10 Coffee Table Books to Start Your Collection

When I began my coffee table book collection, I was drawn to Slim Aarons books for their beautiful photographs of luxe destinations and people. To start, I think it’s best to find one inspiration—whether it’s a color, a theme, or a particular subject—and let your collection evolve from there. 

Neutrals are often requested by interior design clients, which is a perfect base color scheme to begin with. Although the design world is moving away from the beige trend, I think these tones are classic and easy to weave into an array of design styles; minimalist, traditional, coastal, etc. Your collection doesn’t have to be all neutral, I believe color variety is essential. 

With this list, many of the books have removable jackets, like Goodbye Picasso with an orange cover underneath and Poolside with Slim Aarons with a red cover. Being able to remove the book jackets off and on can transform the look of one book, giving endless options with your collection’s look and display. Multi-volume sets like Hilma Af Klint Catalogue Raisonne are ideal for filling space and creating a cohesive look when organizing your bookshelf. 

This list combines vintage, out-of-print, and newer publications, spanning across categories of art, fashion, and design to help you build a more vibrant collection that reflects different eras and aesthetics.

1. Goodbye Picasso by David Douglas Duncan

The award-winning photojournalist and close friend of the late Picasso, David Douglas Duncan commemorates the life and work of the iconic artist through eye-catching storytelling photographs in this book. This book includes a collection of black and white, and color photographs including scenes of Picasso in his studio and his paintings.

2. Collecting Fashion

This book presents the collections of archival enthusiasts, showcasing the wardrobes of an impressive array of fashion and design talent. Delve into Michèle Lamy’s extensive Comme des Garçons archive, Sarah Andelman's coveted sneaker and t-shirt collection, ENDYMA's expanding Helmut Lang archive, and Zaha Hadid’s exquisite footwear collection.

Spanning over 300 pages, this volume highlights these archives, featuring top-tier labels and limited seasons from Issey Miyake, Maison Martin Margiela, Thierry Mugler, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, and others. It serves as an essential reference for anyone interested in fashion history and in curating their own collection.

3. Francois Halard: A New Vision 

Photographing for publications like Vogue & World of Interiors, François Halard has captured many of the world’s most beloved homes and spaces, the majority being published in the first two volumes of his Rizzoli series. New Vision is the final of his three-volume magnum opus.

The visuals in this book portray Halard’s appreciation for art by showcasing the essential soul of each scene. Spaces displayed in this volume range from film director Michelangelo Antonioni’s and actress Monica Vitti’s modernist hideaway in Sardinia to Cy Twombly’s family retreat on the Italian coast.

4. The Beige Stack

With a complimentary color palette that can fit effortlessly into any space, this book stack brings to life an array of art forms from abstractionism to drawing. A consistent theme of beautiful interiors is present throughout each title.

5. Hilma af Klint: The Complete Catalogue Raisonné: Volumes I - VII

This seven volume set holds a comprehensive overview of the creative career of the abstract artist Hilma af Klint (1862–1944).

6. Poolside with Slim Aarons 

Poolside with Slim Aarons presents the photographer’s famous aesthetic surrounding a jet-set, wealthy and glamorous lifestyle. This particular collection of photographs showcases Aaron’s attractive subjects lounging poolside, dining on elegant yachts, sunbathing, and relaxing in dream destinations. Each shot is an escape to the Caribbean, Italy, Mexico or Monaco during the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s.

7. Cy Twombly: In Beauty It Is Finished 

Published in relation to the Gagosian exhibition spanning Cy Twombly’s career, Cy Twombly: In Beauty it is Finished, comprises his signature drawings and works on papers.

Various drawings include flurries of pencil sketches and other techniques of Twombly’s strong contact with the paper. Works featured in this book range from December 1983 to 2002, with chaotic blurs of red, orange, and blue, flowerlike forms.

8. Vintage French Book Stack 

This curated book stack includes 10 French vintage books. Each stack is one-of-a-kind.

9. Rose Uniacke at Work

London-based interior and furniture designer, Rose Uniacke, stunningly showcases a selection of homes she has designed, capturing clean lines and calm spaces.

Each visual depicts a seamless blend of traditional styles with modern spaces. They represent the warmth of an Uniacke interior, while her words revisit her aspirations to communicate instincts and inspirations in each design.

10. Objects of Desire

Written by Maria Hummer Tuttle and photographed by Miguel Flores-Vianna, Objects of Desire celebrates a collection of personal treasures that brings joy to eclectic spaces. The book spans three homes that hold special objects, from ancient Chinese horse sculptures to a Louis XV clock painted with characters and stunning 18th-century and 20th-century furniture. 

Objects of Desire nurtures nostalgic feelings while boosting inspiration for your own unique collections and interiors.