I have some French in my blood…

… or maybe I don’t. (My mom is probably wondering what in the world I’m talking about!) But after reading my friend Anita Joyce’s new book French Accents, I wish I did! From the attention-grabbing introduction (in which Anita finds out she, in fact, does have French ancestors) to the final thoughts, this book is a work of art. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Anita in her home, and it is truly a work of art in itself- as you’ll learn through the beautiful photos in the book.

I love it when a book that is teaching you something sounds like the author is sitting down over lunch and explaining the topic to you, and that is exactly how this book reads. You can imagine Anita’s eyes lighting up as she she explains her step-by-step method of designing a room or how to tell if an item is French or not. One of my favorite quotes of the book sums up good design in a home:

“A beautiful room is not just a room filled with beautiful things. The beauty comes from how the individual pieces work together to create a room whose sum is equal to more than its parts. Consider this: the thing that makes a song melodious and memorable is not the specific notes that are used, but rather how the composer or songwriter weaves the words and the melody together. ” (Anita Joyce, p. 13).

This book is incredibly lovely- even if you don’t necessarily want to add anything French to your home, it’s just visually appealing and quite calming to thumb through. There are also many very practical how-to’s in the book: think “How to Paint and Distress Furniture.” I’ll certainly be referring to this book often as remodel our own farmhouse.

(I also love that she reinforces something I’ve been telling my hubby all along and he thought I was crazy- pick your fabric in a room before the paint- paint can always be matched to fabric not not necessarily vice versa. Glad you cleared that up for us, Anita 🙂 )

Be sure to check out the other bloggers on the French Accents Blog Tour this month, all highlighting this gorgeous book, and click here to buy your own copy of French Accents.