Coffee table books are the perfect way to add inspiration and aesthetic style to your living room, especially as their covers will immediately elevate your space. So whether you’ve just moved in to your home and are looking for the ideal finishing touch or you’re looking for that perfect gift, we’ve got the list for you.
Whether you’re a fashionista, love to travel, adore museums and exhibitions or aspire to change your interiors, each of the books we’ve chosen are full of incredible insight, beautiful imagery and illustrations that will guarantee to make a statement in your living room.
Best Fashion Coffee Table Books
Best Travel Coffee Table Books
Best Art Coffee Table Books
Best Photography Coffee Table Books
Best Interior Design Coffee Table Books
Best Fashion Coffee Table Books
Supreme Models: Iconic Black Women who Revolutionised Fashion - Marcellas Reynolds
The first book to ever celebrate black women in fashion, Supreme Models is a tribute to the monumental impact that more than 70 of its subjects have had on culture over the past six decades. Featuring the trailblazers and 90s supermodels who paved the way for the current generation of black models. Compiled by celebrity stylist Marcellas Reynolds, the book is filled with beautiful photos, essays and details of the women’s most iconic moments on the runway, on covers and in campaigns.
Chanel: The Vocabulary of Style - Jérôme Gautier
The book that honours Coco Chanel’s influence on the fashion world. This beautifully covered book contains eleven chapters that document her most iconic work through a mix of classic and contemporary photographs. It shows the history of the little black dress and how Chanel made adrogynous chic work by comparing it to the fashion of today.
Tom Ford - Tom Ford and Bridget Foley
A tribute to Ford’s seminal work for YSL and Gucci between 1994-2004 which was published to coincide with him leaving the latter fashion house. It shows Ford’s designs in clothes and accessories through hundreds of images by Craig McDean, Todd Eberle and many more photographers. It also maps out his vision for what a fashion brand should look like, all the way down to the architecture of the store and how it should be advertised.
Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue - Grace Coddington
A book that documents Coddington’s time at both British and American Vogue between 1972-2002. The original run of 5000 copies very quickly became collector’s items, with some going for as much as $10,000. This reprint features forewords by Karl Lagerfeld and Anna Wintour alongside beautiful imagery of Coddington’s favourite Vogue shoots. These accompany the creative director’s personal anecdotes about working with some of the biggest names in fashion.
Yves Saint Laurent: The Impossible Collection - Laurence Benaïm
Coffee table book specialists Assouline collaborate with YSL expert Benaïm to curate a book that features the 100 most iconic pieces from Saint Laurent’s career. Documenting his time working with Christian Dior and getting his big break before he forged his own path to transform the world of Haute Couture. Featuring his classic looks alongside some forgotten gems, this masterpiece beautifully documents his 40 year career.
Ralph Lauren: In His Own Fashion - Alan Flusser
The illustrated biography of the man who created some of the most aspirational styles and pieces in modern menswear. This book looks at Ralph Lauren through his impact on the fashion and cultural world. We take a look at his journey from The Bronx to creating one of America’s most iconic fashion brands. We can measure his impact through the author’s words, “Ralph never wanted to be in fashion, he wanted to be his own fashion — there’s a gigantic difference.”
In Vogue: An Illustrated History Of The World’s Most Famous Fashion Magazine - Alberto Oliva
Tracing the story of the magazine all the way back to Condé Nast taking over a struggling publication in 1909, In Vogue explains the makings of the biggest name in fashion publishing. Using first-person accounts, interviews and excerpts from stories authored by some of the best authors of the 20th century, Oliva has documented Vogue’s role in art, culture, fashion and photography perfectly. The names that pour out of the book are incredible no matter your interests - Annie Liebowitz, Truman Capote and Aldous Huxley to name a few - and make this an iconic book to own.
Paul Smith - Tony Chambers
In his own words, Paul Smith tells the story of the first 50 years of his brand through 50 objects that define him and his unique British style. An icon who has never been too afraid to lean on his own eccentricities (object 35 is a wax plate of spaghetti), each item that he has chosen leads him to give his thoughts on the formality of a suit, the importance of humour and the power of teamwork.
