[.ca] Country Living Country Chic: Country Style for Modern Living (ISBN 1588160165)

From Amazon.com:
Many people dream of the perfect country home: inviting and bright, imbued with a warm sense of comfort and a timeless simplicity. In Country Chic, authors Liz Bauwens and Alexandra Campbell show how to mix and match different colors, materials, and furnishings, combine fine antiques with inexpensive "finds," and blend old with new to create today's fresh and modern country style. The authors present myriad ideas for using country style to turn any space into an airy and comfortable place to be. They include information on how to bring various specific country styles--such as New England, Shaker, and "Modern Ethnic"--into a decorating scheme. The chapter on simplicity shows how to create a sense of freedom and an uncluttered lifestyle by reinterpreting how traditional materials and patterns are used. For instance, a spare room with sophisticated gray-tinged white walls maintains the original rough floorboards and fireplace bricks as a contrast to the sleek modern lines. The chapter on decorating with color and pattern shows how to create an eclectic atmosphere by borrowing from old-fashioned traditions and giving them a modern twist. Mismatched wooden chairs around a rustic kitchen table, for example, give a room a relaxed and informal feel. Juxtaposed with a marble fireplace that would be more expected in a formal dining room, the scene takes on an appealing air of faded grandeur. More than 200 color photographs will certainly provide plenty of inspiration to those hoping to manifest their dreams of the perfect country home--wherever that may be. --Robin Donovan

Worth a 3:
Nice pictures but I found very little inspiration from this book. 3 to 4 pages are all dedicated to the same room, therefore not really a coffee table book either! I would suggest Canadian Country Style if you, like me, are looking for decorating ideas and designs worth copying. As much as I love white decor, these rooms are either very spartan or too colorful. Nothing in between.

A Beautiful Book That Teaches and Inspires,:
many decorating ideas and styles within the framework of Country. Although, I turn to this book when i am about to paint a room and need to study the effects of a color.Another person might find it useful to learn the skills of simplifying a type of decor. It starts with the stark simplicity and ulitarian work of the American Shaker and brings in English Country and proceeds to modern Cubism. The pastel colors in this book are a feast to the eyes, in their subtle combinations. This book shows how details of life are important, but in natural way without clutter prevailing in a room. Except for the Bazaar Style and the Ethnic section, most of it would be welcome in your home. It even spruces up a trailer for those who prefer to live on wheels.I highly recommend this refresing look at Country "Chic.