Customer Reviews

French Influences

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

 

 

I was expecting so much more from this book, and I was disappointed with what I got. The photographs are beautifully done, but the contents of the pictures were so safe and conservative and devoid of personality. Not what I would expect from a book dealing with French taste -- which appeals to me usually for it's bravery and panache in it's interior design. About the only thing the rooms in this book shout to me was money. More money than style. More desire to impress than true chic. I want to see personality in interiors, and this book presents a heartless, soul-deadening succession of very expensive, very uninteresting rooms.

The rest of the book is page after page of heavy, ornate rooms that lack individuality and warmth. The decor is superficially beautiful because all the "signals" of wealth are there: expensive sofas and chairs, brocade curtains, period furniture, "French" bric-a-brac, but ultimately it's a collection of overly-designed showpieces.

Homeowners who would duplicate the French idea of design and atmosphere will find this an intriguing blend of lavish color photos and discussions of how French ambiance is added to a room. From resources used to achieve changes to the four key elements of interior design and the influences deemed particularly French, Betty Lou Phillips' French Influences is packed with commendable insights.

I place this books among my top favorites in the decorating category (and I own many). Each time I flip through this book I see some new ideas that I didn't notice before. The are many beautiful pictures but the text is fun to read as well. The book helps to give you a feel for the way the French live and feel about their homes. Betty Lou Phillips also wrote French by Design which I also enjoyed, but of the two books French Influences is my favorite.

While a little "Dallas" in style. This book captures a mixture of French styles. Betty Lou's books are well illustrated. Most importantly, she lists the sources of the items & fabrics. I find it insulting when designers are secretive regarding sources. Keep it up Betty Lou, I wish more coffee table books on decorative arts & design were like yours. I recommend this if it fits your style.

"Detail is the difference between ordinary and extraordinary." ~Unknown

If you are dreaming of a book filled with rock-crystal chandeliers, Aubusson rugs, exquisite tapestries, feather-filled armchairs, carved armoires, sensuous velvets, leopard prints, silk taffeta curtains and eighteenth-century furnishings, you may fall under the influence of "French Influences." The magnificent picture of a French-inspired kitchen complete with French antiques is enough to make any cook envious.

Betty Lou Phillips work has appeared in Southern Accents, Traditional Home & Bath, Window and Wall, and Decorating as well as many magazine covers. She is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers and has a penchant for quotes.

Welcome to the World of French Style:

Making a World of Difference
The American Way with French Style
Reflections of Good Taste
Fluent French
French Class
Unmistakably French
Vive la France!
Garden Shows
Designer's Notebook

The pictures in this book are inspirational and the pink dining room is a fantasy princess dream. I was surprised at how much I really did love the vintage chairs covered in playful leopard prints. There are little tidbits of information throughout the book.

Finally, I understand why the rooster is a favorite motif.

I would have love to have dissolved into page 146 and taken a stroll through the row of trees on the winding gravel path leading to the unknown.

~The Rebecca Review

This book was full of beautiful homes and great ideas if you are planning a "French" home. Like most Betty Lou Phillips books, these were mostly very large an expensive homes and in today's economy, probably a little over-the-top. We are looking to build down and in a more rustic or country French style, but there were still plenty of great ideas for kitchens, vanities, wrought iron handrails, stairways, trim, etc. Well worth the Amazon price if you could get just one or two really good ideas.

The book is written as if the French have a monopoly on good taste. B. Phillips gushes over the French lifestyle to the point of annoyance. I found myself saying, enough already! I got the book because I've travelled to France since I was a kid and now I'd like to decorate my home with French influences. But after reading her book, with its genuflecting and contradictions, I was turned off. An example of contradiction: At one point the book states that the French are not ostentacious and prefer simple, tasteful items in the home. But from the interior pictures of mansions, that hardly seems to be the case. Also, I couldn't see any children being happy in these homes. They look like hotels and museums. The book had one very redeeming quality. The guides outlining "must haves" are very good.

A truly beautiful book!
The photographs are absolutely stunning.
I am still reading the text, which has been most inspiring to say the least.
It has given me some fabulous ideas for my re-decorating project.
Highly recommended.