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41 Best Coffee-Table Books for Every Reader and Space

All as beautiful as they are interesting.
best coffee table books
Courtesy of brands

What good is a living room without at least a few of the best coffee-table books? Whether or not you ever actually crack them open, they double as both home decor and signifiers of your taste, an answer to the question, “Who lives here, really?” Although a select few become inescapable—cough, Tom Ford, cough—there are so many options out there, a volume for every interest, style, and reader. And yes, they all make stellar gifts for everyone on your list, especially if you’re shopping for a housewarming present.

Art and design lovers have almost too many options to choose from, including guides on curating interiors and compendiums on movements like Afrofuturism and artists like Diane Arbus. Anyone with an interest in fashion needs a work on their favorite designer, whether it’s Virgil Abloh or Collina Strada. If you’re more of a music person, some of our favorite books dive into hip-hop jewelry and Taylor Swift’s wardrobe. And there are so many picks for foodies (like this manifesto on dinner parties), cinephiles (like this Wes Anderson explainer), and pet parents (like this collection of dog photos). Plus, Christmas coffee-table books also abound this time of year. ’Tis the season.

Like area rugs, reading chairs, and scented candles, every living space needs the right oversized volumes. Whether you’re building out your own library or shopping for a loved one with impeccable taste, these are the best coffee-table books that Glamour editors own, covet, and recommend.

Our top coffee table book picks

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

  • How to Live With Objects

    Courtesy of brand
    1/41

    How to Live with Objects by Monica Khemsurov

    $60 $36

    Amazon

    This one throws out the traditional rules of interior design, making the case for simply surrounding yourself with gorgeous objects. (And even if you never crack it open, that cover is gorgeous.)

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • Black Futures

    Courtesy of brand
    2/41

    Black Futures

    $40 $19

    Amazon

    “What does it mean to be Black and alive right now?” This popular collection of photos, essays, recipes, poetry, and more—all from the Black creators shaping culture today—works to answer that question.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel

    Courtesy of brand
    6/41

    The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel

    $40 $23

    Amazon

    This book companion to The Grand Budapest Hotel, one of Wes Anderson’s most beloved movies, features behind-the-scenes photos and interviews with the director—perfect for any devoted fan.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones

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    7/41

    Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton

    $50 $22

    Amazon

    While Dolly herself once famously said, “It costs a lot to look this cheap,” her new book, an exploration of her iconic style, is pretty much exactly the opposite.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • It’s So You: The Joy of Personal Style

    Courtesy of brand
    8/41

    It’s So You: The Joy of Personal Style by Kate Spade New York

    $35 $19

    Amazon

    $35

    Kate Spade New York

    Kate Spade’s little book on personal style teases out everything you need to know about the art of getting dressed, from styling a white button-down to trying your hand at trends.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History

    Courtesy of brand
    9/41

    Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History

    $110

    Free People

    Featuring original insights from A$AP Ferg and LL Cool J, this visual history shines a light on hip-hop’s iciest jewelry.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Free People promo codes.

  • Barbie

    Courtesy of brand
    10/41

    Barbie by Susan Shapiro

    $120

    Shopbop

    $105

    Saks Fifth Avenue

    After Barbie the movie, we’re ready to live in Barbie World full time. This just-released book, which explores the doll’s evolution over 340 pages, almost makes that possible.

  • Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style

    Courtesy of brand
    11/41

    Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style

    $125 $112

    Amazon

    Of course, Architectural Digest’s take on the coffee-table book is just as chic as an art object as it is a retrospective of the magazine’s century in print.

    Save on the best coffee table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • The Night Before Christmas: The Classic Edition

    Courtesy of brand
    15/41

    The Night Before Christmas: The Classic Edition

    $95

    Amazon

    $95

    Neiman Marcus

    Leather-bound and heirloom quality, this take on The Night Before Christmas is bound to become part of your family’s holiday traditions. Each verse of the poem is accompanied by Charles Santore’s gorgeous illustrations.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Neiman Marcus promo codes.

  • John Derian Picture Book

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    16/41

    John Derian Picture Book

    $80 $48

    Amazon

    Artist, collector, and home goods whisperer John Derian pulled almost 300 vintage images from his archive—with an intro from Anna Wintour, no less. We only wish there were room for 1,000 more pages.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • Vogue Paris: 100 Years

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    17/41

    Vogue Paris: 100 Years

    $50

    Free People

    $65 $41

    Amazon

    This striking visual history of Vogue Paris (now called Vogue France) contains some of the most iconic images in fashion history. Your coffee table is about to become très chic.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Free People promo codes.

  • 1000 Record Covers

    Courtesy of brand
    18/41

    1000 Record Covers by Michael Ochs

    $25 $14

    Amazon

    True to its name, this volume features 1,000 of the absolute best rock album covers from the ’60s through the ’90s, all from archivist and journalist Michael Ochs’s personal collection.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • The New York Times Birthday Edition

    Courtesy of brand
    19/41

    The New York Times Birthday Edition

    $100

    Uncommon Goods

    Yep, customized coffee-table books are a thing. This one compiles New York Times front pages from any day of the year—a great birthday or anniversary gift.