The Sartorialist: Closer - Scott Schuman
The second volume of Schuman’s iconic modern fashion document, the man behind thesartorialist.com publishes images of the well-dressed individuals who have caught his eye from across the world. Covering some of the best street fashion from Tokyo, Seoul, London, Paris and beyond, we’re able to see through Schuman’s unique lens to really take in the breadth of human style.
Fashion in LA - Tania Fares and Krista Smith
Alongside Seoul, Tokyo, Barcelona and Copenhagen, Los Angeles is one of the leading lights of a new wave of fashion thanks to its unique blends of cultures and industry. More brands than ever are choosing LA ahead of the ‘big four’ fashion weeks (London, Paris, Milan, New York), including the Saint Lauren SS20 showcase. This book profiles 40 of its best up-and-coming designers and goes beyond the red carpet to give the City of Angels its own platform to show how important it is to the fashion of the 21st century.
The Ultimate Sneaker Book - Sneaker Freaker/Simon Wood
The perfect gift for the sneaker obsessive in your life. Born out of the Sneaker Freaker fanzine/magazine, this guide takes us through 100 years of footwear history. It covers everything from the Dassler brothers splitting to form adidas and Puma all the way up to present day Yeezys. The historical details in the 650 pages are intersected with Sneaker Freaker’s editor Simon Wood’s thoughts on sneakers and sneaker culture.
Best Travel Coffee Table Books
Ibiza Bohemia - Renu Kashyap and Maya Boyd
Another Assouline classic that celebrates everything that makes the Balearic island so unique, this stunning illustrated guide to the bohemian side of Ibiza is an aesthetic dream, all the way down to the boho cover. Because it has served as a getaway hotspot for artists, creatives and musicians for decades, the island’s blend of peaceful retreats, roaring nightlife and beautiful unique interiors are commemorated in this 300 page book.
Wine Trails: 52 Perfect Weekends in Wine Country - Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet have been the world’s leading travel media for decades and the first edition of their Perfect Weekends series is a must have. Covering the well-known and the off the beaten track wine regions alike, this book is the ideal coffee table accompaniment for any grape lover. Using a mix of itineraries, photography and maps to create the perfect trip, this book takes you through the world’s best-known wine areas of Tuscany, Burgundy and Rioja alongside the up-and-coming regions in Greece, Georgia and beyond.
36 Hours World. 150 Cities from Abu Dhabi to Zurich - New York Times/Barbara Ireland
In collaboration with the New York Times, travel writer Barbara Ireland has compiled a detailed list of some of the best destinations across the world. A weekend anywhere can often feel daunting if you’ve never been before, so this guide is tailored for the reader to enjoy a memorable 36 hour stay in whichever city they fly into.
36 Hours World. 150 Cities from Abu Dhabi to Zurich - New York Times/Barbara Ireland
Travel and Style specialists Cereal represent the curated side of holidaying, they always direct their readers to places that reflect their aesthetic and stylish sensibilities. Each of their City Guides are designed with their audience in mind, with the New York edition featuring a photo essay of the city, illustrated neighbourhood maps and interviews with celebrated locals.
Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World’s Most Amazing Places - National Geographic
An aspirational travel book that guarantees that you’ll add to your bucket list with the turn of every page. This photographic world tour includes some of the most breathtaking locations you’ll ever see and is a perfect way to dream up new holiday destinations from the comfort of your sofa.
prettycitylondon: Discovering London's Beautiful Places - Siobhan Ferguson
Taking you beyond the standard London tourism hotspots, this book shows some of the hidden gems of the beautiful old city. If you’re someone who loves to find quiet moments in the middle of busy areas, this is a perfect guide for you. Featuring hidden mews, undiscovered cafes, flower markets and tree lined streets, it’ll show you exactly where to look for an authentic Londoner’s experience on your visit.
Explorers' Sketchbooks: The Art of Discovery & Adventure - Huw Lewis-Jones
Using journals and sketchbooks from some of history’s most famous (and unsung) explorers, we see their journeys into some of the most inhospitable regions on the planet through primary resources. The pioneers who paved the way included map-makers, botanists and artists, ecologists and anthropologists and this book celebrates their bravery and vision.
Gray Malin: The Essential Collection - Gray Malin
Gray Malin has been capturing fine art photos for a decade, so to celebrate he is releasing a book featuring some of his best and most vibrant imagery from across the world. This collection is as beautiful as it is inspiring, comes wrapped in a premium book cloth to keep it pristine and includes some of his most iconic photos alongside never-been-seen work.
