I’ve been jumping into projects left and right these past few weeks but this is one I’m REALLY excited about. The Crown Publishing Group (a part of Random House) has reached out to certain bloggers to review some of their books. It could be anything from cooking to fashion but my first send was a book on French interior design. How magnifique!

BOOK REVIEW: French Accents by Erin Swift

Erin Swift not only has an unmistakable eye for interiors but she has such a highly coveted self-satisfying job. Just think of all the beauty in her day to day life whether its street-side antique shopping or getting a first hand tour of some of the most photographed homes in France. In her new book, Erin takes the reader through all sorts of homes in France- some being very regal and elegant where others have the distressed but chic vibe.

I love her useful tips about mixing patters and textures to really bring the room to life. It takes me back to my college dorm room days where my mom was my interior designer and everything was in the same pattern of Vera Bradley print from bed pillow to lap top cases. EVERYTHING. I love her and her style but mine is a little more off beat. French Accents is a little more delicate with a hard distressed edge which I really connected with.

The book is divided up into sections that help the reader grasp how to pull a room together with a French twist. I love the section on color because it teaches you to be as bold as you want to go or as neutral. Erin suggests to start out with a black and white color scheme throwing in only a few pops of color if it frightens you. However, you can go a totally opposite way by having the wallpaper, bedding, covered chair, family dog’s sweater (joking on that!) all being the exact same pattern and it looks chic as well. I like her bold choices because it makes my wheels start turning- more on that later.

She breaks down a few interior design staples like lighting and flooring but I really liked the section on frames. In my house, I pay special attention to what is hanging on my wall whether it’s my the first art you see when you walk in, the DIY portrait I redo every season or the wall of my dad’s old records. The one thing I don’t really consider is the framing. You could have the simplest poster print in black and white but with an elaborate frame, it totally changes the feel. I’d love to experiment more with this idea.

One element that I can’t escape in the book (because it’s on every page) are BOOKS. The French must be OBSESSED with books. I mean, they are beautiful, each with their own unique cover and titles however, it must be a French staple in a household. Granted, I use them on my fireplace mantle but only the pretty ones… in bright colors. In France, the more distressed the better. I really liked their different textures of a crystallized chandelier among a throng of old dusty books and an antique table. Brilliant. It’s like wearing a pair of huge diamond earrings with a grunge t-shirt and faded jeans. Just perfection.

Layering is also another aspect of French design that stood out to me. She would stack about 4 different paintings on a mantle or overflow a bedside table with knick-knacks. In some cases, less is more but in rooms that are more “beauty rooms” than livable rooms, I think more is more!

Interior design is something I like to dabble in but only when it comes to redecorating a room or helping out a friend with ideas. I can’t stand the same look year after year so I think it’s great to get a fresh look. It makes your mood better and you feel like a job well done when it’s through. (Especially the repainting rooms part!) My mom has been wanting my help to transform my childhood room into an extra guest bedroom. No real ideas presented themselves at first but then I got my hands on French Accents and it all just started to flow.

The room is still in progress because I think a fresh coat of paint would really freshen it up. When I moved out, this room became a sort of extra closet space as well as the room to put any furniture that wasn’t being used. I think a lot of families have that room without much purpose like a sitting room. Who hangs out in a sitting room anymore?? Here are some of the before shots of my old room:

It’s morphed from a beach/Hawaiian theme to an all-white room with pops of pastel colors. Some grown up pieces are in there like the desk with storage on top along with childhood pieces like the bench with bears. All can be used in different ways but it’s just not really clicking right now.

By reading French Accents, I really wanted to give the room personality when my parents have visitors. It can feel ‘lived in’ with older pieces while having that shiny brand new feel. My inspiration is Grandmommy. Everyone thinks she looks like the Queen of England so why not go with that? Even though I’m following some French ideas, I think the room would look very rich and inviting with some deep red and royal blue accents. For Mother’s Day, I got this beautiful ‘Queen-like’ desk from Home Goods. My room creations usually start around one great piece of furniture I find then the room evolves around that. I can see it in front of the 4 windows so the mirrors really reflect off of it and it’s the first thing you see when you enter the room.

I could just imagine that with a little fabric toadstool or a dainty fold out chair. Grandmommy gave mom the most incredible red and white handstitched quilt. I can’t remember the exact age of it but it’s old and very impressive. I could see this hanging behind the bed for that vintage feel.

I’d say keep the white furniture and bedding and mix it up with funky accents like these:

This room in French Accents really made me want to go this route so I’d love to hang some long curtains that dragged the floor- not sure if they should be printed or plain yet though. I just loved how they played with color and art.

French Accents is very informative as well as a large coffee table book stuffed full of design photos. I can already tell that this will be a book that I like referring back to from time to time to gain inspiration. Erin Swift really knows how to make interiors look effortless and eclectic at the same time. I would recommend this book to anyone that appreciates a stylish home and life. (An avid book reader also helps.)

BUY THIS BOOK:     here

Thank you Crown Publishing and I hope to review another book in the future.