The French interior evokes a way of life to aspire to, with its good food, unhurried pace and, above all, its past for which many people feel nostalgia. Developed over hundreds of years, the French look reflects all tastes, from the cultivated grandeur of the chateau to the simplicity of rural living, and can be adapted to every home. Creating the French Look is divided into four styles: 'Chateau', 'Country', 'Provencal' and 'Parisian', and each "look" is applied to living rooms, kitchens, dining rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms plus outdoor living spaces. As well as describing each overall style, focusing on colours and fabrics, Annie Sloan emphasizes the details and accents required by each one, and, aided by 25 clearly explained step-by-step projects, shows how to achieve it. Among other things, she explains how to paint and distress furniture, and describes how to cover an armoire door with embroidered voile. Whatever interior you desire, this book will guide your choices from the grand statement of the painted armoire to the finishing touch of a little posy of lavender.

'To me, an object that was once the height of elegance but is now a bit battered has far more allure than something brand new.' Pearl Lowe in The Daily Telegraph Pearl Lowe has a passion for vintage finds with character - jewel-toned velvet sofas, hand-dyed lace curtains, gleaming lacquer cabinets - and these are the essential ingredients of Faded Glamour, a gloriously decadent and perfectly lived-in decorating style. With evocative photography, Pearl's beautiful Georgian home is revealed, showcasing her trademark blend of grandly romantic and cool rock 'n' roll interiors. Take a tour through the colourful living rooms, intimate bedrooms and plush bathrooms of her creative friends' unique homes. There are hand-painted peacocks and an emerald silk bedspread in the charming house of a renowned British fashion designer; bright contemporary paintings on the perfectly rustic plaster walls of Hauser and Wirth in Somerset; a rainbow staircase and vivid embroidered wall hangings in the home of an eclectic jewellery designer and so much more.

We all desire a space that feels authentically our own: somewhere we can curl up with a cup of tea or host a dinner party for our nearest and dearest. But many of us treat our living situations as temporary. Homemaking is something we will do 'one day'--perhaps when we are no longer renting, when we have a larger budget, or when the kids are a bit older.

But it doesn't have to be that way: you can start making anywhere your home right now and it doesn't have to cost the earth. In Keeping House, Emma Blomfield shares beautifully illustrated tips on homemaking and entertaining. Learn how to style and maintain every room in your house to achieve a state of meaningful living, and to decorate and connect with guests through beautiful events, with details on everything from styling small spaces with plants to creating the perfect cheeseboard.

This is your guide to creating the life that you want in the space that you have, no matter where that may be.

Instagram star and founder of Inspire Me! Home Decor shares her creative and elegant interior design secrets so you can create a glamorous yet cozy home without spending a fortune. Farah Merhi launched Inspire Me! Home Decor in 2012 as a creative outlet during a transitional time in her life. Farah was about to graduate college and planned to attend law school. Going through the motions and feeling unfulfilled in her career choice, she built up the courage to face her truth. Taking time off to figure herself out, Farah, through a remodel project in her home, had her "ah-ha" moment. The importance of taking care of your home, specifically in the way you clean, organize, and design, was instilled in her at a young age, but she didn't realize how much of an impact her upbringing had until she owned her own home. Farah knew she had found her passion and calling, and was determined to inspire home owners to live their best lives in their homes. Farah believes that taking care of your home is essential to your peace of mind. Her design style is elegant and glamorous but infused with warmth and coziness, creating a welcoming feel with neutral color palletes, soft and inviting fabrics, and exquisite design details that can work in any room. She believes you can make a statement without sacrificing an inviting feel to your rooms. There is no right and wrong when it comes to designing your home and Farah encourages you to focus on the overall look and feel you desire, and her tips and advice will help guide you through the process. Starting with her most frequently asked questions about paint color versus wallpaper, lighting and rugs, home organization, and of course styling, Farah walks you through every room in the house from the mudroom to the kitchen and kids' bedrooms. Along the way, she includes quick seasonal updates on a budget, suggested routines for maintaining your space, and her unique reward system, which includes small styling vignettes around your home. Woven throughout are Farah's personal stories that will feel like you're getting design advice from a close friend. Everyone deserves to walk into a beautifully decorated home every day-now you can, with the inspiration and practical tips in Inspire Your Home.

There's no such thing as too many books, simply not enough places to put them Decluttering is all the rage, but what do you do when your preferred interior decor is miles of overstuffed bookshelves? If you can't bring yourself to clear your collection, SHELF RESPECT will validate your life choices. Do you alphabetise your books or organise by genre... or (heaven forbid) colour? Have you merged your collection with your other half's? (And do you write your name inside the cover, just in case?) Do you keep all the books you've read, or only the most cherished? Is there such a thing as too many books? (No.) Bound to provoke (good-natured) debate between Bibliophiles, SHELF RESPECT is a charmingly illustrated book in defence of towering TBR piles and overflowing shelves... no matter how you choose to organise them.