Modernist Escapes: An Architectural Travel Guide - Stefi Orazi
Featuring over 130 structures across the globe, Orazi has compiled a list of buildings that cover every principle of modernism in architecture. Combining interior and exterior design with a travel guide, the reader is shown a range of Brutal, Bauhaus and Constructivist buildings with everything in between. Each of the buildings featured in this book are open to the public with some even available for an overnight stay, so if you’re looking for an incredibly well-designed holiday destination look no further.
Inside North Korea - Oliver Wainwright
The Guardian photojournalist takes us on a journey into one of the most secretive countries in the world through stunning imagery. The capital Pyongyang was built from scratch in the 1950s, and the architecture is reflective of every leader North Korea has had since. Featuring awe-inspiring colour palettes, mosaics and design, Inside North Korea features insightful captions and essays as a glimpse of how the country looks in the 21st Century.
Best Art Coffee Table Books
Art: A Visual History - Robert Cumming
A comprehensive and illustrated guide to Western art that spans thousands of years and features over 650 artists. Using full-colour images of iconic works and lesser known gems, we’re able to see the full scale and development of Western societies and cultures in this book. It covers the themes, techniques and stories of some of the discipline’s greatest movements, including Impressionism and Expressionism, the Bauhaus movement and 60s Pop Art.
Turner’s Sketchbooks - Ian Warrell
Offering a window into J. M. W. Turner’s unique creative process, the reader is transported back in time in this collection of his sketchbooks that take us through his full developments from a teenage explorer to a full-colour artist. As there aren’t many written accounts of his travels, in this book we’re also able to find impressions of all the places he visited in Britain and Europe as he completed some of his most iconic paintings.
Florence: The Paintings & Frescoes, 1250-1743 - Ross King and Anja Grebe
Every painted work that is on display in the Tuscan city’s four main art galleries is featured in this book, as well as the majority of the art from the other 28 galleries and museums in Florence. Including research and accompanying copy by celebrated historians and experts from across the art world, this centuries-wide book offers a unique window into the city where Leonardo da Vinci spent much of his life.
Pantone History of Color - Leatrice Eiseman and Keith Recker
The renowned colour authority Pantone have collaborated with long time art experts and colour gurus Leatrice Eiseman and Keith Recker to identify over 200 works that defined the 20th Century. They’ve then matched them to over 80 PANTONE official colours to show how various shades and hues came in and out of trend over the 100 years between 1900-2000.
The Impossible Collection of Warhol - Eric Shiner
Warhol expert and former Andy Warhol Museum director Shiner has collated 100 of the legendary pop artist’s greatest works as part of this collection. This book takes the reader on a journey that takes us way deeper than the Campbell’s Soup Cans. Shiner takes us through Warhol’s artistic evolution and features paintings, prints, sculpture, films, and photography from his much-celebrated life.
Les Diners De Gala - Salvador Dali
In his own words, “Les diners de Gala is uniquely devoted to the pleasures of taste,” this surrealist publication combines a cookbook with Dali’s unique artistic style. Featuring over 100 recipes over 12 courses, the illustrations and classic recipes are accompanied by personal musings by the author on a wide variety of subjects.
The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss - Theodor Geisel and Maurice Sendak
Filled with 65 beautiful never-been-seen illustrations that Seuss (Geisel) didn’t use as part of his more primary coloured children’s books, this book contains the art that he painted for his own pleasure. Showcasing his quintessential postmodern maximalist style throughout, the posthumous collection gives us an amazing insight into Seuss’ work and life.
Menu Design in America, 1850–1985 - Steven Heller and John Mariani
Using 800 examples of historical menus, illustrated in beautiful colours, this book traces the history of the restaurant menu through America. Beginning in the 19th Century, when restaurant menus were a rare commodity and therefore a collectors item and including stunning pictures of restaurant interiors, this book gives a glimpse of gastronomic history in the USA.
