Product Description

“When I think back on all the homes I’ve visited in the French countryside—and I’ve visited hundreds over the last twenty-five years—it is almost always the kitchens I remember most clearly and recall with the most affection.”
—From the introduction

The kitchen is truly the heart of the home, and nowhere is this exemplified with more style and personality than in France. Distinguished by striking craftsmanship, bold colors, and vintage accents, the French country kitchen—whether a rustic retreat or an urban oasis—is always unique and inviting.

In this beautiful celebration of France’s real-life kitchens, French style authority Linda Dannenberg invites us into dozens of kitchens that capture the spirit of their regions, carefully examining the design, the priorities of the owners, and the details—from color palettes to collectibles—that create inviting, functional, and personal spaces. You’ll visit a remarkable new “eighteenth-century” kitchen in the heart of Paris’s old garment district designed entirely with elements dating from the 1700s; an airy, open family kitchen in a Provençal house that was once a grain mill; a dramatic kitchen, bold in color and scale, in an elegant farmhouse in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence; a romantic country kitchen, illuminated by a Palladian-style window from an old abbey, in a welcoming village surrounded by the farmland of the Île-de France; and a casual Parisian space—once an atelier occupied by Pablo Picasso—featuring a kitchen with subtle, restrained mosaics.

Distinctive elements that characterize these welcoming spaces are examined in depth, from tile work to the French way with color. You’ll even find recipes that capture the spirit of the French kitchen. With an extensive directory of sources, more than 200 full-color photographs, and evocative text highlighting a bounty of original ideas, French Country Kitchens is a lush and inspiring guide to re-creating a little corner of France in the heart of your own home.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #115764 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-11
• Released on: 2008-11-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

About the Author
Linda Dannenberg, a leading authority on French style, is the author of numerous books on French design and cuisine, including New French Country and Paris Bistro Cooking. She also contributes to many publications, among them Town and Country and Travel + Leisure. She lives in New York.

Guy Bouchet is one of France’s most esteemed life-style photographers; his work illustrates New French Country, Paris Bistro Cooking, and Paris Boulangerie-Pâtisserie. His photographs also appear frequently in Architectural Digest and Elle Decor. He lives in Paris and Burgundy.

Customer Reviews

Wonderful
I have never written a review on Amazon before even though I have spent many hundreds of dollars buying books from them. But this book has inspired me to do so. I quite simply adore this book. I read it cover to cover, poring over each picture on every page. Now I browse through it on a regular basis.

The kitchens are all authentic French kitchens, most quite rustic. The author spends several pages highlighting each of 20 kitchens showcased. They are separated into five sections: A Taste for Tradition, Stylish Simplicity, Rustic Country, Small but Full of Soul, and Contemporary Country. There was not one kitchen I disliked, and several I can't stop thinking about. I loved the fact that the last page of every kitchen was a recipe from the owner.

I'm not a Francophile. I went to France once and can't say I was overwhelmed. But obviously I was visiting the wrong places.

An Evocative, Beautiful Book
I truly wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. I've been visiting France since I was a child and love the country, so I was thrilled to receive this book. It reminds me of so many places where I was welcomed and had great meals. The photographs are very evocative and beautifully detailed, and the text eloquently and artfully explains the thought processes behind each kitchen design, which I found interesting. In the back of the book is an informative source listing for fabrics, tiles, furniture, and even rentals in France. I recommend this book to both armchair travelers and designers as a source of inspiration and a buying guide.

French Country Kitchens
This book shows a variety of styles of country kitchens. It is a bood background book for starting on your own preferences.