Villa Decor: Decidedly French and Italian Style (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Dan Piassick (Photographer) "In the discriminating world of interior design, France and Italy have forever commanded respect, setting standards of excellence with their fine furniture, regal array of..." (more)
Key Phrases: Nancy Corzine, United States

Editorial Reviews

Review

2002 Nonfiction Book of the Year Award Winner -- Foreword Magazine

Product Description

In her newest book, Villa Décor, Betty Lou Phillips discusses how to mix styles, furnishings, inspirations, and colors from different eras and locations to create the looks for which the French and Italian people are known-wisps of elegance, hints of regal color, textures that delight and inspire. Villa Décor illustrates the mastery of the fabled French way of melding the past with the present so each is seen in the best possible light, as well as the uncanny Italian knack of linking rooms effortlessly with patterns and palettes without detracting from the furnishings or objets d'art, capturing a trend in American decorating. Betty Lou Phillips demonstrates how to virtuously juxtapose various periods and styles in widely diverse, satisfying rooms that are never dull or predictable. Quiet French elegance, Italian romance, and the simplicity of sweet life-la dolce vita.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith, Publisher; 1 edition (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586851748
• ISBN-13: 978-1586851743
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #50,680 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

124 of 126 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Really What I Expected ..., March 23, 2003

By A Customer

I expected a book filled with photos of French and Italian villas - houses and estates outside cities, perhaps some at the seashore, for passing leisure time. Instead, it is a book filled with text on French and Italian style as applied to USA decorating. ALL the photos seem to be of American homes, most in Texas, some containing some pieces "found in a Paris flea market..." etc., and ALL done in beautiful taste and with very generous-(Texas oilman?)-sized budgets! Having said that, however, I assure you that the book is filled with excellent photos of absolutely beautiful kitchens, bedrooms, gardens, baths, living rooms, porches, filled with great fabrics, elaborate window treatments, chandeliers, sconces, wonderful wrought iron, porcelain, ceramics, woods, rugs, marble and all the things you either love or hate about French and/or Italian style. The text is also very helpful, although occasionally a little gushy, and I could have lived without the recital of so many details of European History. (Okay, I admit it, I'm an uncultured swine. So sue me.)
If you want a book of vacation villas on the shores and islands of the Mediterranean, this isn't it; but if you want ideas for beautiful, comfortable homes for "gracious living" -- then this book is a gold mine.

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quiet French Elegance & Italian Romance, March 3, 2004

By	Rebecca Johnson "SeasonedwithLove.com" (Washington State) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you are looking for a rich European style to inspire you in your own decorating, "Villa Décor" is a warm and comforting experience.

Betty Lou Phillips demonstrates decorating secrets, like linking rooms with patterns and palettes with out detracting from the furnishings. Her 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 also has a penchant for quotes.

There are six main areas to explore:

Old World Elegance
New World Excellence
High-Minded French
Italian Panache
Points of View
Magnifique in America

The minute I opened this book, I was in love. The lush carpeting and tapestry pillows, the piano in a sunlit room with the sun casually falling on an eighteenth-century buffet a deux corps. It was a music room of dreams.

Not only do you enjoy the aesthetic elements, you actually learn the names of a variety of decorating techniques and Italian and French furniture names. You could also recreate a room by finding similar items. The bedroom on page 74 is to die for: Lavish comfort with sensuous linens and goose-down duvets, not to mention bed hangings (looks like a four poster bed).

My main thought while reading this book was "All these rooms look like good rooms to read in." One picture does show a rather elegant two-story library with a spiral staircase and many of the rooms have fireplaces and cozy couches.

I've been dreaming of redecorating my bedroom and this book gave me quite a few dreams.

~The Rebecca Review

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply stunning mediterranean interiors and exteriors, September 27, 2004

By	Mediterranean Maven "Ada" (Miami, Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

I am so glad that I ordered this book. I have been reading it from cover to cover since it arrived and everytime, I find something new to consider. This book is perfect for anyone interested in mediterranean interiors, both French and Italian-influenced. I even found some ideas for mediterranean style exteriors that I am considering for incorporation into my own home's exteriors. I highly recommend this book!