The Art of Mondo - Mondo
Mondo is a Texas art gallery that reworks art posters from classic films, television series and comic books. The posters generally sell out within minutes, so this book serves as a collector’s item in more ways than one. Many of the notable directors whose films have their own Mondo posters have spoken of their adoration for the unique art. This publication shows some of Mondo’s best work for a range of films including the original Star Wars trilogy, Jaws and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Graffiti World: Street Art from Five Continents - Nicholas Ganz
Nicholas Ganz is a photographer and graffiti artist who started street painting under the pseudonym of Keinom in 1994. Over the best part of a decade his knowledge of the graffiti movement allowed him to publish this worldwide bestseller, which features over 180 artists (including Banksy and Os Gemeos) and covers over three decades of street art history.
Best Photography Coffee Table Books
The Atlas of Beauty: Women of the World in 500 Portraits - Mihaela Noroc
Since 2013 Noroc has travelled the world with her backpack and camera photographing ordinary (yet extraordinary) women in their everyday surroundings, this collection of her favourite subjects captures them at their diverse and beautiful best. Showing a variety of women from locations as wide-ranging as the Amazon rainforest to markets in India, London city streets and parks in Harlem, this book challenges the ideals of beauty dictated by the fashion industry.
Robert Doisneau - Jean-Claude Gautrand
Doisneau is one of the most celebrated forerunners of the Photographie humaniste movement that became popular in the 1950s. He captured images of ordinary people doing ordinary things and gave them life. This collection - curated expertly by Jean-Claude Gautrand - features over 400 images from the legendary photographer’s work, using the juxtaposition of the grimness of his youth alongside the full-colour shots of his later life in Palm Springs.
Stanley Kubrick Photographs. Through a Different Lens - Luc Sante, Sean Corcoran and Donald Albrecht
Before becoming a world-renowned director responsible for The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Dr. Strangelove among others, Kubrick joined Look magazine at 17 as a junior photographer. This collection is a showcase of how young Stanley began his creative journey by capturing everyday people and how he could bring his incredible knack for unique storytelling to the discipline of still-life photography.
Annie Leibovitz At Work - Annie Leibovitz
Best-known for her celebrity portraits this book gives the reader a fascinating insight into the legendary photographer’s creative process. The book features the world’s most celebrated living photojournalist’s studio work, her work with dancers, athletes and writers, as well as her thoughts on making the transition from shooting on film to working with digital cameras. The perfect gift for any aspiring photographer.
The New Black Vanguard: Photography Between Art and Fashion - Antwaun Sargent
Featuring fifteen artists whose work has been shown in traditional lifestyle magazines, ad campaigns, and museums. This book celebrates black bodies and creativity as well as how art, fashion and culture are constantly cross-pollinating to construct imagery. Sargent uses this book to open up a conversation about how institutional barriers have been used to block Black photographers from participating in fashion and art.
Prabal Gurung - Prabal Gurung
High fashion meets photography for this book that delves into Gurung’s unique creative process. The book is filled with his inspiration from the best part of a decade, including mood boards, sketches, runway shots and photographs from some of his most famous collections. This monograph features a foreword by Sarah Jessica Parker and traces Gurung’s journey from Nepal to dressing some of the world’s most iconic and powerful women including Oprah and Michelle Obama.
Chinatown Pretty: Fashion and Wisdom from Chinatown's Most Stylish Seniors - Andria Lo and Valerie Luu
Photographing and interviewing senior citizens from the Chinatowns of six US cities, this book is a celebration of Chinese American culture, creative style and active long life. Luu and Lo have chosen their subjects to prove that old age doesn’t have to mean foregoing exceptional style. Each person in Chinatown Pretty shows off a mix of modern and vintage, high and low, handmade and store bought clothing.
Rainbow Revolution - Magnus Hastings
Using a plain white box, Hastings invites over 300 members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community to come and creatively take over the space, with each of them presenting themselves exactly as they want to be seen. Combining stunning photos alongside deeply personal essays on gender and sexual identity by some of the subjects, this book celebrates the expanding spectrum of queerness, diversity and difference in a new and beautiful way.
The Dogist: Puppies - Elias Weiss Friedman
The second volume from Friedman’s (aka The Dogist on Instagram) collection of photographs is pure cuteness on every page. He never leaves the house without a pocketful of treats, his Nikon, plus knee pads and shoes that allow him to get much closer to his subjects. Featuring a deep dive into his favourite puppies from his travels of New York and beyond, this book is guaranteed to bring joy to any coffee table.
