We have long been enchanted with the lifestyle of France. Even when our travels don’t spirit us away to that land, whenever we seek French inspiration, we refer to our magazine and book collection that focuses on its people, décor, and food. This special edition is designed to allow our readers to peek into homes and shops filled with the tasteful furnishings and charming accessories we associate with Gallic culture.
FRENCH cottage
French Cottage 2024
Dear Friends
Romantic French Décor
Living with the PAST • Fifteen kilometers from Mantes-en-Yvelines, in the Normandy region of France, stands a storybook country cottage. Within these sturdy stone walls, the past is lovingly preserved and celebrated with carefully curated antiquities.
The Patina OF TIME • Through the viewfinder of her own camera, transplanted American Corey Amaro guides us around her four-hundred-year-old French home that she has painstakingly designed as a haven for hand-me-down treasures and flea-market finds.
toile DE JOUY • These elaborately patterned fabrics claim a rich history almost as storied as the scenes they depict. Still sought after for their exotic indienne likeness, and once banned by King Louis XIV to protect the French fabric trade, irresistible toiles possess the stylish appeal that constitutes a timeless classic.
Where Graceful Shadows Fall • Anticipate the whims and wishes of summer guests with a gracious lakeside cottage filled with evocative French touches.
A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi • Graced with natural light and architectural integrity, this French-inspired home captures the essence of a skillful work of art. Each room is a studied composition of subtle tints and hues and a masterful balancing act of tone, texture, and shape.
Graciouse LIVABILITY • A grand home in Point Clear, Alabama, honors the past with sprawling architecture reminiscent of a French Colonial farmhouse. Inside, lavishly relaxed interiors befit the homeowners’ refined collectibles with an approachable sense of poise, function, and style.
Comfortably FRENCH • After nearly two decades of cultivating the formal interiors of a 1920s Georgian-style house—a study in perfection with its symmetry and fine details—a designer discovers that her heart lies with the tranquil charm of a 1920s French provincial home.
A Warmer Shade of WINTER • It takes just a subtle shift of color to temper the stark whites of winter. Think bisque, cream, toast, wheat, and delicious café au lait—savory shades of warmth that will ease you into spring.
Vintage FRENCH CHARM • Harking back to an era when everyday objects were crafted to last, European grain sacks provided the palette and inspiration for Tim and Brenda DeWitt’s unassumingly elegant guest cottage.
French-Inspired Furnishings
Treasures of TOWN & COUNTRY • The hallmarks of Gustavian style—a restrained Swedish interpretationof French neoclassicism—distinguish the finds of antiques enthusiast Sophie Lambert. The furnishings are presented year-round in her Saint-Germain-en-Laye shop and semiannually during private sales held on the grounds of her historic property. A soothing mix of neutral fabrics, distressedwood finishes, and shapely silhouettes all awash in a subdued palette of grayed pastels infuses each locale with an air of relaxed Scandinavian beauty.
Dreaming IN FRENCH • With unwavering determination and fervor for Old-World patina, Shawn Stucker fulfilled her dream to become a shop owner of extraordinary French antiques. Now one of the most prominent importers in the Louisville, Kentucky, area, she unravels the stories that continue to inspire her European Antique Market.
Antiques from the Heart • Nestled in a tiny village in the center of Provence is a haven for pieces of faded...