DECOR WITH MEANING
13 Custom Coffee Table Book Ideas
Behind every photo book we create is a simple philosophy: design defines. We take this
notion to heart, crafting albums with artistic covers and thoughtfully chosen colors
that beg to be put on display. And as far as we're concerned, what better place than the
coffee table to make your favorite moments a meaningful part of your home decor? Here,
we highlight some of our favorite personalized coffee table book ideas shared by our
community, celebrating our photo books not just as books, but beautiful home decor.
01
Family Stories Photo Books Family Stories
Photo decor, first and foremost, should tell a story — and what better story to
infuse your space with than the story of family. Whether you create a new album
annually like
@laurenlaboyteaux
or bring the years together in a single book (we see you
@kindred.story !), there's no better way to tell a narrative of togetherness.
Pro tip: One of our favorite coffee table book ideas is making a family history album — so much so, that we created a handy guide to help you make the legacy tangible.
Pro tip: One of our favorite coffee table book ideas is making a family history album — so much so, that we created a handy guide to help you make the legacy tangible.
02
Year-In-Review Photo Album Year-In-Review
Within a single year lie so many meaningful everyday moments: little nuggets that
make our days, but over time, slip our minds. The habit of
creating an annual year-in-review album
encourages us to mark these micro-stories with intention, putting them in print
before they're swallowed up into a growing camera roll. We even designed a
coffee-table-worthy book just for the occasion! The Layflat Photo Book
is complete with a custom foil-stamped linen cover, available in 17 colors - for a
once-a-year album with once-in-a-lifetime appeal.
03
Travel Photo Books Travel
Nestled in the many places we go are the adventures we wish to return to. A
travel album
is the return ticket we crave, filled with the sights, flavors, and people that made
it a trip worth taking. As coffee table books, these albums give permanence to
familiar moments and far-off places, taking us back with the simple flip of a page.
Pro tip: In search of coffee table book design ideas? Give your most scenic photos the full-page treatment. (You can find more inspiration where that came from in our travel album tips.)
Pro tip: In search of coffee table book design ideas? Give your most scenic photos the full-page treatment. (You can find more inspiration where that came from in our travel album tips.)
04
Personalized Recipe Books Recipe Books
It might sound a little cliché, but memories are made around the table. Family
recipes are what gather us. Whether relics of our cultural heritage, family twists
on culinary traditions, or ties back to those we love, these recipes are artifacts
of time spent together in the best of company. They're also the perfect ingredients
for a
DIY recipe book
that makes as great of a gift as it does a display on the coffee table or counter.
05
Wedding Photo Albums Wedding
Your best day deserves the best placement in the house: on the coffee table, of
course. A
wedding album
is always a welcome addition to any decor, highlighting the prequel that made this
house feel like home. We're honored to have printed thousands of these stories over
the years, and lucky to have picked up plenty of share-worthy
wedding album ideas
along the way.
06
Custom Portfolio Book Custom Portfolio
Take a photo on one device. Transfer it to another. Most modern images may never
exist outside of the digital, but
making a photography portfolio book
is a unique opportunity for photographers to turn the ethereal into something
tangible. Plus, what better way to celebrate your love for the lens than displaying
featured works front and center on your coffee table?
07
Art Book Art Book
CREATED BY
@joyynaomi
The many works of an artist are interconnected, but rarely do we get to view them
side by side as a single body of work. In bringing the pieces together as a
"lookbook" of art (great idea
@joyynaomi!), you can collect them in a form that invites friends, guests, and, of course,
you to flip through. Even if your art isn't created in a digital medium, don't let
that deter you. There are plenty of ways to digitize physical art, the simplest of
which is capturing it through the lens!
08
Pet Photo Book Pets
Let's face it: fur-children make up their fair share of our camera rolls. Luckily,
pet photos are always a crowdpleaser (can we get a "woof?"), which makes them the
ideal candidate for a dedicated album. Just ask
@brunamebs, who
used
The Everyday Photo Book. It's one of our favorites for celebrating four-legged companions, thanks to its
elevated design and simplified layouts. Plus, at 7 x 7", it's perfectly sized for a
coffee table book that catches the eye without taking up too much surface space.
09
Baby Book Ideas Baby
STORY OF YOU BABY BOOK
CREATED BY @STACIA__PETE
CREATED BY @STACIA__PETE
STORY OF YOU BABY BOOK
CREATED BY @STACIA__PETE
CREATED BY @STACIA__PETE
As parents of our own littles, we know that having a baby comes with a change of
priorities — and inevitably, both our camera rolls and decor follow suit. In our
search for ways to display could-squeeze-those-cheeks photos at every corner, we've
found perhaps the greatest sense of joy in displaying
baby albums
on the coffee table. It's an especially great idea as you fill out
The Story of You Baby Book
in their first year — a meaningful and visible reminder to make your moment-marking
a habit.
10
Free Art Coffee Table Book Free Art
Did you know that there is a ton of
beautiful art that is available to print, completely free?
Whether you are looking to design a classic art coffee table book, or have something
a little more modern in mind, you can use free art to fill a book to display in your
home. Our
Photo-Wrapped Layflat Album
is the perfect fit - allowing a fully customizable cover that will stand out on any
table or shelf.
11
Interior Design Book Interior Design
HARDCOVER PHOTO BOOK
CREATED BY @chelseamohrman
CREATED BY @chelseamohrman
Photo-Wrapped Hardcover Book
CREATED BY @emilieonearth
CREATED BY @emilieonearth
HARDCOVER PHOTO BOOK
CREATED BY @chelseamohrman
CREATED BY @chelseamohrman
Photo-Wrapped Hardcover Book
CREATED BY @emilieonearth
CREATED BY @emilieonearth
Bear with us as we get a little meta, but some coffee table book ideas are too
clever not to share. We love the idea of having a photo book about your space, well…
in your space! Capture your favorite nooks, corners, and design features at home,
like @chelseamohrman, and bring them together for an ode to your indoors. We're
especially fond of this idea as a timelapse-made-time-capsule reliving the
transformation of renovated or redecorated spaces.
12
City Tour Guide Book Tour Guide
City guide, but make it a photo book. Live up to that "superhost" status by giving
your Airbnb guests suggestions for must-see sites and tasty bites. Better yet, do it
in style with your own photos sprinkled in, like
@brooklyn.cruzzz. Even if you're not an Airbnb host, it's still a creative way to celebrate your
city and add that extra touch of hospitality for friends and family who come to
visit.
Pro tip: Not sure where to start? Find a little inspiration in our roundup of vacation rental guest book ideas.
Pro tip: Not sure where to start? Find a little inspiration in our roundup of vacation rental guest book ideas.
13
Anniversary Photo Book Anniversary
We're swooning over this coffee table book idea from
@xeeeen, who relived
their shared story in the pages of a
Hardcover Photo Book. Love stories, big and small deserve to be kept in print. Create a custom photo
book for your anniversary or just to document a first date; our
photo book comparison guide
can help you decide which book best fits your story.
Have a few coffee table
book ideas of your own?
book ideas of your own?
We can't wait to see them! Just tag us on Instagram
using @artifactuprising or #TellOn, and submit your photo for a chance to be featured in an upcoming article.
Create your book
using @artifactuprising or #TellOn, and submit your photo for a chance to be featured in an upcoming article.
