Book Description

What has come to be known as the French country look is really the style of Provence -- the sun-drenched region in the south of France centering on Arles, Avignon, and Aix-en-Provence. It is a land of cool stone chateaux, farmhouses painted in ochres and dusty roses, country roads bordered by rows of graceful cypress trees, fields of lavender, trellised grapevines, red tile roofs, ancient hilltop cities such as Les Baux, and the vivid blue of the Mediterranean along the Cote d'Azur. The clarity of the light and the intoxicating sensuality of the landscape inspired Cezanne and Van Gogh. In over 450 full-color photographs, Pierre Deux's French Country explores all the rich ingredients of Provencal style. There are chapters on colors, fabrics, pottery, furniture, decorative elements, houses, gardens, and French country adaptations in the United States. A ten-page directory offers U.S. and French sources for regional antiques and contemporary products. From the brightly patterned paisley cottons of Souleiado in Tarascon to the hand-blown glass of Biot and the hand-molded faience platters of Moustiers, from the massive 18th-century armoires and rush-seated banquettes and chairs to bread boxes, saltboxes, and chests with intricately carved floral motifs, the craftsmanship of the region imparts a special luster, a vibrancy and warmth of color and texture that survive in the works of today, Whether presenting a charmingly rustic ranch deep in the horse country of the Camargue, a Renaissance mas in the foothills of the Alps, or a wine-producer's estate near Saint-Remy, this book paints a vivid portrait of a land of grace and simplicity that is at once exuberantly beautiful, seductive, effortless, and sophisticated.