Country Living Irish Country Decorating: Decorating with Pottery, Fabric & Furniture [Hardcover]

Nicholas Mosse (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1999 | Series: Country Living

Focused on the work of Nicholas Mosse, Country Living Irish Country details the essential elements of Irish country style, as embodied in pottery, fabric and furniture.

Each chapter opens with background information, giving readers a little piece of Irish history as they go -- Ireland's heritage of textile manufacture, for example, provides a segue into the chapter on fabrics. In one chapter, the book examines the background of pottery in Ireland, its different forms and techniques, its regional variations, and the modern interpretation of traditional techniques and patterns in the work of Nicholas Mosse. Ideas are given for collecting antique pieces and for creating spongeware of one's own. The fascinating yet practical information combines with specific step-by-step projects within each chapter to allow readers to appreciate the beauty of the objects -- or set about achieving it themselves, following the how-to instructions.

Mosse shows how Irish style , with its pare-down simplicity, its earthy colors and its natural materials, can be achieved no matter where a reader lives.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Nicholas Mosse is a successful ceramics artist whose work is sold all over the world from his County Kilkenny studio. Here he acknowledges the inspiration for his pleasing pottery: the understated and softly colorful style of the Irish countryside, which is a perfect foil for trendy flea-market accessories as well as for the classically simple lines of Shaker and Georgian furnishings.

Though this is a beautiful coffee-table volume, there's far more here than pretty pictures alone. Mosse approaches Irish style from the vantage point of a collector, emphasizing the fascinating history of the handcrafts of this region, like spongeware, linen and cotton woven textiles, quilts, and rustic furniture like the sugan chairs with straw seats that grace many an Irish pub. Attractive and reasonably simple examples of each craft are given as projects, though they are suitable mainly for those experienced with some basic techniques such as the transfer of template patterns, jigsaw cutting, and the like. --Barrie Trinkle

About the Author

Nicholas Mosse studied ceramics in London and Japan before founding the Nicholas Mosse Pottery. His work has appeared in many American and British magazines, including Country Living, Homes & Gardens, and Bon Appetit. He is one of the world's most successful potters, with extensive sales in the United States. He and his wife, Susan, live in Kilkenny, Ireland.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Hearst; 1st edition (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068816501X
• ISBN-13: 978-0688165017
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,578,464 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing-the topic deserves a broader viewpoint, October 4, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Roanoke, Va) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Country Living Irish Country Decorating: Decorating with Pottery, Fabric & Furniture (Hardcover)

I enjoy most Country Living books and Irish Country was an intriguing topic. This treatment unfortunately is a very shallow look at a very limited amount of examples of pottery, fabric, and furniture. Many of the items are obscure and one doesn't get a real feel for the richness of the topics. Its not really a decorating book either - its focus is substantially on replicating the look of some of the material (pottery, fabrics, etc) through do-it-yourself crafts. For example, I didn't learn anything about the variety of Irish furniture and how to decorate with it. Hate to be so negative but I felt like the title and book cover were false advertising.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice hints and projects, September 21, 2002

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Country Living Irish Country Decorating: Decorating with Pottery, Fabric & Furniture (Hardcover)

This book, lovingly created by Nicholas Mosse of Kilkenny, gives the reader many suggestions and tips on adding a touch of Irish style to ones home. The section on pottery gives a wonderful narrative on Irish pottery, and has three projects: decorating a ceramic jug, a ceramic bowl and a plate. The next section discuses fabrics, their history and significance, and has four projects: making and decorating stenciled curtains, a shamrock tablecloth (I loved this one!), a tweed throw, a patchwork quilt, and a sheep pillow panel. The furniture section deals mainly with stools, chairs, benches and tables, and has two projects: making and decorating a wall-mounted mug rack, and a small scumbled cupboard (very nice!). The final section is on "Elements", and mainly revolves around baskets and glass.

Well, you can't please all the people all the time. As for myself, I was quite pleased with this book. I am something of a do-it-yourselfer, and I liked the author's hints on decorating, and the small, easy-to-make projects. If you like decorating by hand, then I highly recommend this book to you.