Annie Sloan’s Room Recipes for Style and Color (and a Giveaway!)

I partnered with Annie Sloan Unfolded for this post.

Annie Sloan, the artist and the person, has been a huge inspiration to me.  I had the pleasure of meeting Annie, in Boston, a few years back when she toured America.  Listening to her speak and demonstrate her paint was quite amazing.  She knows so much of the history of furniture, color mixing and how to achieve certain looks with her paint.

Reading her new book, Annie Sloan’s Room Recipes for Style and Color, is like sitting and chatting with her.  I so enjoyed curling up with this book and a good, strong, cup of tea.

If you don’t already know your style then this book is a treat because it covers so many different styles from French, Classic Swedish, Boho Chic to Modern Retro and Warehouse.  She covers a total of nine popular styles. in this beautifully photographed and written book.  Special attention is given to each style as well as ways of combining them together in your home.

Annie wrote this book in collaboration with her son, Felix, who has worked in the family business for over 15 years.

Each chapter focuses on a different style and also an inspirational journey in real homes around the world.  I love seeing how homes are decorated.

One that really appealed to me was this fishing cottage in Cornwall:

If you read the blog frequently then you might know that my husband is from Cornwall, and it was where we were married.  The coastal style is one that really appeals to me living by the ocean, here in America.  I love the soft colors, the worn textures and decorating with found objects from the sea and the beach.  Annie and Felix share the gorgeous fisherman’s cottage on the Cornish coast owned by photographer Paul Massey.

The soft greys, whites and taupes in his home are gorgeous, and so is the understated decorating.  Reading this chapter transported me to visiting family and the rugged coastline of Cornwall.  It made me long for Cornish pasties and cream teas!

I adore ticking stripe and was very surprised to find that ticking was originally used for bed linens.

Annie shares her expertise of color mixing in this book, and I love the hand drawn sketches of furniture by her and her son:

She touches on the history of furniture styles and why one might want to paint certain pieces in certain colors.

These illustrations give an intimacy to this lovely book.  You feel as though you’re getting a bit of design advice straight from the source, but it also feels a bit like a workbook; enabling you to achieve a technique in your own home.

In addition to the coastal style I also really love the French Elegance and Traditional Swedish. Annie shares the elements of the traditional Swedish style – distressed paintwork, less formal than the neoclassical, and simple wood shapes. In this chapter they visit a Swedish Manor House called Stola Manor.  I was drawn in by stone floors, hand painted pastoral scenes in door recesses and the gorgeous Mora clocks. The furniture is stunning.

Annie weaves the history of places and furnishings through the whole fabric of the book.  In a very relaxed manner she shares fascinating stories, for example, how Lily of the Valley was given to the ladies of the court of King Charles IX of France – he thought it a good luck charm.

She uses this same story telling in modern day homes to show each style but also touches upon design principals.  The importance of symmetry and asymetry in design.  How every room needs a focal point.  The use of the color wheel and her gorgeous line of chalk paint.  How one could use height and scale to create drama in rooms, like this stunning chandelier in the warehouse space:

As a side note, I also love this table and think I need Luke to build something like this for our deck.

This truly is a lovely book to have in your home.  A gorgeous coffee table book to read and reread and to share with family and friends.

I have some exciting news!  One lucky reader will win a copy of this beautiful book. Simply follow the directions in the rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is open to residents of US and Canada.

For more information on the book please visit Ryland Peters here and if you’d like to by a copy please visit The Annie Sloan Unfolded here to find a stockist close to you.

All images in this post are from: Annie Sloan’s Room Recipes for Style and Color, by Annie Sloan and Felix Sloan CICO Books, $35; www.rylandpeters.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway