French Interiors


Book Description

Christiane de Nicolay-Mazery, a specialist in furniture and antiques at Christies and Honelon, invites her readers to enter the elegantly luxurious interiors of some of France's most exclusive abodes. From the classic taste of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to the creativity of the nineteenth century, she traces the path to the finesse of the twentieth century, which combines tradition and modernity. The interiors portrayed in these nine exquisitely illustrated chapters pay tribute to the refinement of French taste, a savoir-faire that has been continually renewed. Classic hôtels particuliers in the heart of Paris and romantic châteaux, as well as a surprising isba--a traditional rural log house in the Russian style--are but a few of the examples of the kinds of interiors that will inspire readers as they marvel over the art of French designers, including Madeleine Castaing, Hubert de Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Jacques Grange, François Joseph Graff, and Pierre Bergé. Unlike most books on French style on the market, this book is not only a testimony to timeless French elegance, it is an invitation to discover a synthesis of contemporary and classic décor, in some of France's most exclusive residences, firsthand.




New Vintage French Interiors


Book Description

Combining bucolic charm and modern elegance, this new collection of French country interiors provides boundless inspiration for interior design enthusiasts and home decoration aficionados. This charming volume features a dozen interiors which bring together vintage and modern styles, for the ultimate in French country interiors. The homes represent a diverse range of possibilities for interior style, from the clean white lines and open floor plan of a barn converted into a modern loft to a traditional family home filled with antique pieces and Provençal prints. Each photograph features details that will inspire the home enthusiast. Make a bold design statement through curated collections of objects: pastel-hued bar spritzers, naïve paintings, or jewel-toned vases look best when grouped together. Display seashells in a bell-shaped glass cloche. Create a unique wall display of antique gardening tools. Use vintage striped kitchen towels to add nautical flair, especially when offset by weathered oars propped against the wall. Taking their cue from the surrounding nature, these country homes feature earthy tones and give pride of place to natural materials, from smooth stone or terra-cotta tile floors to striking wooden beams or wind-beaten shutters. Sébastien Siraudeau takes the reader on a voyage around France replete with bucolic charm, providing an indispensable source of inspiration for modern living and country style à la française.




Parisian Interiors


Book Description

Bursting with color and dramatic focal points, these exceptional interiors offer exclusive access into the homes of Paris’s finest art and antiques aficionados. The magic of Paris is distinctly captured in its interiors: windows are tall, and rooms have high ceilings with grand architectural details; but the real charm comes in the thoughtfully selected elements that bring those spaces to life. Paris is rife with antique collectors, art historians, architects, and interior designers who dedicate their lives to the contemplation of each element that goes into the ideal interior. Barbara and René Stoeltie invite us inside the private oases of twenty of the city’s celebrated interiors gurus, capturing in vivid photographs these havens of perfection, brimming with inspiration for the home. While each interior is distinctly unique, they all draw from a rich historical tradition of decorative arts combined with an instinctive desire to reinvent itself, mixing the best elements from different epochs with contemporary art, bold colors, or surprising pattern combinations. A foreword from Jacques Garcia, with his gracious nod to the great Madeleine Castaing, opens this handsome volume.




How the French Live


Book Description

At home with modern French families . . . Si Mazouz, curator of the popular blog FRENCHBYDESIGN, introduces a dozen sophisticated French families in her debut book, How the French Live to engage and inspire. Si shares each family’s personality and values through the lens of their uniquely styled homes. The aesthetic is clean and unpretentious; décor elements are eclectic—reflecting each family's Frenchness regardless of where they live. Each chapter closes with a family recipe to prolong the warmth of the hospitality they've shared. This is the new paragon of a generation living the French lifestyle in France, Morocco, and the U.S. Si Mazouz is a French girl expatriated in San Francisco. She is the curator of the FRENCHBYDESIGN blog, where she compiles daily a selection of interiors, house tours, or DIY projects. She is also a strategic marketing and social media consultant.










