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Coffee table books seem like a minimal addition to your living room, but they can be pivotal…

It’s overwhelming when you want to make changes to your living room, or any room for that matter. Scouring through Pinterest, and doing deep dives on what your place should look like can be demoralizing. The best advice is to start small.

This is where finding a sweet coffee table book can help you dive head first into the challenge. I’ve put together a few that I think you can use to add some freshness to your rooms or help you build off into a new project all together.

The Book of Palms

If you’re a lover of plants, especially Palm Trees, then this epic Amazonian journey through Brazil and Peru will tickle your fancy. This book was compiled by German botanist von Martius… and it features a huge encyclopedia of every genus of palm.

This book could easily be a stepping stone to you creating a space that features the colored landscape, especially with the architecture of the palm trees injected in this book. And for guests, it has such meticulous classification that they won’t set it down once they pick it up.

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Virgil Abloh. Nike. Icons

This book has made its way into a lot of living rooms. And is much more common now. So if that’s not for you, I totally get it. But after Virgil’s death, it has become very sought after and is definitely a talking piece.

The background story is that Nike and Virgil reinvigorated what Virgil would call the “10 Icons in Nike sneaker history.” That would be from Air Jordan 1 to Air Presto. You’ll experience engineering prowess and Abloh’s design process. Each shoe is portrayed as a piece of industrial design, a readymade sculpture, and wearable all at once.

Art in the Streets

Born in Southern California, I’ve been privy to graffiti being looked at as a form of art, rather than defamation. And this book gives you a colorful history of street art and its movement internationally.

Art in the Streets shows you the rise of New York graffiti and the cities it inspired. From LA to Paris and Tokyo. It also divulges the history of break dancing and hip hop that paralleled the graffiti movement. Including skateboarding culture. And it’s all beautifully illustrated.

Piano

If you’re into architecture, then I got a book for you. And the best part is that this won’t break the bank at all (only $16 bucks!!). Piano covers a wide range of architectural phenomena, ranging from Japan to Switzerland, exploring the large scope of Renzo Piano’s work.

In one of the more essential architect introductions to Piano’s work, you’ll get a view of the absolute scale of his projects. It reveals restless visionary, and constant experimentation with material and form.

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Tulum Gypset

If you love to travel, but work like a dog, then escape during a quiet afternoon with this birds-eye view of the Mayan hideaway. This tiny eight-mile strip of sand in Mexico is tucked between tropical jungle, Mayan ruins, and the absolute wonder of a biosphere.

If you’re a bohemian fan, then this book will give you that off-grid escape. It literally drops you into the heart of Tulum… including beach settlements, eco-friendly practices, and organic cuisine. While displaying down-to-earth hotels, mesmerizing cenotes, and lush backdrops.

I have plenty more coffee table books in my back pocket. If you want access to more, leave a comment or reach out to me personally. I’d be happy to send you a list I’ve accumulated over the years.

See you next Sunday,

shaan