by Jennifer Boles:  The Peak of Chic

“Moving on to France…. I’m an ardent fan of author Christiane de Nicolay-Mazery, whose books give readers an insider’s view of life in aristocratic French residences. Although the concept of her latest book, Private Houses of France, is not markedly different from that of The Finest Houses of Paris or even The French Chateau, that’s okay with me. I never grow tired of looking at big, beautiful photos of sumptuously-appointed French homes.”

“De Nicolay-Mazery’s latest endeavour profiles such private houses as Château d’Anet, Champchevrier, and the Paris apartment of Princesse G. There are also chapters on Hubert de Givenchy’s Paris residence, Hôtel d’Orrouer, as well as Baron de Redé’s first floor residence of Hôtel Lambert. (I believe that the book’s photos of both residences have never before been published.) “

“The text in this book deals mostly with the history of each residence, although the author does delve into how the various aristocratic homeowners live in their luxurious abodes. But it’s the book’s photos that might well send the reader into a reverie. In addition to large, overall room shots, there are plenty of detail photos as well, which capture the personal details that say so much about a home.”