14 best coffee table books of 2023 for a beautiful home

Kinfolk Wilderness by John Burns

Browse Kinfolk Wilderness for… one of the most beautiful travel coffee table books to fuel your wanderlust.

Known for delving into home, style, and culture via their wonderfully well-made books and magazines, Kinfolk’s adventurous new release for 2023 is the ideal gift or treat for intrepid wanderers.

Joie: A Parisian’s Guide to Celebrating the Good Life by Ajiri Aki

Treat yourself to Joie for… one of the most beautifully made coffee table books I’ve seen in a long time, sharing the Parisian secrets to celebrating life based on author Ajiri Aki’s time spent living in the city.

Live Beautiful by Athena Calderone

Enjoy Live Beautiful for… celebrated interior designer Athena Calderone’s thoughtful and inspiring look into how creative homeowners decorate their spaces (and how you can do the same).

What makes for good design? Browse this for Athena Calderone’s teacherly guide to the details – layered textures, collected pieces, statement patterns – that bring a room together.

Wanderlust USA: The Great American Hike by gestalten and Alex Roddie

Browse Wanderlust USA for… the most beautiful hardcover guide I’ve come across to U.S. long-distance treks, short day trips, and extended weekend adventures. It’s the perfect gift, but once you see it for yourself, you’ll probably want your own copy too.

The Wanderlust series from gestalten offers some of the best travel books to show off on a coffee table and keep turning to for inspiration, complete with wanderlust-inspiring photos and maps. For more, check out Wanderlust Europe and Wanderlust Alps.

Slow Living: The Secrets to Slowing Down and Noticing the Simple Joys Anywhere by Helena Woods

Enjoy Slow Living for… a restful and rejuvenating guide to slowing down and noticing the simple joys, wherever you are.

If this sounds wonderful to you, you might also like my collection of books that feel like a simple life in the countryside.

The Architecture of Trees by Cesare Leonardi and Franca Stagi

Browse The Architecture of Trees for… a real botanical treat of a book, showcasing the marvellous architecture of nature’s towering monuments.

Escape into this atlas of dendrology to marvel at over 550 hand-drawn, superbly intricate illustrations that are the result of over twenty years of dedicated study by landscape architects Cesare Leonardi and Franca Stagi.

The Art of Home: A Designer Guide to Creating an Elevated Yet Approachable Home by Shea McGee

Treat yourself to The Art of Home for… an enchantingly beautiful yet practical guide to creating an elevated yet approachable home.

I loved reading Shea McGee’s first book, Make Life Beautiful, to learn how she and her husband grew their thriving design business, Studio McGee.

This follow-up for 2023 is just as inspiring, showcasing what’s possible for every room of your home.

The Modern Cook’s Year by Anna Jones

Enjoy The Modern Cook’s Year for… a stunning (and huge) cookbook brimming with delicious inspiration for a seasonal year of vegetarian meals.

In my home, Anna Jones’s recipes are our go-to. Her latest book, One Pot, One Pan, One Planet accounts for at least fifty percent of our recipes (all of which are delicious and relatively fail-proof).

That said, we recently received Anna’s earlier book, The Modern Cook’s Year, as a gift. It’s now sitting pride of place on our coffee table and is picked up frequently for culinary inspiration.

Two Years On A Bike: From Vancouver to Patagonia by Martijn Doolaard

Treat yourself to Two Years on a Bike for… Martijn Doolaard’s inspiring story of cycling from Vancouver to Patagonia, celebrated in a gorgeous hardcover brimming with photos to ignite your wanderlust.

Minimalista: Your Step-by-Step Guide to a Better Home, Wardrobe, and Life by Shira Gill

Browse Minimalista for… minimalist inspiration to bring out the best of your home and adorn your coffee table, curated in this elegant hardcover by professional organizing expert Shira Gill.

The Unwinding by Jackie Morris

Treat yourself to The Unwinding for… a beautifully illustrated book crafted with the chief purpose of easing the soul that will infuse your coffee table with creativity.

In this magnificent feat of imagination, the Kate Greenaway Medal-winning artist Jackie Morris bridges the magical land between awake and dreaming where fairytale characters explore and magnificent creatures dwell.

de Gournay: Hand-Painted Interiors by Claud Gurney

Enjoy de Gournay: Hand-Painted Interiors for… coffee table inspiration for sumptuous design (especially if you want to adorn your house like Nan Pierce in the final season of Succession).

Known for their vibrant botanical themes, de Gournay’s hand-painted wallpapers will probably set you back $100,000 for a small room. However, this stunning coffee table book is the perfect second-best option.

The Kaufmann Mercantile Guide by Sebastian Kaufmann and Alexandra Redgrave

Browse The Kaufmann Mercantile Guide for… a perfect coffee table book for men, or just anyone who wants to learn how to split wood and care for cast iron (that includes me).

How about getting back to life’s simple pleasures? This wonderful book is a visual guide to mastering the delights so many of us wish we knew, from shucking oysters to starting a fire. With a few evenings of restful browsing through its pages, you’ll be well on your way.

Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style

Treat yourself to Architectural Digest at 100 for… a stunning compilation of a century of style by Architectural Digest. You can’t go wrong with this stunning coffee table book as a gift for design lovers (or to treat yourself).

For more beautiful books, complement these recommendations with my favourite illustrated books, these beautiful children’s books, and my pick of the best books to give as gifts.