  • Ferrari: From Inside and Outside

    Courtesy of brand
    20/41

    Ferrari: From Inside and Outside by James Allen

    $75 $50

    Amazon

    Capturing Ferrari racing through the eyes of two photographers, this dude-friendly coffee-table book is perfect for anyone who’s just getting into (or has always been obsessed with) Formula 1.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • The Dinner Party: A Chef’s Guide to Home Entertaining

    Courtesy of brand
    24/41

    The Dinner Party: A Chef’s Guide to Home Entertaining

    $42

    Anthropologie

    Written by a husband-and-wife duo of chefs and home entertaining fanatics, this is the ultimate guide on how to throw a dinner party worth attending.

    Save on the best coffee table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • The World of Apartamento: Ten Years of Everyday Life Interiors

    Courtesy of brand
    25/41

    The World of Apartamento: Ten Years of Everyday Life Interiors

    $60 $45

    Amazon

    Cult-favorite magazine Apartamento explores the beautiful homes of notable people, and this compendium includes more than 300 photos of the most inspiring interiors in its archives. Warning: It might just inspire you to redo your entire place.

    Save on the best coffee table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • Afrosurf

    Courtesy of brand
    26/41

    Afrosurf

    $40 $24

    Amazon

    With an eye-catching cover and more than 300 pages dedicated to story of African surf culture, this pick pulls together profiles, poetry, photography, and even comics into one unmissable narrative.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • I Care a Lotta, I Wear Collina Strada

    Courtesy of brand
    30/41

    I Care a Lotta, I Wear Collina Strada

    $60 $36

    Nordstrom

    $60 $34

    Amazon

    Step into the trippy world of New York label Collina Strada with this archive of brand imagery, runway looks, and new shoots with the brand’s frequent collaborators. (There’s even art created by the guy who did the Animorphs covers.)

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Nordstrom promo codes.

  • Rap Tees

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    31/41

    Rap Tees

    $40 $29

    Amazon

    Collector DJ Ross One compiled this catalog of over 500 of hip-hop’s greatest tees, spanning from the earliest Sugar Hill Gang T-shirts to the “parking lot bootleg tees” that continue to have an outsize impact on merch design today.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • Fashion in Film

    Courtesy of brand
    32/41

    Fashion in Film by Christopher Laverty

    $22 $16

    Amazon

    Exploring couture’s continuing contributions to the world of cinema—including, yes, that iconic LBD from Breakfast at Tiffany’s—this pocket-size book should please those of us who spend all year wishing it were Fashion Week.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • Seinfeld: The Official Cookbook

    Courtesy of brand
    33/41

    Seinfeld: The Official Cookbook

    $35 $15

    Amazon

    Ever wondered how to make a Big Salad or a black and white cookie worthy of Seinfeld? This jokey (yet useful) cookbook is your best bet.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • Moon Paradise

    Courtesy of brand
    34/41

    Moon Paradise

    $105

    Amazon

    $105

    Saks Fifth Avenue

    Destinations like Ibiza and Mykonos from Assouline’s super-popular travel series have become practically inescapable at this point, but Moon Paradise offers the same look and is a little more under the radar.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Saks Fifth Avenue promo codes.

  • Diane Arbus Documents

    Courtesy of brand
    35/41

    Diane Arbus Documents

    $95 $61

    Amazon

    Diane Arbus’s black-and-white photography is just as captivating today as it was over 50 years ago. Uniting criticism and essays from 1967 to today, Diane Arbus Documents provides a full picture of the response to her work.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • William Eggleston: The Outlands, Selected Works

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    39/41

    William Eggleston: The Outlands, Selected Works

    $95 $65

    Amazon

    This oversized volume collects almost 100 essential, previously unseen images taken in the American South by William Eggleston, the artist who pioneered color photography.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • Andy Warhol Polaroids 1958–1987

    Courtesy of brand
    40/41

    Andy Warhol Polaroids 1958–1987

    $60 $37

    Amazon

    Any art lover or New Yorker worth their salt should have this collection of Andy Warhol’s photos—many featuring celebrities like Grace Jones, Debbie Harry, and Yves Saint Laurent—within arm’s reach.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Amazon promo codes.

  • John Waters: Pope of Trash

    Courtesy of brand
    41/41

    John Waters: Pope of Trash

    $60 $41

    Amazon

    Trash auteur John Waters has released coffee table books before, but this retrospective of his oeuvre—beloved hits like Hairspray, Serial Mom, and Cry-Baby included—is the best and most complete yet. It’s worth it for the behind-the-scenes photos alone.

    Save on the best coffee-table books with these Amazon promo codes.

Jake Henry Smith is a commerce editor at Glamour covering all things lifestyle, from style and fashion to sexual wellness. He’s constantly testing (and reviewing) products for roundups and gift guides, including cookware sets, silk pillowcases, vibrating wands, and white T-shirts. Before joining the team at Glamour, he was a... Read more
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