From Publishers Weekly
Master interior designer Charles Faudree reveals the keys to his signature French country style through a personal tour of his sumptuous creations, including some of his own 11 homes. In contrast to rustic Southwest or staid New England styles, French country infuses "all the elegance of a French country estate, without any of the traditional French pretentiousness" through an eclectic jumble of rich color, texture and ornament. Faudree encourages home decorators to fill a room till it's "overflowing, but never cluttered or overpowering." He achieves this balance by blending an array of fabrics-toile, stripes, plaid, tapestries-and playing them off antique woods and figurine collections. The overall result is opulent yet comfortable living areas and exquisite yet simple dining rooms. Warmly sharing his knowledge of French country and stateside resources for antiques and prints, Faudree makes this fluid and timeless-if sometimes a bit florid-style accessible to all home design enthusiasts. Color photographs throughout. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Veranda magazine, December 1, 2003
beautifully photographed...Faudree's ruminations offer sage advice on the elements of this design vernacular...


Book Description
Charles Faudree has elevated French Country style to a fine art. With an exuberant decorating attitude based around his favorite principle that "too much is never enough", Faudree has achieved an international reputation for creating settings that have all the elegant accoutrements of a French Country estate, lacking pretension but never charm. With a discerning taste for the eclectic, Faudree is a master at one of the main tenets of this style-combining traditional prints, patterns, colors, and textures with just the right furnishings. Faudree has always been drawn, almost charismatically, to the charm of Country French. He comments, "There is simplicity, a gentle softness to the furnishings I find very calming and soothing. I love the mix of fabrics, blending plaids with florals and old tapestries. Country French is a truly working-class style." Faudree is delighted to finally share his extensive knowledge with the public, in this long-overdue book that focuses on how to make any home into an elegant, inviting, and comfortable French Country retreat. Charles Faudree graduated from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, with a degree in art. His client list is international, and he is regarded as a master of Country French style. This is his first book. He lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.


From the Inside Flap
"Too much is never enough," says Charles Faudree, who has achieved an international reputation for creating settings that have all the elegant accoutrements of a Country French estate. It is a union of the rustic with the refined that creates Charles' distinctive style of casual, understated elegance. With creations that are always artful, eclectic and inspiring, Charles is a master at one of the main tenets of Country French-combining traditional prints, patterns, colors and textures with just the right furnishings. The style has its origins in the French countryside, straddling both the southern and northern regions of western Europe and drawing from many influences. With a look at old and new collections, blue and white Chinese export porcelain, painted furniture, Napoleonic figures, antique furnishings, unusual fabrics, accessories and architectural adornments, Country French is an inviting and exhilarating look into Charles' innate sense of balance in the way he juxtaposes fabrics, furnishings, color and accessories to create a cohesive interior portrait. Within some designs, experience the beautiful craftsmanship of the 17th and 18th centuries when ebenistes, the skilled cabinetmakers near Paris, created exquisite pieces, often for royalty and wealthy clients. Many of the antiques Charles uses from this period reflect the hierarchy among furniture makers of that era: the menuisier, or joiner, who made plain carved wood chairs and tables; the sculpteur, who did the carving; the fondeur-chiseleur, who made the metal mounts; the doreur, the gilder of both mounts and wood; and finally, the tapissier, who completed the project with upholstery. From XXX illustrations, you'll be able to see the simplicity of magically transferring your home into a fabulous French farmhouse with a pleasing, timeless appeal.


About the Author
Charles Faudree graduated from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, with a degree in art. His client list is international, and he is regarded as a master of Country French style. This is his first book. He lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.


Excerpted from Charles Faudree's French Country Signature by Charles Faudree, M. J. Vandeventer, Jenifer Jordan. Copyright © 2003. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
I admired the architectural charm of a 1923 Dutch Colonial house long before I purchased it. Its front-gabled roof, shuttered crank out windows and window boxes overflowing with begonias and lacy ferns were captivating. If the exterior of a house entices, the interior-especially the entryway-must enthrall. The wide floorboards and high-pitched ceiling of the Dutch Colonial gave the house a quaint charm. It is important to decorate a front porch, a porte cochere, or even a back entry to set the tone for the rest of the home.

SYNOPSIS

Charles Faudree has elevated French Country style to a fine art. With an exuberant decorating attitude based around his favorite principle that "too much is never enough," Faudree has achieved an international reputation for creating settings that have all the elegant accoutrements of a French Country estate, lacking pretension but never charm.

With a discerning taste for the eclectic, Faudree is a master at one of the main tenets of this style-combining traditional prints, patterns, colors, and textures with just the right furnishings. Faudree has always been drawn, almost charismatically, to the charm of Country French. He comments, "There is simplicity, a gentle softness to the furnishings I find very calming and soothing. I love the mix of fabrics, blending plaids with florals and old tapestries. Country French is a truly working-class style."

Faudree is delighted to finally share his extensive knowledge with the public, in this long-overdue book that focuses on how to make any home into an elegant, inviting, and comfortable French Country retreat.