41 Best Coffee-Table Books for Every Reader and Space
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
- Best on Fashion: Louis Vuitton: Virgil Abloh, $140
- Best on Art: Diane Arbus Documents, $52
- Best on Design: How to Live With Objects, $38
- Best on Pop Culture: Barbie, $105
- Best for Men: Ferrari: From Inside and Outside, $38
- Best on Music: Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, $25
- Best on Food: More Is More: Get Loose in the Kitchen, $24
- Best on Pets: Where They Purr, $50
- Best Personalized: The New York Times Birthday Edition, $100
- Best Christmas Coffee-Table Book: The Night Before Christmas, $95
All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
1/41How to Live With Objects
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.)
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2/41Black Futures
“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.
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3/41Glamour: 30 Years of Women Who Have Reshaped the World
Our very own coffee-table book chronicles three decades of Glamour’s Women of the Year Awards, including inspirational words by luminaries like Reese Witherspoon, Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai, Billie Jean King, and more.
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4/41Library of Esoterica: Tarot
Anyone with even a fleeting interest in tarot needs this compendium, which features a huge array of deck designs, the meaning behind each card, and essays on the practice.
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5/41More Is More: Get Loose in the Kitchen
Molly Baz knows her way around a photogenic cookbook. We recommend you keep this one in the living room, not the kitchen.
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6/41The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel
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.
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7/41Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones
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.
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8/41It’s So You: The Joy of Personal Style
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.
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9/41Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History
Featuring original insights from A$AP Ferg and LL Cool J, this visual history shines a light on hip-hop’s iciest jewelry.
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10/41Barbie
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.
11/41Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style
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.
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12/41Seeing Stars
These mini books explore each astrological sign’s attributes, strengths, and hidden features (without taking up too much real estate in tiny spaces).
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13/41Taylor Swift: And the Clothes She Wears
Anyone still talking about their Eras Tour experience needs a copy of this Swiftie-approved book, which keeps selling out.
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14/41The Art of the Flower
Celebrity florist Jeff Leatham has worked with the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Cher, and the Kardashians, and his most beautiful arrangements and best tips are collected here. (Hello, perfect gift for women.)
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15/41The Night Before Christmas: The Classic Edition
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.
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16/41John Derian Picture Book
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.
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17/41Vogue Paris: 100 Years
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.
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18/411000 Record Covers
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.
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19/41The New York Times Birthday Edition
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.
20/41Ferrari: From Inside and Outside
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.
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22/41Good Dog
As anyone with a pup of their own knows, there are few better ways to spend your time than by looking at pictures of dogs. Randal Ford’s playful, heartfelt portraits are more than worth the investment.
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23/41In the Black Fantastic
Combining thoughtful essays and striking imagery, this rich survey of Afrofuturism is a must-have for art lovers.
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24/41The Dinner Party: A Chef’s Guide to Home Entertaining
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.
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25/41The World of Apartamento: Ten Years of Everyday Life Interiors
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.
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26/41Afrosurf
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.
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27/41Art Deco Style
The Art Deco period is one of the boldest and most visually striking in history, so it’s only fitting that its coffee-table book is just as striking.
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28/41The Japanese Art of the Cocktail
A lauded and lovingly photographed guide to Japanese cocktails, this book will level up your next home happy hour.
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29/41Beaches
What’s a roundup of coffee-table books without some Gray Malin? Here the fine-art photographer turns his eye to beaches around the world—and you’ll be hit by wanderlust by the first page.
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30/41I Care a Lotta, I Wear Collina Strada
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.)
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31/41Rap Tees
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.
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32/41Fashion in Film
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.
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33/41Seinfeld: The Official Cookbook
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.
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34/41Moon Paradise
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.
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35/41Diane Arbus Documents
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.
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36/41Slim Aarons: Style
Photographer Slim Aarons spent his career capturing the glittering lives of America’s leisure class. Now those old-money vibes can be yours in the form of this book.
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37/41Where They Purr: Inspirational Interiors and the Cats Who Call Them Home
Combining two perfect subjects—cats and interior design—this perfect gift features 240 pages of eye-catching photography and quite a few awwws.
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38/41Very Merry Cocktails
The best part of the holiday season might just be the drinks—and this collection of more than 50 festive recipes will keep you one step ahead of your (very impressed) guests.
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39/41William Eggleston: The Outlands, Selected Works
This oversized volume collects almost 100 essential, previously unseen images taken in the American South by William Eggleston, the artist who pioneered color photography.
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40/41Andy Warhol Polaroids 1958–1987
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.
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41/41John Waters: Pope of Trash
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.
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