Our coffee table books are displayed in our living room, bedroom, and dining room. They are used as entertainment, conversation starters, personal betterment, and accent pieces. Now, I know flipping through books isn’t everyone’s jam, but if you are one of those coffee table lovin’ types, this post is for you!

As you may or may not already know, I despise clutter.

As, you also may or may not know, our home only has a handful of frames on the wall and we consider our furniture decor. We do not have very many “objects” other than plants and coffee table books and today I am going to share some of our favorite coffee table books.

I have always loved books, in particular those with beautiful images and something trivia worthy. As a child, I collected art dictionaries, design manuals, dog breed guides, and illustration magazines – all of these had the same level of magnificent imagery I craved & needed in my books to stay engaged & entertained.

When I was in college, I loved flipping through the “coffee table” books in the art section at Barnes and Noble for hours and hours. Looking through beautiful images inspired me as a student and continues to inspire me as a creative business owner and photographer. I loved and still love looking at anything mid-century, anything about interior design, anything about dogs, anything about horticulture, anything about film photography, anything about illustration, anything about styling, and anything about typography.

Here is my round-up of my favorite coffee table books that would be great in your home or as the perfect unique (and unexpected) gift for a friend or loved one.

9 Coffee Table Books You Need on Your Coffee Table

1. 1000 Record Covers – Michael Ochs
2. Food Styling: The Art of Preparing Food for the Camera
3. Illustration NOW Volume 1
4. Logo Modernism – Jens Maller
5. Volume 1: 1890-1959 Graphic Design – Jens Maller
6. House of Plants: Living with Succulents, Air Plants and Cacti – Rose Ray
7. Mid-Century Ads- Jim Heimann
8. How to Not Kill Your Houseplants – Veronica Peerless
9. Polaroid Book – Barbara Hitchcock