Hand Dryers - Samuel Ryde
Based on the work of his Instagram account @handdryers, Samuel Ryde’s collection of what should be a mundane piece of technology brings to life an incredibly forgettable part of the everyday. Ryde - who tries to find stories in everything he sees - has compiled a collection of photographs from across the world from LA to the Ukraine to showcase the variety of design and place where you can find each dryer.
Best Interior Design Coffee Table Books
William Morris’s Flowers - Rowan Bain
Famous for his stunning wallpaper, carpet and fabric designs - the majority of which were inspired by the forms of nature - William Morris’ influence on the world of interiors is still prevalent. His flowers are the hallmark of his work and this beautiful book has been accessibly priced and designed to feature a number of them across his drawings in pen and watercolour, as well as his inspiration across the art world.
Eames: Beautiful Details - Eames Demetrios
Charles and Ray Eames were pioneers in the world of post-war American design, architecture and film. This ultimate Eames book, based on Charles’ famous quote - “The details are not the details. They make the design.” - celebrates the mid-century masters in beautiful monograph form that goes into intimate detail on their creations. The beautiful cover based on their design of “the toy” is enough to enhance anyone’s coffee table alone.
Chair: 500 Designs That Matter - Phaidon
A collection of the world’s most compelling and innovative chairs using the expertise of the Design Museum. This book celebrates the creativity and thought that has gone into chair design, from early examples all the way through to the cutting edge modern chairs of today. Featuring Thonet’s influential Bentwood chair, No. 14 to Marcel Breuer’s Wassily chair, the reader is taken on a journey through the minds of some of the greatest ever creatives.
Delicious Places: New Food Culture, Restaurants and Interiors - gestalten
A travel, food and interior book in one, Delicious Places examines the restaurants, cafes and bars across the world that are infusing their menus with imagination. This guide on the future of food will take you to Andean mountains and Swedish forest saunas with destinations that give their cuisine total respect and offer each visitor a unique experience from the second they walk through the door.
The World of Apartamento: Ten Years of Everyday Life Interiors - Omar Sosa
Much like the magazine publication, this book is a carefully curated and developed editorial mix of beautiful photography and illustrations alongside quotes from the hundreds of interviews that have been published in Apartamento over a decade. Featuring an eclectic multitude of names like Michael Stipe, Omar Souleyman, Esther Mahlangu and many more, this 306-page book is a perfect representation of inspiring interior style and individuality in design.
The Best of Nest: Celebrating the Extraordinary Interiors from Nest Magazine - Todd Oldham
Nest was published from 1997-2004 and revolutionised the way we look at the inside of houses by rejecting the conventional luxury of the interior magazines from that period. This book includes selections from the 26 issues that featured a range of non-traditional, exceptional and unusual homes, including essays on each issue from Nest’s founder Joe Holtzman.
The Japanese Garden - Sophie Walker
Using her meticulous research, author and garden designer Sophie Walker has compiled the ultimate guide to 800 years of Japanese garden design. Using a series of essays from artists, architects and practitioners and featuring over 100 examples of the ideal in Japanese gardening, this book covers ancient Shinto shrines and imperial gardens through to the Zen gardens of modern Japan.
Designing History: The Extraordinary Art & Style of the Obama White House - Michael S. Smith and Margaret Russell
In collaboration with Smith, the Obamas took the design of the White House seriously and updated the grand interiors through stunning decoration, the showcasing of artwork and entertainment style that reflected the progressiveness of America at that time. Featuring behind the scenes photography and archival material, this book is perfect for design enthusiasts, fans of politics and anyone that loves Americana.
Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Houses - Dominic Bradbury
A thoroughly researched, comprehensive collection of more than 400 homes designed in one of the most popular styles of our time. Featuring work from nearly 300 architects including Marcel Breuer and Alvar Aalto alongside some virtual unknowns from across the world. Interior design aficionados and any aspirant readers looking to refresh their home will take a host of inspiration from this book.
Atomic Ranch: Design Ideas for Stylish Ranch Homes - Michelle Gringeri-Brown and Jim Brown
Atomic Ranch is a popular quarterly that celebrates mid-mod design, but this book celebrates the American ranches that were built in the post-war years. Featuring houses in San Francisco, Palm Springs and across the USA, this is a presentation of 25 homes that showcase stylish, modern living using beautiful photography, amazing before/after shots and a thorough resource index.
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