Customer Reviews

French Country Living

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Outside of Paris and the other bustling cities, France's image is of small farms, atmospheric medieval villages, and of an age well past but well preserved with an understated elegance. Even newly built houses are often designed with a view towards looking like the 19th century.

In this book, hundreds of color photographs illustrate the essence of the French countryside. The book is in two parts, the first emphasizes the soft, non-contrasting colors and the natural materials and textures that are distinctly France. The second part of the book looks at the overall style. It looks at the French home, starting of course with the kitchen (this is after all France). Only then does it move on to the rest of the house, ending with the French garden. And this is France, so the garden also emphasises a place to eat and drink.

This is an absolutely delightful book.

Actually bought this book French Country Living by Caroline Clifton-Mogg, Christopher Drake (Photographer) as well as New French Country : A Style and Source Book by Linda Dannenberg (Author), Guy Bouchet (Photographer) and this book is really great for those of us who look for more of a French Zen style devoid of lots of tassels and furniture that you are afraid to even sit on.

I especially appreciate the crisp clean photography and amount of white theme rooms and simple room designs. I recommend this book to anyone who loves open, bright and airy homes and rooms, that in my opinion help alleviate or even prevent depression in many people.

And the rooms are so easy to clean and easy to live in. No fear of messing something up. In some ways the book shows what I would call California or casual university town style living that is also environmentally friendly and physically healthy. Also very affordable styles are shown so the book should appeal to all financial groups.

Caroline Clifton-Mogg's French Country Living is a delicious book to look at; the pages are filled with beautiful, airy rooms and the accompanying text does a good job of explaining how the effect is achieved--lots of grey in the colors, painted furniture, small-sized fabric prints, etc.

This is French country living in the Marie-Antoinette-at-Petit-Trianon style, not truly rural la France profonde, however. The exquisitely restored rooms are filled with priceless antiques, and a cursory glance over the photo credits suggests that the majority of houses shown are located in either Provence, or the richer departements near Paris (the most famous house in Yvelines is Versailles, if that gives you an idea of what's in the neighborhood of some of the chateaux photographed). Having seen more than one room in a rural French house with vinyl wallpaper on the ceiling and door, I can only wish that all of French country life was this beautiful!

If I could give 2 1/2 stars I would. After reading the customer reviews I purchased this book with great expectations and was very disappointed. The photographs are stunning. Five stars to Christopher Drake! It's Caroline Clifton-Mogg's writing that is so much blah, blah, blah.

In the text all you have to do is concede to the fact that the French originally invented every style, that they don't like color - except when they do, they only like simplicity - except when they don't and that everything must have a purpose - except things that don't. Example: On page 74, in describing a kitchen, Ms. Clifton-Mogg says "A French country kitchen has no need of any ornament that has only a decorative purpose. Each element, including the most ephemeral - a string of dried herbs, for example - is decoration enough." So, one wonders just what practical purpose the starfish and carved birds in the kitchen pictured on the page before serve. Or the empty bird cage suspended from the ceiling in the kitchen a couple of pages later.

I would have suggested skipping her written text and just reading the photographic descriptions but these are also a problem. Besides what I mentioned above, some of the descriptions just don't match the photos. In the bathroom section - as one example - she's talking about how the tub is painted to match the blue walls. The tub is white! No matter how you look at it, that tub has no blue tint to it at all. As I looked at the photos on the rest of the page, I found the blue tub in a completely different bathroom. And so it goes in the rest of the book. Sometimes she writes just to be using words. Her thesaurus must be worn out.

Bottom line - If you like lovely photographs and can get ideas just from them then you will like this book. If you want to read about French country style - try something else. This would be a waste of your time.

If you are afraid of color, this book is for you. Don't let it convince you, though, that french country is not about bold colors- every other book I've seen says the opposite. That said, it is a beatiful book, with lots of rustic elements.

Beautiful book. Inspiring photographs that capture French country style (obviously, note the title). My only complaint about Clifton-Mogg books is that the photos are recycled. I see the same photos is many other books. There are MANY wonderful estates, villas, and country properties out there - - - it would be nice to see more of them instead of these multi-used images. The "recycles photos" are no problem if you just have one of her books - - but if you buy many European decorating books, you may see repeat photos.

This book was okay but NOT the best by far. I was rather disappointed with its contents and lack of style.

Sumptuous photos of sumptuous French provincial houses, with helpful guidelines about what characterizes French country decors (though I agree with one reviewer that not too many French country houses look like this). I particularly like the author's emphasis on how livable the style is, and find this to be true too. Buyer beware however that French country may look a lot different in an American ranch house: a lot of the charm comes from plastered stone walls, old beams and well-worn tile floors.

I love this book for ideas and inspiration. My favorite part of France is the Loire Valley and Sologne. The pictures in this book show that classic casual style. I also love Paris, but the Parisian style is more formal and ornate. I like the brick and terra cotta floors, the wood furniture, the lavender and sunflowers of the countryside. This will take you beyond chicken figurines and calico prints! : )
Great read, great price. Great book for daydreaming! Enjoy!
I have also bought Italian Country Living by the same author. Another wonderful book.

The pictures in this book are beautiful. It is exactly what I was looking for!