Laura Ashley guide to country decorating - Hardcover

The late Laura Ashley, who popularized the English country look of cabbage roses and overstuffed chairs, continues to influence home design through her company's retail stores and home furnishings designs. What sets this book apart from other country decorating titles as Elizabeth Wilhide's Traditional Country Style (Rizzoli, 1992) and Mary Emmerling's American Country: A Style & Source Book (Clarkson Potter: Crown, 1980) is breadth of coverage. Mack ( Conran's Living in Small Spaces , Little, Brown, 1988) extends the Ashley style to other country looks, such as Shaker, Tuscany, and American Colonial. She also offers a how-to section for experienced artisans, providing readers with instructions for making their own country touches. This latest addition to the Laura Ashley family will be a good purchase for any library's home decorating collection.
- Gayle A. Williamson, Fashion Inst. of Design & Merchandising, Los Angeles
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Laura Ashley needs no introduction. In this survey of different regional adaptations of her rustic sympathies, attention to detail remains constant, whether the inspiration is Provencal (note rafters, lavender, lemons) or the American Southwest (likewise, terra-cotta, cacti, candles); eight other basic styles come under consideration. The authors and photographer grant us access into rooms and nooks, spotlighting details, such as various types of flooring (tile, wood, linoleum); shelves; fireplaces; and pillows. The book is divided into several parts, following an introduction, that address general design concerns, technical advice and accessories. Crisply plush, the book is likely to seduce, though it may ultimately be more useful as escape or fantasy than as a manual: the pictures are so tranquil, they lead one to forget about the work that went into creating these interiors-and that one would need to reproduce.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.