A French romance
Decorating is my passion but I’ve never been one to follow the latest styles and trends, preferring to stick to the classics. I fell in love with French style long before I ever stepped foot in Paris, and over the years it has become an important part of my own decorating style. Many say that my approach is romantic, and I would agree, although I am not sure you can pigeonhole my many looks into just one style.
I like a relaxed, comfortable home, not one that is pretentious or stuffy. And I adore the country life, where beauty happens right before your very eyes.
My decorating is not limited to interiors. I love parties and creating just the right decor and atmosphere for them. I also love to cook. I am from the American South and, when it comes to hospitality, I have tried to take over from where my grandparents left off . They lived on a farm, and I remember my grandfather dressed in overalls, chewing on the tip of his cigar. But there was always a smile on his face, too. He loved people, and enjoyed sitting down and breaking bread with anyone who happened to stop by.
1. A sleek, French-inspired bathroom 2. Pink roses are the ideal flower of choice for vintageinspired events 3. The graceful winding staircase leads down to a baby grand piano and forms the structural basis for this hallway 4. This rustic space is a French cooking school. From the ceiling, made of rough planks of wood, to the tile-top table, everything about the space is charming 5. The painting of bluebirds is a flea-market find. It has aged well and has the perfect patina 6. With its lush planting and dramatic architecture, this garden is a delight. There is plenty of seating, while the ivy-clad arches are reminiscent of courtyards in New Orleans or Paris. The channels of water, filled with fish, surround the patio
My grandmother would always have a pot of beans on the stove and a pan of cornbread in the oven. She could make a meal go from four people to 10 people as fast as she could whip up some homemade biscuits.
As a tribute to them and their way of life, I really wanted my new book to celebrate the gatherings with family and friends that each of us should be enjoying. We are all so caught up with work and appointments that we forget how important it is to laugh and have fun together. My daughter was married this year, and when my aunt and my cousins, some of whom I hadn’t seen in years, showed up at the wedding, I was reminded of the fact. Enjoy!
A Romance With French Living, by Carolyn Westbrook, is published by Cico Books, priced £19.99.
I like a relaxed, comfortable home, not one that is pretentious or stuffy. And I adore the country life, where beauty happens right before your very eyes.
My decorating is not limited to interiors. I love parties and creating just the right decor and atmosphere for them. I also love to cook. I am from the American South and, when it comes to hospitality, I have tried to take over from where my grandparents left off . They lived on a farm, and I remember my grandfather dressed in overalls, chewing on the tip of his cigar. But there was always a smile on his face, too. He loved people, and enjoyed sitting down and breaking bread with anyone who happened to stop by.
1. A sleek, French-inspired bathroom 2. Pink roses are the ideal flower of choice for vintageinspired events 3. The graceful winding staircase leads down to a baby grand piano and forms the structural basis for this hallway 4. This rustic space is a French cooking school. From the ceiling, made of rough planks of wood, to the tile-top table, everything about the space is charming 5. The painting of bluebirds is a flea-market find. It has aged well and has the perfect patina 6. With its lush planting and dramatic architecture, this garden is a delight. There is plenty of seating, while the ivy-clad arches are reminiscent of courtyards in New Orleans or Paris. The channels of water, filled with fish, surround the patioMy grandmother would always have a pot of beans on the stove and a pan of cornbread in the oven. She could make a meal go from four people to 10 people as fast as she could whip up some homemade biscuits.
As a tribute to them and their way of life, I really wanted my new book to celebrate the gatherings with family and friends that each of us should be enjoying. We are all so caught up with work and appointments that we forget how important it is to laugh and have fun together. My daughter was married this year, and when my aunt and my cousins, some of whom I hadn’t seen in years, showed up at the wedding, I was reminded of the fact. Enjoy!
A Romance With French Living, by Carolyn Westbrook, is published by Cico Books, priced £19.99.