Jane Packer Flowers shows how to use fresh flowers to bring colour, variety and style to every corner of the home. An introduction covers all the basics, including choosing flowers, conditioning and caring for them, as well as key design principles when it comes to choosing vases and containers and getting the proportions of arrangements right. There are dramatic flowers for mantelpieces, massed vases on console tables, tiny posies on windowsills, architectural blooms showcased on coffee tables, luscious colour on dressing tables and desks, and even cut flowers for outdoor entertaining, as well as gorgeous arrangements for guest bedrooms and bathrooms. Fresh flowers have a powerful ability to raise our spirits and bring colour and a sense of vitality to every interior. In Jane Packer Flowers there are no stiff formal bouquets or party displays, just pretty, simple and achievable arrangements that you'll yearn to recreate in your own home.

Learn how to make your own candles with these 35 projects ranging from subtly-scented and refined to pastel-coloured glittering creations, plus smudge sticks to create a beautifully fragrant home. Candles have never been more popular, adding warmth, light and fragrance to your home. And making your own candles is simple and cost-effective, all you need to begin is a container or a mould, wax, wicks and decorations, plus Emma Hardy's detailed instructions. Learn how to use your shell collection to make delicate tea lights, fill some glass jars with herbs, flowers, essential oils, and wax to create a nature-inspired scented candle, swirl coloured wax together to make stylish marbled pillar candles and much more. There are Christmas, Valentine's day, autumn and spring delights, and why not start the year by refreshing the energy in your home with one of the gorgeously scented smudge sticks - try traditional sage or make your own with your favourite herbs. There is also a techniques section that explains all the basics you need to know (plus fire safety!) so you can start creating your own beautiful candles.

Anyone can create a beautiful home by foraging, and salvaging what they find. Whether a box of rusty nails or a disused armchair missing a leg, discarded objects can be restored, recycled or repurposed to fill the home with personal style. Artful interiors are born from curiosity, creativity and imagination, yet many of us fail to see a potential curtain rail in a bamboo stick or a hidden kitchen worktop in an old carpenter's bench - let alone knowing where to find such objects. Presenting the techniques and philosophies of a wide spectrum of experienced foraging homeowners, this book showcases unexpected and inspiring interiors from all over the world, from an upturned boat in France to an Australian beach house. Such diverse locations each demand a different approach to foraging and, as a result, each home has a distinct sense of style. In an era when self-sufficiency, living off grid and saving our planet have never been more important or appealing, The Foraged Home will provide guidance and inspiration for all those looking to go beyond the world of mass-produced flat-packs.

HOME SWEET STYLISH HOME

Michael Payne –popular host of the HGTVs hit series, Designing for the Sexes – brings his unique talents and expertise to this beautiful and practical reference designed to help homeowners find stylish solutions to today’s most challenging home design dilemmas.

REAL LIFE QUESTIONS ASKED BY REAL LIFE PEOPLE:

Utilizing a vibrant full-color format, Michael answers such questions as:

* I want a classic Victorian theme in my family room, where do I begin?

* Our new living room has 20-foot ceilings and makes furniture look miniature, what should we do?

* We want color in our room, but have no idea where to start, what do you suggest?

Michael Payne’s ingenious—and beautiful—answers will give you ideas you’ll want to try in your own home. Whether you’re married or single, you’ll appreciate the exciting decorating solutions in Let’s Ask Michael. This book --

* Puts 100 complete design answers in front of your eyes in gorgeous 4-color, 2-page spreads

* Answers questions on all the rooms in your home

* Follows a logical room-by-room sequence

* Is packed with Michael’s unique tips on lighting, upholstery, accessories, storage, and more

YOU ASKED HIM, NOW HE’S ANSWERING

Through emails, internet chats, and attendance at his seminars, Michael’s fans have directly asked him to solve their most difficult interior design dilemmas. This beautiful reference delivers the answers they seek in a style that captures Michaels trademark wit and charm. Questions range from the common to the outrageous, providing always informative -- and often amusing -- reading.

PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS IN AN INNOVATIVE FORMAT

A history of black and white in fashion, design, architecture and interiors Daring, dramatic, and full of inspirational ideas and icons, including Coco Chanel, Catherine Memmi, Christian Liaigre, Mies van der Rohe, Frederic Mechiche, Anouska Hempel and Giorgio Armani The shades black and white have for centuries represented inimitable luxury and unparalleled glamour. Think of tuxedos and little black dresses, or beautifully styled interiors featuring a mix of high white period ceilings and black, mid-century modern furniture. Designers have known about the power of this impeccable pairing for years. Design in Black & White features the cool beauty and crisp, graphic edge of these two tones, and celebrates the design world's most popular but understated shades with stunning photography of gorgeous penthouses, apartments, rural retreats, and commercial interiors from around the world.

Living with Wood provides inspiration for anyone who appreciates the beauty of this wonderful natural material. A superb compilation of the most beautiful projects with wood - both indoor and outdoor.

From shabby chic to rock 'n' roll heaven, restful craft room retreats to road-tripping travelling vans; from on-site artist studios and relaxing, reflective retreats, to travelling markets stalls and family summer holiday abodes; and from chandelier-clad glamping venues to the pride and joy of long-term nomadic lifestylers - there's a dream vintage caravan for everyone. Vintage Caravan Style takes the reader on a visual voyage through the world of vintage and retro caravans, exploring both the exterior and interior design of these classic icons. The book reveals the huge resurgence of interest in modern-vintage caravans - whether used for touring or as creative backyard spaces - and reveals how you can buy, restore and style a little capsule of retro heaven. Over 350 beautiful and inspirational photos sit alongside practical tips on restoring, upcycling, decorating and styling the small spaces of your dreams - whether you own a caravan, beach hut, shepherd's hut or even a shed - satisfying the desire to see inside other people's spaces and take inspiration from the small but perfectly formed spaces they have created.

'A handsome yet joyful manual for easy, stylish living.' - Architectural Digest Terence Conran has always believed that objects - and surroundings - that are plain, simple and useful are the key to easy living. By being practical and performing well over time, they are as much the antidote to superficial styling as they are to the shoddy and second-rate. Applied to the home as a whole, this discerning approach results in interiors that are effortlessly stylish, confident and timeless, with plenty of room for the expression of personal taste. Plain Simple Useful is organized according to the main activities that take place at home. Inspirational interiors, many of which are Conran's own, provide all the guidance you need to tailor-make your own storage. The book also features iconic examples of classic designs that will enhance any home, as well as a peek behind the closed doors of those well-ordered cupboards, larders and other stowing spaces that contribute so much to easy living. This updated edition of the book features a new chapter on plain, simple, useful style outdoors with elegant contemporary ideas for eating and relaxing spaces outside.

What does a home look like in twenty-first-century New York? While the city s name alone brings to mind very specific ideas the Fifth Avenue penthouse, with its elegant mouldings and crystal chandeliers; the SoHo loft, with its bright spaces and air of bohemian ease; the Brooklyn brownstone, with its fireplaces, parquet floors, and lush backyards the truth is, New York today is much more than this, and the potential for variety in ways of living is, now more than ever, virtually limitless. As a result, in the twenty-first century, the combined design professions enjoy an unprecedented menu of prospective solutions, whether based upon respect for a classically inflected New York past, an emphatic denial of such a tradition, or, most often, some hybrid response that often yields the best innovation possible. New York Living celebrates this vast potential while exploring contemporary apartments and town houses throughout the city, ranging beyond Manhattan into the outer boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx, and back to the centre, Manhattan, which continues to climb ever higher in its reach toward the sky.

In English Decoration, London-based architectural and interior designer Ben Pentreath presents a survey of the best of the English style. 'Ben Pentreath is the master of classic English interior decoration' The Telegraph Eighteen homes, many of which have never been previously photographed, provide the source material for architectural and interior designer Ben Pentreath's wide-ranging investigation of the classic English look. The houses include Ben's homes in London and West Dorset alongside those of Earls and artists, writers and architects, book designers and gardeners. The book is arranged room by room and Entrance Halls, Living Rooms, Kitchens and Dining Rooms, Bedrooms and Bathrooms are each considered in turn, together with simple Rooms of Utility and spectacular Rooms of Display. The book begins with an essay on the English style in decoration and ends with an essential style directory, helping you to achieve the look wherever you live.

