One thing we always bring to installs are piles and piles (and piles) of good books. After all the furnishings are in, we spend days compiling all the best accessories, and the one thing we find always ties a space together: a good book or two (or ten). We typically style books based on their cover and spine color palette and design, and go from there. I’ve always been a collector of beautiful titles, and I love how they effortlessly tie together a corner, or coffee table, or shelf, to make them all the more interesting.

A little designer tip: buy any and all books you come across that you love at first sight. If you’re trying to style an entire house in one sitting, it’s going to be a massive undertaking and books will probably be the last thing you think you need. So instead, invest in these keepsake staples piece by piece, over time, and display them around your home wherever they make you happy and wherever they help add a bit of personality. It’s one of the easiest ways to make a space feel more curated, personalized, and interesting. Come up with a color palette and buy larger books within that tone if you’re out to style a specific surface. It really helps if you’re looking for an easy starting point with larger books as investment pieces.

These days, there are SO many good hardcover book options to choose from, so we’ve started rounding up a few of our favorites to add to your collection. Pair them together, mix and match, or add a new collectible to your growing collection.

PS – they also make the best gifts and for more ideas, visit our curated collection here!