A Home In Provence

Provençal houses are true homes. Warm shades of ochre glow from the walls and roofs, weathered doors shine, and reflections glance off glazed ceramics and strike printed cotton tablecloths. This volume showcases the architectural diversity of Provençal houses and their interiors, gardens, and decorative art traditions. Images of gold-hued walls, iron balustrades, leafy terraces, and painted shutters inspire thoughts of balmy days in the sun. Aromatic lavender in terracotta pots and almond trees casting shade over cobbled courtyards evoke the magic of Provence-style living. The reader wanders up a stone staircase, past brightly painted walls and across tiled floors, through a variety of rooms ranging from a sun dappled kitchen to an ornate drawing room and shaded bedroom. From plain rustic benches and beds to delicate walnut armchairs and elaborate dressers, all the painted and polished accoutrements of a Provençal home are featured. From tableware to what lies beneath, to traditional flowerprint fabrics and intricate quilted textiles, the decorative florishes of Provence provide boundless inspiration for the home.

Collection of 175 recipes for Provençal dishes, inspired by Wells' farmhouse in Provence.

Ten years ago, Janine Marsh decided to leave her corporate life behind to fix up a run-down barn in northern France. This is the true story of her rollercoaster ride.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In this witty and warm-hearted account, Peter Mayle tells what it is like to realize a long-cherished dream and actually move into a 200-year-old stone farmhouse in the remote country of the Lubéron with his wife and two large dogs. He endures January's frosty mistral as it comes howling down the Rhône Valley, discovers the secrets of goat racing through the middle of town, and delights in the glorious regional cuisine. A Year in Provence transports us into all the earthy pleasures of Provençal life and lets us live vicariously at a tempo governed by seasons, not by days.

From cities to quaint towns and everything in between, Provence has something for everyone. Swim in the crystal clear waters of the Calanque de Sormiou in Marseille. Drive with the top down through fields of lavender in Valensole. Experience a bite of just-out-of-the-oven fougasse, a Provençal classic. Stand in awe of the beautiful, white Camargue horses native to the area. Located in the South of France, Provence is uniquely positioned to be a cultural blend of the Mediterranean. Roman landmarks still prevail from the 1st century AD alongside châteaus from medieval times—a varied legacy brightened by the indigenous mimosas and cypresses.

An intimate tour of quintessential Provencal style, featuring chic homes and interior details inspired by this picturesque region Thirty years after the publication of Peter Mayle's bestselling memoir A Year in Provence, the sun-drenched southern French region continues to excite home decorators with its combination of rustic charm, elegant details, and historical influences. Provence Style showcases the best of the region, with Shauna Varvel's quintessential 18th-century Rhône valley farmhouse--Le Mas des Poiriers--as its centerpiece. Named for the working pear orchard on the grounds, the property was reimagined by noted local architect Alexandre Lafourcade, who transformed a rough structure into a luxurious expression of the Provençal aesthetic, referencing historical influences, rural traditions, and Parisian taste. Set amid a garden of allées, arbors, and terraces designed by the architect's mother, renowned landscape designer Dominique Lafourcade, this exemplar of Provençal style is the starting point for exploring the region's characteristic interior details and exterior features. The book includes chapters on the public spaces of the home, from entrances to living rooms, the private realm of bedrooms and bathrooms, and outdoor areas including patios and kitchen gardens, transporting the reader on a captivating stylistic journey.

"As beguiling and delectable as France itself." *Mimi Sheraton "Ann Barry tells her tale directly and clearly, without cloying artifice or guile, so that it has the warmth, honesty, and force of a long letter from an old friend. She makes her reader a welcome house guest in her much-loved little cottage in the heart of France." *Susan Allen Toth Ann Barry was a single woman, working and living in New York, when she fell in love with a charming house in Carennac in southwestern France. Even though she knew it was the stuff of fantasy, even though she knew she would rarely be able to spend more than four weeks a year there, she was hooked. This spirited, captivating memoir traces Ms. Barry's adventures as she follows her dream of living in the French countryside: Her fascinating (and often humorous) excursions to Brittany and Provence, charmed nights spent at majestic chateaux and back-road inns, and quiet moments in cool Gothic churches become our own. And as the years go by, and "l' Americaine," as she is known, returns again and again to her real home, she becomes a recognizable fixture in the neighborhood. Ann Barry is a foreigner enchanted with an unpredictable world that seems constantly fresh and exciting. In this vivid memoir, she shares the colorful world that is her France. "AN INTELLIGENT MEMOIR." *The New Yorker "DELIGHTFUL . . . BARRY WRITES ENGAGINGLY. . . . [She] is very much at home in such fine company as M.F.K. Fisher's Two Towns in Provence, Robert Daley's Portraits of France, and Richard Goodman's French Dirt. *St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Author Mary-Lou Weisman and her husband, Larry, didn't want to tour a foreign country; they wanted to become part of it. They were eager to pierce the tourist veil, and get as close to the essence of the culture as they could. No more observing from the outside with their noses pressed to the glass. They yearned for someone to open the door and invite them to step right in and make themselves at home. They wanted to become so French that even Americans wouldn't like them. In September of 2003, the Weismans arrived in Provence, France, for the first of four, monthlong stays. Playing House in Provence follows them on their sometimes wonderful, sometimes humiliating, always playful pursuit, as they learn that feeling disoriented and stupid on a daily basis can be fun. So can looking up French words they need to ask for directions--où est la pharmacie--only to realize there's pas une chance they will understand the answer. "Funnier, smarter, and more wickedly honest than any memoir about Provence." --Sybil Steinberg Contributing Editor, Publishers Weekly

Entertaining at home in gracious French style. Born from her experience of everyday living in France, Sharon Santoni reveals the gracious, easy French way of entertaining guests at her countryside home, year-round. Personal stories evoke the spirit of the French lifestyle, while gorgeous photos make us feel right at home. Santoni creates lush bouquets from her garden and utilizes resources from surrounding nature to lay gorgeous tables both indoors and outdoors. Venues range from a Sunday morning breakfast on the patio, to a ladies lunch in her lush garden, a formal dinner in her dining room, and a picnic by the river. Santoni also shares 15 favorite recipes utilizing seasonal foods. Find inspiration for your tables throughout the seasons, and discover the simple pleasure of entertaining friends and family. Sharon Santoni writes the popular blog My French Country Home. She is the author of My Stylish French Girlfriends (Gibbs Smith). She resides in Normandy, France.

Provence is a garden of earthly delights that provides a constant stream of satisfaction for the senses of sight, scent, and taste. "Provencal Escapes" celebrates 22 beautiful homes in the region. Decorative styles differ, varying from the cozy romanticism of restored stone farm buildings to the clean simplicity of pared-down modern style; from the traditional elegance of a small chateau to the intriguing eclecticism of a tiny holiday retreat overlooking the sparkling sea of the Cote d'Azur. But every scheme is colored by a predominantly rural lifestyle and the natural elements, and above all by the region's character. An irresistible book for all those seduced by the Provencal way of life.*Combines elegantly written, authoritative text by Caroline Clifton-Mogg with captivating photography by Christopher Drake.*An abundant source of inspiration and practical decorative ideas.