Styling a ring of reading

Clockwise from top right: Kate Spade posy vases, Jonathan Adler horn sculpture, Jayson Home Fulton table, Living the Modern Way, Californi Design 1930-1965 from the MIT Press, Inspiration Dior form Abrams, French Riviera from Assouline, Mel Bochner Domaine de Kerguehennec

In my fantasy home I have a vision of walking into a large foyer and finding myself greeted by a large table of sculptures surrounded by a beautiful ring of art, architecture, and fashion books. Each pile would be stacked high adding to both the decor and the literary value of the room. Of course, this imaginary home only lives in my head, but that doesn't mean I have to sacrifice the idea of an eye-catching way to display books for my guests. I've started to build my own collection (which has actually grown pretty large and weighty when moving) that I stack in pile around the coffee table and along the console. I mingle fashion books among retrospectives of my favorite artists, then throw in whimsical and luxurious books to spark conversation. To recreate on a larger scale, pick an embellished circular table (I love this rustic wood one), add a few unexpected elements for the center, then stack piles of books in a ring, inviting guests to pick one up and flip through the glossy pages.