How to Style Your Dining Table With Books

Today I’m sharing how I styled my dining table with books. If you love books like I love books, this may be for you too! 

If you’re like me, and a lot of people, your dining room doesn’t get a ton of use.

I mean use for dining.

We don’t have a formal dining room.

It’s more of a dining area / breakfast nook situated between our kitchen and great room.

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Casual dining room with table set with books.

Last year while scrolling Instagram I got an inspiration.

Not unusual, but in this case I got inspired and took action.

I actually did the thing.

What thing?

I set the table with books.

Dining table place setting with books.

If you’ve followed me for any period of time you know I love and buy a lot of books.

And styling a dining table with books is a great way to make room for

… more books!

Woman setting dining table with large decor books.

Dining table and chairs with place settings of books.

Close up of dining table set with books.

Dining table set with books.

Casual dining room with hydrangea art and books at place settings.

The books on my table ~

 

Table accessorties ~

 

Dining Room Sources:

Table ~ Ethan Allen Cameron Dining Table (48″ round, extended to 66″ with leaf)

Chairs – Palecek Pavilion arm and side chairs, covered with Thibaut Sunbrella fabric

Shade Fabric – Ralph Lauren Home Emelie Stripe in Leaf

Chandelier – Custom Ro Sham Beaux

Art – Heidi Michelle Art Studio

Paint – Benjamin Moore White Opulence OC-69

Woman standing behind casual dining table set with books.

Tips and variations for style your table with books ~

  • Choose books that complement the color palette and style of your dining room.
  • Choose books that reflect your interests and will be interesting for friends and family to browse.
  • Use larger books at each end of the table. Mine is anchored by Gil Schafer III’s The Great American House and A Place to Call Home. Check out his just released book, Home At Last.
  • Select similarly sized books.
  • Pick a book theme … art, culinary, or travel. If you live near the coast … nautical.
  • Larger tables and more formal dining rooms allow for taller stacks of books … and that means more books!
  • Top book stacks with decorative objects … a pretty magnifying glass, candles, beads, boxes, trays. The possibilities are endless.
  • Stack smaller books (favorite novels) horizontally down the center of the table. Fun for a book club, literary themed or special occasion.
  • Style stacks of books as you would a coffee table book display.
  • Change up your books seasonally and for holidays.
  • Experiment, experiment, experiment.

 

Dining Table Styling With Books Pinterest collage.

 

Follow my Dining Table Book Styling Pinterest board for more book styling ideas.

The inspiration to style my dining table with books came from the gorgeous Instagram of Josh Young.

And Jessica Brydson took the beautiful photographs of my dining room.

 

Divider graphic.

So there you have it, how to style your dining table with books.

What do you think, would you do it?

I’ll be back on Saturday when I link up with Kim and Elizabeth for our weekend inspirations.

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Until then, cheers from Snowberry!

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  • We run a Bed & Breakfast in our century home (1907). The dining room is used daily in the summer months, less so in the winter season. One wall includes ceiling to floor bookcases flanking the fireplace. Our friends and guests are always finding something fun and interesting to read – novels, non-fiction and what my husband refers to as “house porn”!
    (The room measures 24 feet by 15 feet, with 3 walls in large windows.)
    Thank you for the great photos and cool ideas.

    • That sounds so lovely. Being surrounded by books and a roaring fire. Wish we had room for bookcases in are little dining room. Your husband is right, that’s what decor books are. Ha! Thanks for visiting, Jenny. Wishing you the best day! xo

  • This is a fun way to share our beautiful books. I just placed a single stack on the end place setting that everyone passes by.
    Thanks for the inspiration!

    Rosemary

    • I love that, Rosemary! You might find yourself stopping by for a quick page flip. I know I do that and get distracted from whatever I was supposed to be doing! xo

  • IT looks beautiful Juliet! I too have a lot of books and they are stacked everywhere, including at one end of the dining table.
    Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday!
    xo Elizabeth

  • Hello, Juliet, on a Thursday! Love how you “set” each place with books! A fun way to display those beautiful coffee table books! Great idea!

  • Juliet, You know I am a book nut too. I am always running out of space for mine. That is why I had mine stacked on the coffee table. I had to move them for game night and now they are in giant stacks besides my shelves. Your dining table looks really pretty. I have done a few on mine before too. I do love a dining room/library space. My friend had one and it was lovely.
    Sorry I missed this post! xo

    • Kim, it’s so funny you say that. We rarely use our table, but since I added the books after taking down Christmas decor, I’ve found myself moving them many times. Like tonight! xo

  • I have booked stacked everywhere! I think if I started moving them onto the table, my husband might move out!! It’s probably the one place I don’t have the book stacked. It looks so pretty in your house. Happy spring. Hopefully it’ll stop raining in California soon as I write this, I can hear the rain pounding on the roof.!

  • Hi, I’m Juliet … welcome to Make Mine a Spritzer where we talk about all things home décor, classic style and more! I’m so happy you’re here!

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