How to French Country

By Sara Silm, Thames & Hudson, $65 For those who aspire to imbue an Australasian home with French country style (a tricky exercise), this is your answer. The author is Australian so knows the challenges well. She, her husband and three children bought a house in the south-west France province of Béarn which had been empty for two decades but came fully furnished, right down to the monogrammed stationery and maids’ aprons. This is a multidimensional book – a delightful story of a renovation but also a very helpful guide on how to capture the French country look no matter where you live. Sara goes into great detail on how to use the colours (there are even colour codes for six palettes inspired by Béarnaise towns) and patterns distinctive to the French country style. She drills down into the practicalities, like how to give furniture a chalky paint finish and hang wallpaper. It’s all accompanied by beautiful photography and, to top it off, there’s a tempting collection of seasonal recipes. A book that’s as evocative and romantic as it is utterly usable. Bravo!