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fave coffee table books that actually deserve to be on display
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items Because what's the point of having a beautiful coffee table book if you never actually want to open it? These are books I've actually bought for my home: fashion, art, photography, and a few that are just too pretty not to leave out.
A coffee table book dedicated to Rihanna? Obviously. Over 1,000 images, a whole lot of fashion, and the kind of book that deserves its own little moment in the living room.
The Rihanna Book
For the fashion girlies. A collection of Vogue covers that doubles as a little visual history of fashion, photography, and the people who've shaped both.
Vogue: The Covers (Vogue Collection)
This is the big, dramatic fashion book. The kind you don't even need to style very much because the book itself is doing all the work.
Tom Ford
For when you want a fashion book that's actually interesting to flip through. It's a visual history of fashion, so you're getting the pretty pictures AND learning something.
Fashion: The Definitive Visual Guide (DK)
An art book that doesn't require you to know a damn thing about art to enjoy it. I like the idea of having books around that make you curious enough to actually open them.
Art: The Definitive Visual Guide (DK)
Okay, this one is just fun. A whole book of over-the-top themed hotels, retro interiors, and rooms that look like somebody had a very specific vision and absolutely committed to it.
Hotel Kitsch: A Tour of America’s Fantasy Getaways
New York architecture and flowers. That's it. That's the reason. Sometimes a book can just be beautiful.
New York in Bloom: Floral Portraits & Bouquets
For the girl who loves a cute table setting, a little entertaining, and making people feel welcome in her home. Pretty enough to display, but there's actually something inside worth reading.
kate spade new york: all in good taste
Because sometimes I want a pretty coffee table book to actually teach me something useful. This one is about making your home look good AND function like somebody actually lives there.
Beautifully Organized: Guide to Home Style
I mean... the name says it all. Definitely a conversation starter
Jokes to Offend Men
pink + gold + bold
SPIKE
The London version of New York in Bloom, so yes, I bought both. Pink doors, window boxes, and flowers everywhere. It makes a table look like spring in any month.
London in Bloom: Floral photography capturing London’s parks, window boxes, and secret blossom-filled corners.
Pink, small, and so cute. Good for adding a pop of color to a stack, and you get the story behind the brand too.
Little Book of Valentino: The story of the iconic fashion house (Little Books of Fashion)
Neutral and classic. Same idea as the Dior one, so it's small, easy to style, and you get the story behind the brand. These two look good stacked together.
Little Book of Louis Vuitton: The Story of the Iconic Fashion House (Little Books of Fashion)
The pink one. Small enough to tuck into a stack or a shelf, and you actually learn how Dior started. This is the easiest way to start a fashion book collection.
Little Book of Dior (Little Books of Fashion)
Every song, with the story behind it. You pick it up to look up one song and look up an hour later. Obviously it belongs next to the Rihanna book.
Beyoncé All The Songs: Story Behind Tracks
The big Louis Vuitton book. This one is every collection, so it's more of a flip-through-for-an-hour book than a read-it-in-one-sitting book. Heavy, dramatic, and it looks expensive on a table.
Louis Vuitton: Complete Fashion Collections
Haute couture from 1962 to 2002. It's big, heavy, and so pretty. This is the one I'd put on the bottom of a stack so everything else has something to sit on.
Yves Saint Laurent: Complete Haute Couture 1962–2002
The Paris one. Same author as the New York and London books, so I have the whole set. Cherry blossoms, roses, and streets that look like a movie.
Paris in Bloom: Floral Photos with Landmarks
This one is huge in every way. Art, essays, and photos about Black life and what comes next. It's the book people pick up and ask you about.
Black Futures
For the girl who wants her home to look good AND work. Everything is organized by color, and it's pretty enough to leave out. It's useful enough to actually open too.
The Home Edit Life: No-Guilt Guide to Organizing
Black and white and classic. Same little book style as the Dior and Louis Vuitton ones, so it stacks right with them. You get the story behind Chanel and the Lagerfeld years.
The Little Book of Chanel by Lagerfeld
A hundred years of famous homes and designers. This is the one for when you want ideas for your own house. Big pictures and a lot to look at.
Architectural Digest at 100: Celebrity Homes & Designers
Jessica Nabongo is the first Black woman to visit every country in the world, and this is her story. Pretty enough for the table and good enough to actually read.
Catch Me If You Can: One Woman's Journey