French Flair


Book Description

While modern design often neglects cultural and artistic heritage in favor of minimalism, Siraudeau demonstrates that it isn’t necessary to forgo tradition to create a fashionable home. With his eye for idiosyncratic details, Siraudeau has an exceptional flair for finding homes characterized with vintage style, where antique objects invoke nostalgia and time-tested quality. French writer and musician Boris Vian declared, “Any object can be an objet d’art once put in a frame,” and that innovative spirit shines through in the one hundred properties featured here. From 1960s mannequins to antique books to a salvaged Parisian streetlamp, any kind of paraphernalia can define and enrich the personality of a home by giving it a history. Styles and periods don’t need to match because French design is about integrating the unexpected alongside unconventional details to make a modern home unique. The reader is guided through some of the most remarkable locations in France, each abounding with features that characterize the unique French flair for home decorating. From delightful rural guesthouses, exquisite townhomes, and charming seaside retreats to the best of France’s antique shops, Siraudeau reveals how an extraordinarily diverse range of ambiences can be achieved by integrating the simplest of decorative touches. His ideas and advice are astute to contemporary comforts and the practicalities of modern living, and his exquisite photos, flooded with the soft light of a French summer, make this an invaluable volume for admirers of French style.




Provence Style


Book Description

An intimate tour of quintessential Provencal style, featuring chic homes and interior details inspired by this picturesque region Thirty years after the publication of Peter Mayle's bestselling memoir A Year in Provence, the sun-drenched southern French region continues to excite home decorators with its combination of rustic charm, elegant details, and historical influences. Provence Style showcases the best of the region, with Shauna Varvel's quintessential 18th-century Rhône valley farmhouse--Le Mas des Poiriers--as its centerpiece. Named for the working pear orchard on the grounds, the property was reimagined by noted local architect Alexandre Lafourcade, who transformed a rough structure into a luxurious expression of the Provençal aesthetic, referencing historical influences, rural traditions, and Parisian taste. Set amid a garden of allées, arbors, and terraces designed by the architect's mother, renowned landscape designer Dominique Lafourcade, this exemplar of Provençal style is the starting point for exploring the region's characteristic interior details and exterior features. The book includes chapters on the public spaces of the home, from entrances to living rooms, the private realm of bedrooms and bathrooms, and outdoor areas including patios and kitchen gardens, transporting the reader on a captivating stylistic journey.




Through the French Door


Book Description

Welcome to the world of designer and decorator Carolyn Westbrook, a world of beautiful French interiors and chic décor. Carolyn is known for her love of French design, and here she combines her expertise in interiors and her romance with everything French, to show you how to transform your home into something stunning. Welcome to the world of designer and decorator Carolyn Westbrook, a world of beautiful French-style interiors and chic décor. Carolyn is known for her love of French design, and here she combines her expertise in interiors and her romance with everything French, to show you how to transform your home into something stunning. Through the French Door is split into three main chapters in which Carolyn takes us on a tour of some beautiful, French-inspired homes as well as her own 1800s plantation house. Roam through the halls of a big city house and a country mansion in “Inspired Interiors” and unlock the secrets of using black and white to truly transform a space. In the next chapter, “Farmhouse Living”, you’ll explore the rustic beauty of a fisherman’s cabin and the farmhouse life, learning how to combine natural, outdoorsy materials to create chic and homey interiors. Lastly, in chapter 3, “Gatherings and Celebrations”, Carolyn will teach you everything you need to know about creating a stunning French atmosphere for when you are entertaining. Whether you are decorating your home for a spring gathering, plantation Christmas, or simply want to create a beautiful autumn harvest table, you’ll have everything you need to make your home truly stylish. With stunning photography of a range of homes, Through the French Door is a celebration of Carolyn Westbrook’s signature style—timeless, sophisticated, comfortable, and inspiring.




Elle Decor


Book Description

From the editors of Elle Decor comes a richly illustrated overview of the quintessential French style of home design and decorating, featuring an array of interiors, ranging from the eclectic to classic chic, that represent the influences, principles, and work of distinguished designers in eight chapters focusing on distinctive styles. 20,000 first printing.