Coffee Table Books Washington DC

Rather than taking up an obscure residence on the shelf, crowded by all those other books with a thick layer of dust, there are tomes that earn a coveted spot — right in the middle of the coffee table.

“Many times, (coffee table books) are decorating pieces,” said Jane Stroh, owner of The Book Store, 475 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn. “It’s a statement of the kind of home the owner lives in or the type of person they are.”

That’s why people should pay a little attention to what exactly it is they’re spotlighting.
Stroh offered a few tips on what to look for when purchasing a coffee table book, whether for your own home or as a gift for a friend.

• Pay attention to the topic.

“The subject matter is typically something of interest to the person it’s being purchased for,” Stroh said.

Don’t expect to find a section labeled “Coffee Table Books” in most stores, so you’ll have to know a specific topic to focus on.

Stroh said some favorites are home and garden, travel and companion volumes relating to television series.

Other popular subjects include art, architecture, photographs and pop culture.

• Quality is key.

“There’s a certain degree of ‘you get what you pay for,’” Stroh said.

She said to take some time to run your fingers across a page in the book to see if it feels like quality paper.

Also, more often, the fine quality books’ binding will be sewn rather than glued, she said. The pages of sewn together books are less likely to fall out over time — especially when it comes to the larger, heavier editions.

• Know your price range.

With the bulk of coffee table books hitting the market near gift-giving season, there are plenty of offerings covering a wide price range available.

“You can spend less than $100 and get something really nice,” Stroh said, saying that a nice pick can run you anywhere from about $30 to around $75.

When it comes to gift giving, Stroh said the books are popular because you can purchasing something nice and meaningful without spending a huge amount.

Glen Ellyn News