Book smart
Metropol editor Nina Tucker dives into coffee table-core, on a quest to understand the art of the perfect stack-and-style.
A few weekends ago, I spent hours inside my living room arranging and rearranging a precious selection of books, magazines and trinkets (all while my partner ticked off a long list of house chores). From my hundreds of hoarded Vogue magazines to the weighty fashion and editorial books I’ve collected over the years, I find there’s quite a knack to the perfect stack. It’s one I want to get more clever at – so I’ve rounded up some of my favourite styling snaps from recent winners in the Resene Architectural Design Awards 2026 for inspiration.
Beyond the aesthetic satisfaction of delicious-looking literature on a coffee table, entertainment unit or console, one of the best things about using books for interior style is their dual-purpose. Whether it’s a book about gastronomy, architecture, or fashion, or the latest from your favourite magazine, there’s just as much pleasure in reading as there is in it sitting static in your home.
I recently picked up The Fashion Yearbook 2023: Best of Campaigns, Editorials and Covers on a trip to town – a bright green cover with oodles of images inside from some incredible magazine fashion shoots – and felt like I was getting a two-for-the-price-of-one deal. Inspiration for my next cover shoot, and keen green vibes to welcome in the spring season. It’s the little things.
Less is more: A striking book and stylish ornament on top is all you need, as shown by the living space in Havering House, designed by Barry Connor, photographed by Anna McLeod.
Get clever: Mansfield Avenue, by architect Cymon Allfrey (with Bob Jackson), which received a Regional Award for New Home over 300m2 and a Regional Award for Home Interiors, is considered with a fresh feel. I love how the coffee table’s décor draws a square within a square. Photographed by Samuel Hartnett.
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Hero image: A love for Louis: I was easily won over by this entranceway console at winning home, Wai-Iti, for its stack of four Louis Vuitton books, and the classic charm it captures (Royal Doulton bowl, brass lamp, and silver jug set in front of wallpapered hydrangeas).Home designed by Gareth Ritchie, photographed by Stephen Goodenough.
