Best for:
Anyone looking for some fresh ideas for their home.

In a nutshell:
Author Postel-Vinay has lived in France (and married into a French family), and offers up her thoughts on ways the French home is set up.

Worth quoting:
“Having food that is fresh is more important than food that is convenient, and the French cuisine reflects this.”

Why I chose it:
One of my dear friends has themed Christmases, and her gifts match the theme. This year? French Christmas.

Review:
I love home improvement books (as in, ones that talk about home decor, cooking, and cleaning, not, like, learning how to rewire the house). This is a perfectly fine one, although there isn’t a ton in here that I will be putting into action, mostly because a lot of it relates to the actual construction of the house, which I’m not able to alter.

For example, the first chapter talks about creating an actual entrance area to one’s home. In our apartment in London, the entrance is a a square with sides the width of a door frame, enclosed by wall on one site, the front door on another, the stairs on the third side, and the door to the kitchen on the forth. There’s no room to put a bench or shoe storage area. Another chapter talks about having the kitchen and dining areas separate. Granted, she offers suggests for how to create that separation in an open plan, but again, I’m not able to throw a wall up in the middle of my rented flat.

Some of the suggestions are great - like immediately cleaning up after using kitchen utensils (which should have a reasonable, dedicated location in the kitchen), or some ideas around improving our bathroom. But a lot of it isn’t necessarily my style, and that’s okay! I’m never going to fill my house with loads of fancy objects found for a bargain at a flea market, because I don’t really like that look. That’s what I love about books like this though - there’s something in there that other people will like, and I can mix what I want with things I’ve picked up from other books.

Keep it / Pass to a Friend / Donate it / Toss it:
Keep it ( )

This is probably a better book than the rating suggests. It goes through each room of the home and discusses how the French view that room and its function, often with historical details. Each chapter has a checklist of ways you can transform your own room.

The weakness is that it assumes that everyone loves French culture and domestic customs as much as the author, which is a bit of a stretch. There is a sub-plot where she has a messy to marvelous makeover, but it isn’t emphasized. She also, where possible, gives sources for the specific products she recommends. ( )

A charming book on how the French consider their home. Being a European what it is really interesting is the comparison between the American way and the French way.
Some good advice on how to improve home.
Very good.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and Dey Street Books for an advanced copy. ( )