The Illustrated Cottage: A Decorative Fairy Tale Inspired by Provence (Country Living) [Hardcover]

Nina Williams (Author), Fisher & Chappell (Illustrator), Keith Scott Morton (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 2001 | Series: Country Living

Country Living editor Niña Williams had never visited Provence, yet visions of that fabled French region permeated her dreams. And so, with a little help from some talented artists, she transformed her own simple Denver home (inside and out) into a small bit of Provençal heaven. Everywhere trompe l'oeil murals turn the walls into a storybook peopled with imaginary characters and landscapes from a tiny imaginary Provençal village. And each detail, from the ceramic dishes to the small soaps in the bathroom to the wrought iron furniture on the patio, has the perfect Provençal touch. Williams herself explains her inspiration, and the reasons behind all her choices. A pure delight and true original, this blend of romance and design primer also includes tasty tidbits like Provençal recipes (Garlic Rabbit) and information on the Provençal crafts of lacemaking, enamelware, and more.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nina Williams is editor-at-large for Country Living and founding editor of Country Living Gardener. She has worked on numerous book projects and is the co-author of Country Living Country Gardens. She has her own design firm, located in Denver, Colorado.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

When I happened upon my cottage a few years ago, I was on the brink of a new life - a reinvention of home was necessary. Gypsy-like, I had traveled from house to house, and this time I yearned to make the cottage the retreat of a wanderer come to rest. I wished for coziness, for stacks of books, for a layering of intensely personal allusions, for a spirit of sensuous playfulness and fun.

I resolved to work with two old friends and colleagues, trompe l'oeil aritists Barb Fisher and Laura Chappell, to set a convincing mise-en-scene. I admired their talent, sensitivity to color, and technical abilities. Additionally, they possessed a knack for incorporating historical accuracy into their designs as well as whimsy and humor. In short, they were the perfect team to illustrate the cottage, to imbue it with the fanciful and childlike beauty of a fairy tale.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Hearst; 1st edition (December 31, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688165419
• ISBN-13: 978-0688165413
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #506,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting!, August 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Illustrated Cottage: A Decorative Fairy Tale Inspired by Provence (Country Living) (Hardcover)

This is a lovely and gorgeous decorating book. The colors and the ideas are so inspirational. The author's ideas for her home are very unique - not the everyday fare you would find in decorating magazines. The murals she had painted are spectacular but I also liked the way fabrics and baskets and decorative items were put together. The text is also lovely and made me want to visit Provence. Highly recommend this enchanting book.

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a decorative fairy tale....., January 22, 2002

By 

Joan Treis "St Joan of Art" (New Florence, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Illustrated Cottage: A Decorative Fairy Tale Inspired by Provence (Country Living) (Hardcover)

As stated in the book's introduction, the decoration of this
house does indeed capture the mood, spirit and colors of
Provence. Anyone looking for ideas or studies of trompe l'oeil
will totally enjoy the art on every page. I remember the
first time I saw the art of Fisher and Chappell in an old issue
of Country Living magazine. They artfully painted a garden
shed and it made the cover of the magazine. A story unfolds
as you go room to room in this house, the walls are the illustrations. French tiles, a mouse on garden tools, rabbits
in a hutch, windows to lavender fields, murals of glorious
Provencal landscapes, a broken plate on the floor, pearls on the stair steps, rose petals on a window sill: are they
real or painted? An excellent addition to a collection of
interior design books. You can't go wrong here. The resource
guide in the back features decorative sources, fabric and upholstery sources, garden catalogs and graphic designers.
Lots of garden pictures too as Nina Williams was the founding
editor of Country Living Gardener. From the kitchen to the
atelier, the boudoir to the foyer you will find inspiration!
Thumbs up!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cottage Art at its best, October 30, 2001

By 

MotherLodeBeth "MotherLodeBeth" (Sierras of California) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Illustrated Cottage: A Decorative Fairy Tale Inspired by Provence (Country Living) (Hardcover)

Nina Williams has created a gift for those of us who are artists who like to make our homes or in my case my cottage a day to day living canvas. Not only did I appreciate the "theme" which is basically a young girl flowing into adulthood but like Ms Williams I have a serious free spirit mode that is very Bohemian.

The photos are wonderful and one sees how an artist creates beauty that is a mix of fairytale and reality. And I am also a grower of French lavender and could almost smell the lavender tucked in the curtain or in the mural of the French lavender fields that seemed to stretch for miles.

And the whimsy of the strand of pearls broken and dropping down the painted stairs of her home, the mouse on the stairs the looks so lifelike and the flowers...oh my they look so real, as if freshly picked. And the young girl at the window, caught in a far off thought with love letter in hand.

And the colours and hue are so vibrant and I so love the way the artists creates smiles on peoples faces. How you open a door and see a painting on the other side. How rooms blend paintings with tile work and furniture.

This is a book I would recommend for all my fellow artist friends who love creating and are not afraid of working on non canvas surfaces.