You don't have to live in your dream house to make your living spaces feel more like home. Home is meant to be a place to belong. A place to gather and connect. A place of beauty. A place to restore your soul. In Restoration House, author and designer Kennesha Buycks will encourage you to embrace your home and your story so you can create mindful spaces that give life to you, your loved ones, and all who enter. Tips from Restoration House have been featured in Better Homes and Garden, Apartment Therapy, Design Sponge, and The Washington Post. Kennesha will teach you how to: Make the best out of your living space, whether you're renting or a homeowner Create a home your visitors will feel comfortable in Decorate your home on a budget Make purposeful design decisions that are beautiful and functional Restoration House is ideal for: Christian women of all ages who want to make their houses feel more like home Housewarming gifts, Mother's Day, birthdays, and holiday gifting

Style Your Modern Vintage Home is an inspirational book for all vintage enthusiasts. It encompasses everything vintage lovers want in one place: every vintage decade, practical tip for buying, styling and restoring your vintage homewares and achieving your perfectly styled vintage home. With 'real' homes, 'real' people and 'real' affordable items, this book shows you how you can achieve a stylish vintage/modern home too. Each chapter covers a decade from the 1920s to the 1990s, introducing fascinating social history from that period and sub-sections for the living room, bedroom, kitchen, study, hall and even the garden, showing the must-have items. There are practical styling tips, restoration and cleaning tips, and useful watch out advice for buying vintage pieces. As different eras may be mixed, there are also cross references to other chapters. The final section includes a useful and accessible treasurebox directory with the best vintage traders, both in the UK and US, as well as further reading should you wish to learn more about the topics covered in this book. Foreword by UK singer and actress, Paloma Faith, a vintage style icon both in the UK and US.

Africanismo celebrates the creativity and ingenious resourcefulness borne out of a continent that is both beautiful and harsh. It embraces the spirit and soulfulness of all who live in southern Africa and the inspiration they provide one another daily.

And it rejoices in the extraordinary places that people call home – even if, as in the case of safari lodges, it’s for just a few nights. In southern Africa, there is a wonderful mix of cultural influences.

The result is dwellings that are individual, distinctive and charismatic.

An intimate glimpse of the artistry of two women whose beautiful, evocative, and carefully curated interiors are crafted from what they find around them. Zoe Ellison and Alex Legendre have created a beautiful shopping and interiors experience with their unique store i gigi - a haven of beautiful gifts and unique pieces for your home. The muted, earthy colour palette is chic and modern and yet utterly timeless, allowing their pieces to fit seamlessly into any home. In this, their first book, they share their secrets and open their hearts as they describe the journey they have taken, what makes them tick and their philosophy, friendship, inspirations, ideas and interiors. i gigi is a destination store, selling the idea of a beautiful yet practical and achievable lifestyle. Their interiors feature reclaimed and revamped pieces and rooms that have been created on a shoestring. With stunning photography throughout, this is a truly fascinating look into their world.

For tens of thousands of Minnesotans who walk and bike and paddle around Minneapolis's beautiful Chain of Lakes every year, the lovely homes that surround these fine city parks are as intriguing as the exquisite views of open space and sparkling water. "Legendary Homes of the Minneapolis Lakes" invites readers inside twenty-eight of the most architecturally significant dwellings.
In these pages, photographer Karen Melvin and architectural writer Bette Hammel turn their attention to the finest homes around Lake of the Isles, Cedar Lake, Lake Calhoun, and Lake Harriet. Generous homeowners have opened their doors and shared the stories of construction, renovation, and interior design. Featured architects include Harry Wild Jones, Purcell and Elmslie, Edwin Lundie, Close and Associates, Vincent James, and David Salmela.
From the Italianate entryway of the Martin House to the whimsical living room of the Kaufman/Lacey House; from the Arts and Crafts kitchen of the Smith/Liepke House to the Rand/McGlynn Phelps House's stunning formal dining room, "Legendary Homes of the Minneapolis Lakes" offers views of interest to all. This lavishly illustrated and informative book answers the lake walker's burning question: I wonder what it's like in there.
Karen Melvin is an interiors and architectural photographer whose work has appeared in "Architectural Digest," "House Beautiful, ""Mpls.St.Paul Magazine," and "Woman's Day." Bette Hammel is an architectural journalist who has written for "Architecture Minnesota," "Mpls.St.Paul Magazine," "Midwest Home," and "Architectural Record."

"A must for ambitious do-it-yourselfers who are looking for out-of-the- ordinary results." --Home and Gardens"

"The Paint Effects Bible" --"highly recommended" by "Library Journal" and with sales of 48,000 in hardcover--has become a classic among home reference choices. Now in paperback, the book features 100 contemporary faux finishes packed into a compact, easy-to-use guide.

Each effect is described on a single spread with a large photograph of the finish plus step-by-step illustrations, an ingredients list, and detailed how-to instructions. The finishes are made with brushes, rollers, rags, sponges and waxes to create textured effects, traditional finishes, metallics, patterns and motifs.

"The Paint Effects Bible" includes: Guidance on how to decorate with paint finishes Basic color theory including choosing colors and combinations Basic techniques and helpful hints 100 original paint effects

With "The Paint Effects Bible," decorators of all skill levels will find ample inspiration and the technical guidance needed to create the perfect finish for any room.