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6 Coffee table books to add to your collection now

Check out these architecture, art and design reads made for the stylish bibliophile’s coffee table

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By Lisa Abdellah | March 1, 2022 | Art

Picture: Villa Courbe in Switzerland as seen in Light Space Life Houses by SAOTA. Supplied
Picture: Villa Courbe in Switzerland as seen in Light Space Life Houses by SAOTA. Supplied

Whether you’re an art connoisseur, need the inspiration to spice up your interior or just looking for the best design books to add to your collection, there is an option or two, on this list for everyone.

Los Angeles Today: City of Dreams: Architecture and Design

This book is a marvellous portrait of the city of dreams in its infinite variety. Longtime Angeleno and architecture photographer Tim street-Porter and designer Annie Kelly honour stylish museums, a flourishing art scene, Hollywood Chateau Marmont and historic Beverly hills, modernist homes by Richard Neutra and John Lautner, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s hollyhock house – set against dramatic backdrops of sky and sea.

Available from rizzolibookstore.com

Spaces for Living

The first book from esteemed Australian interior designer Tamsin Johnson showcases her signature style: high comfort, playful design, luxurious ease and coastal elegance through contrasts of scale, bold use of art and sculptural furniture.

Available from rizzolibookstore.com

Light Space Life: Houses by SAOTA

This full-colour monograph celebrates 35 years of architecture studio SAOTA’s exceptionally crafted modern buildings on six continents, including the South African coast, where it all began.

Available from thamesandhudson.com

Casa Cabana

Tablecloths, china, glasses, cushions and mouthwatering Italian cuisine are the effortlessly cool essentials of a Cabana magazine-worthy abode. Immerse yourself in its glossy pages and stunning photographs, as author Martina Mondadori shares taste-makers’ secrets on entertaining, lifestyle and design.

Available from vendomepress.com

Essential Style Solutions for Every Home

Who wouldn’t want to give their home a dash of Kelly Hoppen glamour? This go-to bible from the world-renowned designer will help you create a beautiful, functional and relaxing home that suits your individual needs and reflects your personality – and saves you money. Available from quartoknows.com

African Artists: From 1882 to Now

Art lovers who feel they have seen it all, collectors who want to explore new niches and cultural connoisseurs alike need to crack open Chika Okeke-Agulu and Joseph L. Underwood’s potted history of the continent’s booming scene. With a rich selection of images produced by over 300 modern and contemporary artists born or based in Africa, it dips back into the past with Nigerian painter Aina Onabolu, born in 1882, and features works by familiar figures William Kentridge, Marlene Dumas and Lubaina Himid. Texts written and edited by experts within this field accompany a striking image of each artist’s work.

Available from Phaidon Press Limited.