Meet the Judges

We at Booktique can attest that Hilton Carter can turn anyone’s thumb green. We can’t get enough of his inspiring (and often hilarious) advice, from his “Plant Rant” videos to the updates he shares on his fiddle-leaf fig, Frank, to the swoon-worthy greenscapes that fill his Instagram feed. We were thrilled when he accepted our invitation to be a judge for the inaugural Booktique Awards, not least because we knew we might get some tailored tips from him. Here’s a great one: “Air plants are ideal for coffee-table-styling since you can place them on top of anything, including your most cherished books.” Thanks for looking out for us, Hilton—and our cherished books!

Did being a judge spark new creative connections or inspire new ideas you’d like to explore in your life or work? The book Ice Cold got me thinking about my goals for my next book. Understanding the weight jewelry played in hip hop as an art form, I’m inspired to capture the equivalent in the interiors space.

What’s your favorite thing about coffee table books? My favorite thing about coffee table books is what they say about the individuals that display them on their tables. It’s a pretty good representation of them and how they want to be inspired or inspire. 

At Booktique, we say “Read Beautifully” and we invite each person in our community to define it however they choose. What comes to mind when you think “Read Beautifully”? A place? A favorite person? A time of day? A color? A certain type of imagery? A specific book? To read beautifully is to take in the imagery fully and embrace the beauty as it comes at you. 

When it comes to plant styling and home decor, what plants do you recommend for someone’s coffee table? Small plants that don’t take up too much space are best for coffee tables, especially when you’re saving room for books. I personally like to mix in calathea plants because of their small size, tolerance of low light, and color. They are also kid- and pet-friendly, which is an important consideration since plants on coffee tables tend to get more attention from kids and pets than other plants around the house. 

Do you have any tips for styling plants and books together? I often see plants placed on top of a stack of books, but as I say to my two-year-old, "that's a no-no!" because you’re exposing the covers to possible water damage—unless they’re air plants. Air plants are ideal for coffee-table-styling since you can place them on top of anything, including your most cherished books.

You’ve authored four books and your fifth is coming out next year. (Congrats!) What’s your favorite part of the book-making process? Thank you! My favorite part of the process is photographing the interiors styled with plants. I find it so relaxing and it gets me gassed to write about the topic being discussed. 

If you had to choose...

Words or pictures? Pictures. Matte or glossy? Matte. Serif or sans? Sans. Brights or greige? Greige. Marble or terrazzo? Terrazzo. Music or silence? Music. Sweet or savory? Sweet. Coffee or cocktails? Coffee. Movie theater or museum? Movie theater. Tulips or Bird of Paradise? Bird of Paradise. Grand Canyon or Central Park? Central Park. Order or chaos? Ordered chaos.