coffee table book
06
The Maximalist by Dani Dazey
$59.49, QBD Books
Be brave, be bold. Maximalist style authority Dani Dazey shares her advice for how to create a colourful interior, filled with playful patterns and a touch of Dani’s signature 1970s flair. If you believe in the ethos that more is more (and less is a bore) then this is the book for you.
Key features:
- 21.6 x 25.4 cm
- 256 pages
- Hardcover coffee table book
07
Collecting: Living With Art by Kym Elphinstone
$79.99, Dymocks
This book showcases all types of art, from bold abstract works and contemporary photography to sculpture and mid-century masterpieces. After all, curating your own at home art collection is all about filling your abode with meaning, inspiration, beauty and individuality.
Key features:
- 30 x 23.5 cm
- Hardcover coffee table book
08
Lugma by Noor Murad
$59.50, Angus & Robertson
In Arabic, lugma means a bite or a mouthful and that is all you need to instantly appreciate the deep and rich flavours that chef Noor Murad creates in her dishes. As the former head of the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen, Noor is used to pulling from many culinary influences. This cookbook is particularly inspired by the food Noor grew up eating, from Bahrain and the surrounding Middle East.
Key features:
- 26.9 x 18 cm
- Hardback coffee table book
09
Everyday Permaculture by Anna Matilda Gibbons
$34.50, Angus & Robertson
Known on the internet as ‘The Urban Nanna’, Anna is a sustainability educator and author, dedicated to sharing attainable and simple tips for living in a more eco-friendly way. Everyday Permaculture is all about community connection, earth stewardship and care for living things and is especially aimed at renters and those living in smaller spaces.
Key features:
- 24 x 18.9 cm
- Paperback coffee table book
10
The reimagined Home: Sustainable Spaces Created with Joy by Nicole Gray
$70, Dymocks
From painting corrugated iron to match your home exterior to reimagining second-hand treasures, this tome is filled with 16 beautiful, sustainable homes that will get you thinking. Inspiring, decorative and quirky dwellings that make us want to create a home that’s just as good for the planet as it is for the soul – sustainable AND stylish.
Key features:
- 256 pages
- 22.73cm x 28.58cm x 2.26cm
- Published on 3rd June, 2025.
11
New Rural: Where to find it and how to create it by Ingrid Weir
$55.25, QBD Books
Those with a soft spot for country interiors will love flicking through Ingrid Weir’s exploration of what stylish country living looks like today. Taking readers through some of Australia’s most beautiful country towns, this coffee table book looks at what makes rural living so alluring and how you can bring elements of rural living into your home—whether you live in the country or the city.
Key features:
- 272 pages
- 26cm x 21.5cm x 3cm
- 400gsm
12
The Home Bird: Creating joyful interiors where old meets new by Elle Hervin
$42.90 (pre-order), Angus & Robertson
Interiors stylist and influencer, Elle Hervin (@elle_the_home_bird) has been inspiring her 1 million social media followers with her modern vintage interior style for the past few years. Now, Elle has put all of her best style tips and favourite decorating inspiration into a hardback book that you can reach for whenever the inspiration strikes.
Key features:
- Preorder for September 2025 release
- Modern vintage style
- Hardback
13
The Interior Design Handbook by Frida Ramstedt
$72.99, Dymocks
Frida Ramstedt’s The Interior Design Handbook is the ultimate interior guide for those wanting to get back to basics with their decorating. From exactly how to hang curtains to how to apply the golden ratio, this coffee table book reveals the science behind good interior design.
Key features:
- 240 pages
- Hardcover
14
The Home Style Handbook: Understand your true style and how to implement it by Lucy Gough
$55, David Jones
In The Home Style Handbook, interiors stylist Lucy Gough helps readers find their true style and apply it in their homes. From how to create and use a moodboard to creating impact with art, plants and accessories, as well as guides to styling the different rooms of your home, Lucy makes decorating less daunting.
Key features:
- Hardback
- 224 pages
- 20.83 x 2.54 x 25.4 cm
15
Style: The Art of Creating a Beautiful Home by Natalie Walton
from $55.25, QBD Books
By helping you connect with your personal style, Natalie Walton teaches you how to elevate your spaces with the items you already have.
Style doesn’t just offer a wealth of valuable interior advice, it also makes for a particularly aesthetic décor item on any coffee table.
Key features:
- 22.48cm x 2.79cm x 30.73cm
- 240 pages
- Photographed by Chris Warnes
16
Assouline Byron Bay by Shannon Fricke
from $185, The Iconic
Part of the popular Assouline series, which feature images from some of the world’s most mesmerising locations, Shannon Fricke’s Byron Bay is one for Assouline fans to add to their collection.
Plus, with its serene sky blue cover art, this one is the perfect coffee table book for any coastal-inspired homes.
Key features:
- 25cm x 33cm x 5cm
- 280 pages
- Linen hardcover
17
Living Well By Design by Melissa Penfold
$70, Dymocks
Melissa Penfold’s Living Well By Design remains one of Australia’s best interior design bibles.
Sharing her three decades of expertise, Melissa educates readers on the most important decorating principles and how to use them to turn their house into a home.
Key features:
- 24.38cm x 2.54cm x 31.37cm
- 208 pages
- Hardcover book
18
Anna Spiro: A Life In Pattern
$90, The Iconic
Anna Spiro is Australia’s voice on colour, pattern and print. In her gorgeous interiors coffee table book, the designer shares her design philosophy through mood boards, furniture suggestions, room layouts and photographs from more than 20 of her interior design projects.
Key features:
- 25.7cm x 33.5cm x 2.9cm
- 260 pages
- Hardcover
19
Dirty Janes Vintage Style by Jane Crowley
$50.99, QBD Books
With more than 220 pages of inspiration from the beloved Dirty Janes Vintage Style emporiums in both Bowral and Canberra, Dirty Janes Vintage Style is a must-have coffee table book for all lovers of antique and vintage homewares.
Key features:
- 22.9cm x 29.8cm x 2.4cm
- 220 pages
- Hardcover
20
A Place in the Sun by Slim Aarons
$119.99, Temple & Webster
Featuring a series of photographs from iconic Hollywood photographer Slim Aarons, A Place In The Sun is an inspiring catalogue of some of the world’s most stylish locales.
Key features:
- 31.4cm x 26.6cm x 2.9cm
- 240
- Hardback
21
Resident Dog: Volume Two by Nicole England
$65, David Jones
Resident Dog showcases 25 of the world’s most incredible houses — and the dogs who live there. The photographs are all by Nicole England, a architecture photographer who found that her most memorable shoots were the ones with dogs present.
Key features:
- 22.86 x 3.56 x 28.7 cm
- 272 pages
- Hardcover
22
Live Beautiful by Athena Calderone
$65, The Iconic
Athena Calderone taps into her global network of interior decorators and tastemakers for this book, a guide to creating a thoughtfully put together home. She also opens the doors to two of her own residences, giving readers an inside look in to her own interiors.
Key features:
- 28.6 x 2.7 x 23.7 cm
- 256 pages
- Hardcover
