I must admit that over the last couple of months, my spending habits have drastically changed. Whereas this time of the year would usually see me buying last-minute flights for a summer holiday, a new swimwear wardrobe and likely every SPF product under the sun, this year I’m rethinking my priorities. The truth is, before I spend money on anything that can’t be deemed a necessity, I mull the potential purchase over for hours, weighing up whether or not, given the current situation, my expenditure is worth it.
With international travel, festivals and trips to the lido off the cards for a little while longer, I have found myself reinvesting my annual budget for such things elsewhere. Most specifically, in coffee table books. It sounds a little extravagant and niche, but hear me out.
You see, spending so much time within the confines of my own home has somewhat limited my creative output. In an attempt to get my creative juices flowing once more, I have been looking at all of the different ways I can make my living space just that little bit more inspiring.
And what better way to do so than with coffee table books that are just as chic on the inside as they are the out? Stacked on shelves, piled up high on tables and perched on my nightstand, there are coffee table books filled with some of the most inspiring images and words in every corner of my home. Keep scrolling for the chic coffee table books filling my wish list right now.
Beauty
"Practical, inspirational, products tested, myths-busted, all occasions covered. This book offers all the expert styling advice and hair dos and don’ts you will ever need from acclaimed fashion and A-list hairstylist Luke Hersheson, the man behind the iconic cuts and styles seen on runways for Missoni and Armani, in the pages of Vogue and i-D and worn by Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Emma Watson and Claudia Schiffer, among others." — Penguin
"Written in Funmi Fetto's honest, elegant and engaging style, Palette includes the beauty journalist's personal approach to skin care and makeup, along with lesser-known beauty hacks for women of colour, who have too long been left out of the beauty conversation." — Liberty London
"From the revered Australian skincare company Aesop, a debut volume presenting its rigorous passion for creating superlative products and their considered approach to design." — Rizzoli
"World-famous nail artist and author of the must-have textbook for nail technicians, Marian Newman reveals the stories behind some of her most iconic nails created for fashion shows and magazines, as well as the secrets and techniques to creating her incredible nails." — Laurence King Publishing
"Delving into the products that are simply the best at what they do, the inventions that changed our perception of beauty and the launches that completely broke the mould, Pretty Iconic is a treasure trove of knowledge from Britain’s most trusted beauty writer." — Harper Collins
"Celebrity aesthetician Joanna Vargas is known for her cutting-edge beauty treatments, high-end products, and famous (and seemingly ageless) clients. But if you were to ask for her secret to beautiful skin, she would tell you that is is actually very simple. It all boils down to what she calls the three pillars of skincare: What you put on your body, what you put in your body, and how you feel about your body." — Harper Collins
Style
"The first published collection of photographs by the icon of street style, bringing together favourites published in The New York Times alongside never-before-seen work across five decades." — Penguin Random House
"This definitive publication opens with a concise history of [Prada], followed by a brief biographical profile of Miuccia Prada, before exploring the collections themselves, organised chronologically. Each collection is introduced by a short text unveiling its influences and highlights, and illustrated with carefully curated catwalk images that showcase hundreds of spectacular clothes, details, accessories, beauty looks and set designs—and, of course, the top fashion models who wore them on the runway, from Naomi Campbell and Gisele to Kate Moss and Kaia Gerber." — Thames Hudson
"Drawing from Susan Sontag's seminal 1964 essay Notes on 'Camp', this multifaceted publication presents the sartorial manifestations of the camp sensibility while contributing new theoretical and conceptual insights to the camp canon through texts and images." — Metropolitan Museum of Art
"This book is a complete catalogue of Ford's design work for both Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent from 1994 to 2004. It chronicles not only Ford's clothing and accessories designs for both houses, but also explores Ford's grand vision for the complete design of a brand, including architecture, store design, and advertising." — Rizzoli
"Leibovitz addresses young photographers and readers interested in what photographers do, but any reader interested in contemporary history will be fascinated by her account of one of the richest bodies of work in the photographic canon." — Phaidon
"In this quest for privacy and freedom within a highly publicised life, Radziwill shares her unique perspective as a witness to history, recalling her friendships with the numerous cultural figures, from Rudolf Nureyev to Truman Capote, who have punctuated her life." — Assouline
Home
"Whether you live in a tiny city apartment, a rambling country cottage or an elegant townhouse, For the Love of White offers the definitive guide to creating a home with white and neutral tones." — The White Company
"Expanding on her award-winning blog, Kate Watson-Smyth shares a wealth of experience in home design to help you make the most of your space, be it a house, apartment or single room." — Pavilion Books
"Packed with interior design tips, recipes and more, Eat, Drink, Nap shows you to how to take a slice of Soho House home. From cooking classic roast chicken to shaking the perfect Soho Mule to choosing the right sofa for your sitting room, our experts share their secrets for contemporary living the Soho House way." — Soho Home
"Natalie Walton steps inside fifteen homes across the world to meet the people who made them and discover whether there is some universality to what makes us happy in the spaces we inhabit." — Hardie Grant Publishing
"The Kinfolk Home welcomes readers into 35 homes around the world that reflect some of the key principles of slow living: cultivating community, simplifying our lives and reclaiming time for what matters most." — Kinfolk
Escapism
"From roaring nightlife to peaceful yoga retreats, Ibiza’s hippie-chic atmosphere is its hallmark. This quintessential Mediterranean hot spot has served as an escape for artists, creatives, and musicians alike for decades. It is a place to reinvent oneself, to walk the fine line between civilisation and wilderness, and to discover bliss. Ibiza Bohemia explores the island’s scenic Balearic cliffs, its legendary cast of characters, and the archetypal interiors that define its signature style." — Assouline
"Slim Aarons: Women explores the central subject of Slim Aarons’s career—the extraordinary women from the upper echelons of high society, the arts, fashion, and Hollywood. The book presents the women who most influenced Aarons’s life and work—and the other remarkable personalities he photographed along the way, including Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, Diana Vreeland, and Marilyn Monroe, all featured in unforgettable photographs." — Abrams Books
"In this vivid new examination of a rogue architectural style, discover the roadside structures of California. Fresh discoveries and several pictorial essays explore how these buildings became synonymous with the West Coast and how the power of personal expression championed any architectural establishment with structures eccentric, innovative, and bizarre." — Taschen
"Global travel experts Mr Mrs Smith showcase the very best hotel rooms around the world, from elegant country retreats to quirky hideaways and stylish city escapes." — Thames Hudson
Next up, 30 items for those spending more time dressing tables than themselves.
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