Consider me fully booked up. If there is one thing that you’ll find in my home, it will be a coffee table book. In fact, a coffee table book (or a stack of them) on most flat surfaces. These books are not just books. They are not just an outdated form of physical media, although I am fully committed to slowly, single-handly keeping them in existence. If curated correctly, these books will tell you a whole lot about the owner. By walking into a room and seeing certain books you can learn about a person’s interests, where they have traveled and their passions. I have collected coffee table books for over 15 years now, dare I say 20, and each time I obtain a book, I have that goal or question in mind. Will someone be able to learn something about me from seeing this book? What does this book say about me or my interests? Does this book describe me accurately?

A decade or two into my collection and approximately 70+ coffee table books later, I have amassed a well-rounded collection that narrates a story about me that one day I may not be able to tell myself. Whether I purchase a book during my travels (a tradition that I started about 8 or 9 years ago) or whether I acquire the book through a gift or random purchase, I am happy with the character and detail each of the books brings to my home. Here are a few of my favorites shown how they are displayed in my home.

Pictured above as displayed on my office shelf: The 21st Century Art Book, Making Midcentury Modern and This Is Home

Pictured above as displayed on my dining room credenza: The Monocle Guide to Good Business and Evocative Style

Pictured above is an autographed copy of Armani Backstage by the late Giorgio Armani

Pictured above as displayed on my office shelf: Mario Testino Undressed, Jonatan No. 3, Holiday Number 390, Tom Ford