Five on Friday – The Best Decorative Books

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Books.  One of my favorite things in the whole world.  I have had an obsession with books since I was old enough to hold one, and I started reading at an early age and never stopped.  To this day, I still don’t use a Kindle or any other kind of e-reader because I just can’t give up my beloved books.  There’s nothing like a book, truly – the smell of them, the way they fit in your hands, the feel of the paper between your fingers.  I love them.  In my list of happy places, the library and cozy bookstores rank pretty high.  I feel immediately at peace when I walk into one of them. 

In addition to loving books for reading, I also love to decorate with them.  They make for some truly unique decorations and you can pretty much always find something perfect to fit in with the décor or theme in any room.

Today I’m going to share a few of my favorite decorative books for different areas of your house.  And if you want to see the entire list, click here for my Amazon Storefront.

O N E – Living Area

The living area is one of the easiest rooms to decorate with books because you can decorate with pretty much any genre.  I personally love organizational and home improvement books, books about the media (musicians, TV shows, etc.), art books, and home decorating books. 

Favorites:

Monet by Vanessa Potts

All in Good Taste by Kate Spade

Friends… ‘Til the End: TheOne With All Ten Years by David Wild

Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff by Myquillyn Smith

Elements of Style by Erin Gates

Love: A Celebration in Art & Literature by Jane Lahr

The Complete Book of Home Organization by Toni Hammersley

Domino: Your Guide to a Stylish Home by Editors of Domino

New York in Color by Nichole Robertson

I Do: Achieving Your Dream Wedding by Jessica Simpson

Paris in Love by Nichole Robertson

Paris in Color by Nichole Robertson

The Year of Cozy by Adrianna Adarme

Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton

Pottery Barn Bedrooms by Pottery Barn

Hindsight by Justin Timberlake

I also love decorating with books that contain sentimental value.  The top three books in the picture below belonged to my late grandfather in the 1950’s and the children’s bible belonged to my grandmother who is now in a nursing home.  My grandfather wrote a few notes in his and I love that I’ll have his handwriting forever and ever.  It’s like having a little piece of him with us even though he’s gone.  <3

T W O – Kitchen

In the kitchen, I typically decorate with books about food and entertaining, and, of course, recipe books are a fantastic way to add a fun pop in any corner.  We also have a bar cart in the kitchen, so any kind of mixed drinks recipe books work well in the kitchen as well.

Favorites:

Whole Bowls by Allison Day

Crumb by Ruby Tandoh

Hip Sips by Lucy Brennan

Celebrate by Lauren Conrad

Summer Cocktails by Maria del Mar Sacasa

Love & Lemons by Jeanine Donofrio

Home Baked by Yvette van Boven

Brew by Brian W. Jones

Eat Beautiful: Food and Recipes to Nourish Your Skin by Wendy Rowe

T H R E E – Bedroom/Closet

In the bedroom it’s all about the beauty and fashion books since that’s where I keep all of my makeup and clothing, and it’s where I get ready every day.  I also keep the current novel I’m reading on my nightstand.  The bedroom is also a great place to keep any books that you and your significant other may read together, like The Five Love Languages. 

Favorites:

Vanity Fair 100 Years: From the Jazz Age to Our Age by Graydon Carter

The Glow: And Inspiring Guide to Stylish Motherhood by Violet Gaynor

Angels by Russell James

Hello Glow by Stephanie Gerber

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

Essential Glow: Recipes & Tips for Using Essential Oils by Stephanie Gerber

Beauty by Lauren Conrad

Vogue: The Covers by Dodie Kazanjian

Style by Lauren Conrad

F O U R – Office

My home office is where I do all of my quiet time, so this makes the perfect space to display all of my devotionals and self-improvement books.  I keep a stack of them on the side table next to my reading chair since I read from them every day.  I also keep my Emily Ley Simplified Planner displayed on my desk since I use it throughout the day.

Favorites:

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

Jesus Always by Sarah Young

100 Days to Brave by Annie F. Downs

Grace, Not Perfection by Emily Ley

Everybody Always by Bob Goff

You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

A Standard of Grace by Emily Ley

Balancing in Heels by Kristin Cavallari

A Simplified Life by Emily Ley

Pottery Barn Work Spaces by Pottery Barn

Good Days Start With Gratitude by Simple Press

Simplified Planner by Emily Ley

One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book

The 52 Lists Project: A Year of Weekly Journaling Inspiration by Moorea Seal

And I would be remiss if I didn’t share my wall-to-wall bookshelves in my office… this is where I store all of the rest of my books, mostly novels, and it’s one of my favorite spaces in our entire house! 

F I V E – Seasonal

And finally, perhaps my favorite category in this whole post… the holiday books!  I decorate our whole house for most of the holidays, especially for fall and Christmas, and I always include books as part of the holiday décor. 

Favorites:

Platters & Boards by Shelly Westerhausen (not technically a holiday book but it screams fall to me!)

Purely Pumpkin by Allison Day

Festive Cocktails (couldn't find it online)

Holiday Cookies by Elisabet der Nederlanden

Soup Nights by Betty Rosbottom

The Countdown to a Cozy Christmas Cookbook by Holly Carpenter

Jesus Calling for Christmas by Sarah Young

He Is: An Advent Study on the Attributes of God by Jamie Ivey

Sacred Holidays: Less Chaos, More Jesus by Becky Kiser

And finally, before I go, here are a few tips for decorating with books:

1. Follow the Rule of Three when grouping… most items look best in groups of three.
2. Use books to add height to other pieces when your creating vignettes.
3. Group spines together that are pleasing to the eye.

To see my entire list of decorative books, check out my Amazon Storefront here!

As always, here are a few Friday funnies... this time book related to keep with the book theme in today's post.  ;o)

Brian knows this face all too well.  Hahahaha.

But seriously.

And finally, here's what happened on the blog this week in case you missed it...

Summer 2019 - Week 11

The First Day of School... Kind Of

My Favorite Shows to Binge 

Happy Friday, y’all!

*Linking up with A Liz Adventures and Carolina Charm for Five on Friday, A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites, Meet @ the Barre for Friday Favorites, and Polka-Dotty Place for High Five for Friday.