Charles Faudree's Country French Living

Though it's rare for Tulsa and Paris to be mentioned in the same breath, interior decorator Faudree (Charles Faudree's French Country Signature) has made a handsome living by bringing a bit of the French to the Midwest. Famed for his Parisian buying trips, where he negotiates with flea market vendors using a pen and paper, Faudree confides ""a signature piece doesn't have to be expensive. You can get the look without the seventeenth-century armoire."" The look the designer refers to is typified by floor-sweeping silk draperies and overstuffed chairs upholstered in merrily patterned fabrics long on luxury. Faudree's obsession with textiles is evident on every page, and far from simply focusing on predictable pastoral-themed toile to recreate the charm of French country cottages, his experiments with dragon-fly prints, check patterns and rich golden embellishments have formed his signature style. A testament to the author's knack for gilt-edged comfort (including the liberal use of painted furniture, ornate mirrors and pottery displays), this book, and Faudree as an unpretentious guide, will please readers looking to spruce up their maisons.