Country House Style

Making Your Home a Country House

It has been one year since Nora Murphy and her team came to shoot my "country house" for

her soon to be released book on Country House Style.  Here is a sneak peak at some

of the beautiful images that were taken last July, when Piper was still a little pup.

I loved this photo!

  My living room looked absolutely beautiful and Piper posed like a star.

The beautiful blue opaline chandelier gets the spotlight. 

I have received an advance copy of the book from Vendome Press,

the publisher of Nora Murphy's Country House Style.  Most of the images 

I am sharing today are outtakes, and didn't make it to the book.

Wait till you see what did make the cut!! 

OMG! So completely gorgeous!!

 The dining room table was set for a relaxed dinner with a mix and match

style of plates from my transfer ware collection and some pretty green majolica.

The big balloon wine glasses in amethyst glass were a wedding gift from my sister.

Big antique French monogrammed napkins dressed the table.

 This bedroom photo did make the book.  

During the shoot, the Swedish chair was 

put in the place where I have a dark wood French cane chair as it looked

 lighter and brighter.  For the most part, all was photographed

 as I had it for our every day living.

Nora brought these hydrangeas from her own Connecticut Country House garden!

 Nora and I posed for a few shots outside in the courtyard and in the house

in front of my transferware collection in the open cupboard.  But in the end

the photos of the homeowners with Nora did not make it into the book.

Interestingly she said the editor said that photos of people can date a book.

And I think she is absolutely right...think bouffant hair dos and bellbottom pants.

Hahah, Nora and I might feel we are dressed in a timeless style, but time will tell.

I have a lot of decorating books that are timeless, in the sense that the design is still

current to my liking.  Old copies of Country Home magazine still look fresh, and I 

believe the country homes Nora has chosen will stand the test of time and inspire for decades.

The book is loaded with big glossy photographs that speak to many different

country styles and the tag line of the book is "Making your home a Country House".

Nora talks about collections, and how they add that country style to a home.

The tips and stories of Nora's own journey and those of the other homeowners

will inspire you to refine your own Country House. 

 I Promise. 

For more of a look inside the pages of the book and to preorder

the book, due out in September, visit Nora Murphy's site here.