If you have been on the decor side of Pinterest or Instagram at all in the last 2 decades, you know the exact, iconic, chic, black & white Tom Ford coffee table book we’re talking about. For the record: we have nothing against Tom Ford, or his iconic tome, however, neither Claudia or I own a copy because we feel it is a tad overused, especially in the decor space! Here are some examples I found on Pinterest:
Coffee table books are usually a pricey investment piece, but something you’ll have in your home for a long time. Art books, oversized fashion volumes and design style tomes are literal works of art complete with thick glossy pages, sturdy hardcovers and usually some sort of blurb by someone famous, non of which comes cheap! We believe books are one of the best decor items to have, and classic books don’t go out of style. Books add colour and personality to your space… so pick books that not only fit the vibe/theme of your room and home, but find ones that reflect your actual interests… artists, musicians, fashion designers you admire, places you love or would love to visit, or brands you wear everyday. We’re sharing an Indigo link to each book, but of course you can always shop at your local bookstore or HomeSense; sometimes these books are sitting on a bargain table or are discounted! And for the best deal definitely check out your local thrift store, you never know what great, pre-loved book you’ll find there for a steal!!
We don’t like to play favourites here, so my must have coffee table book picks are in no particular order, but since I need to have some sort of categorization, I’ve gone by spine/cover colour!!
BLACK (of course!):
Gray Malin: the Essential Collection
We have both loved Gray Malin for years… Claudia found him when his iconic camel with pink balloons photos were shared all over Instagram, and we have both been major fans since! His photos are all whimsical pops of colour, fantastical dreamscapes in literally picture perfect locations, usually featuring the cutest four-legged friends!! His magical overhead arial shots of beaches, mountains, and other gorgeous parts of the world make me want to hop on the next plane going… anywhere!
This book is a vibrant visual photography celebration from the first 10 years of Gray’s career, featuring 300+ images from some of his most iconic shoots. There are also exclusive-to-this-book photos, and stories about how each collection was made. Truly a delight to flip through, this book makes any coffee table feel like a daydreamy getaway!!
CREAM:
Eat, Drink, Nap: Bringing The House Home
Eats, Drinks, Naps… 3 things we absolutely love here at Hallo Haus Studio, so when I saw this book at HomeSense I knew it was coming home with me, even before I flipped through it… I truly judged this book by its cover haha! Inside, a showcase of luxury and quintessential English lifestyle and living, cooking and home interiors curated by Soho House. With its simple and stark black and cream cover, it is a perfect neutral and its gorgeous linen cover begs to be touched and provides a rich texture on a side table or bookshelf. The title is also so cheeky and fun, and it has sparked many conversations here at my haus! We love this 300 page book not only for its dreamy photos, but also for the no-fuss recipes, reading about “the art of a great night’s sleep”, at-home spa treatments, and barman tips for hosting the best cocktail hour! No membership needed to pick up this book, and ‘wellies’ are optional!
BLUE/HOT PINK:
Kate Spade New York: Things We Love
As pop-of-colour, black & white stripe, and whimsy loving gals, we’re huge fans of anything and everything Kate Spade!! Along with a few purses, wallets and some jewelry, we own almost all of the books this brand has published. ‘Things We Love’ is a 20th anniversary love letter to the brand, pulling digital content from their website of things their creative team loved back before digital pins and social media reposts. This book is full of the bold, quintessential Kate Spade aesthetic, with 20 chapters on lifestyle, fun decor vibes and playful inspiration for your own life! We LOVE that the dust jacket is a light blue but when you remove it, voilà, the hard cover is a flashy punch of neon pink! I have it styled in my library in both color ways, having multiple copies of this book! One copy is technically Claudia’s, but she is kind enough to let me “borrow” it for now so I can have both colours on display… I truly couldn’t choose how I wanted to style it!! But I’d like to think Kate would have approved of me having multiple copies on display lol!
PINK (duh!):
AD at Home: Architectural Digest
I have had my copy of Architectural Digest’s cream-coloured 100th Anniversary ‘a Century of Style’ book for a few years now, but when Claudia stumbled upon this PINK version at HomeSense and sent me a pic, I had to expand my collection because this one… well, it’s pink!! With burgundy embossed lettering!! Be still our beating pink-loving hearts!! Only a small fight on whose haus this got to live at… Claudia and I try very hard to not double-up on coffee table books, mostly due to cost, but also we really don’t both need a copy, and we can share… sometimes… maybe (LOL). Where the cream AD coffee table book celebrated a century of beautiful architecture straight from the pages of their magazine, the pink AD book showcases the sublime homes of famous and influential artists, designers, entertainment icons, and musicians. How fun to get to wander these dreamy spaces vicariously through the pages of this book from your own armchair!! And did I mention it’s pink?!? Because for us, that is probably the most important part.
ROYGBIV:
Assouline Travel Series
Much like the Tom Ford coffee table book, you have most definitely seen these brightly coloured travel books on your social feed at some point over the last few years! These books became instantly recognizable and lust-worthy, featuring a large heft font, colour-blocked spines, and a luxurious linen texture cover. These books embody a few of our favourite design practices: a bold pop-of-colour, a way to showcase a location that speaks to you, and a collection that is cohesive as it grows! We (well, me… again this “shared collection” lives solely at my haus, for now, sorry-not-sorry Claudia!) are slowly building “our” collection… the locations we currently have are:
Palm Beach (pink, probably the brand’s most iconic, a must have)
Miami Beach (a fun, bright yellow book that perfectly captures the feeling I remember from this sunshiny destination!)
Capri (a current dream destination to visit for me… manifesting with this book!)
Marrakesh (picked this one up after Claudia and I went to this magical place in 2023)
Bali Mystique (another one to commemorate a trip with my hubby many decades ago)
Provence (a bday gift from my son and DIL, since they know I love these books!)
Ibiza Bohemia (another dream destination, and the hot pink/orange colour way is just perfection!)
They currently have over 70 locations in publication, so you will for sure find one you like either by colour, destination, or both! Each volume is written by a different author, featuring big, fun colourful quotes, in-depth information on the location, and full page and 2 page photo spreads. These are such fabulous, lush, transporting books and adding one or two to your home decor is totally worth the splurge!
So there you have it, my list of 5 must have coffee table books you need in your home that aren’t Tom Ford. Sorry Tom!! As a book lover and coffee table owner I would LOVE to know your faves when it comes to this decor item! There are countless out there, and I’d love to find a new fave from you, so leave us a comment below or come chat on instagram!!
Now go make a coffee, sit in your comfiest chair and flip through your most fantastical coffee table book to have a little daydream escape!
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