Nora Murphy: COUNTRY HOUSE LIVING Book Review!

The wait is nearly over for Nora Murphy COUNTRY HOUSE LIVING to launch! I adored Nora’s previous book, Country House Style which treated us to so many exceptional home tours. The author changed her address since the first book and now calls home a beautiful Connecticut country house. So many of us have anxiously awaited glimpses of Nora’s home to see just how she infused life into the spaces! Order your copy today to enjoy a treasure trove of inspiration…

Photography: DuAnne Simon

NORA MURPHY Country House Living (Rizzoli, 2024)

Is a country house simply a place, or can it be a more relaxed state of mind?

If your aesthetic preference is country style, even an urban apartment can adopt the look with inspiration here.

In fact, even if American country style is not your favorite, you are still likely to score helpful design ideas from this new title from Rizzoli!

Warm & Welcoming American Country Decorating Book

Nora Murphy’s new home across the river from Essex, Connecticut is as delightful as you might imagine. A few of my favorite elements?

First, the way Nora prominently displays her collection of François-Nicolas Martinet eighteenth-century French engravings at the top of the stairs. I am ever rotating the art at the top of my own stairs, never quite satisfied. Seeing the architectural interest of these beautiful framed prints is inspiring!

Second, she quite unexpectedly used a bright cool white (Benjamin Moore SUPER WHITE) for all of the walls, ceilings, trim, and doors for a fresh, clean, coastal backdrop for her collections to pop.

I selected something similar with Benjamin Moore White OC-151 in our last house, and it’s an effective way to unify a home and create tension with the warmth and aged finishes of vintage and antiques.

Third, I LOVE LOVE LOVE that she painted the dark stained oak flooring in her dining room white! What a delicious surprise it is to see it gloriously floating and contrasting with her gorgeously textural dining room furniture and accessories.

Nora Murphy Country House Living’s Humble Rustic Elegance

Within NORA MURPHY COUNTRY HOUSE LIVING, you’ll be treated to a range of home tours where eight homeowners interpret country house style uniquely.

A range? You’ll discover a pastoral 1732 center-chimney colonial in Connecticut nestled in spectacular gardens.

An 1840s Greek Revival in the Hudson Valley filled with romantic Victorian ephemera.

A cozy cottage on the coast of Maine rich with local details.

These aren’t Nora Murphy designed houses; they are the work of the homeowners themselves.

Farmhouse Style, New England Charm & Homes With Authenticity

You can’t miss how all of these spotlighted homes share commonalities though.

Collections, antiques, history, and sumptuous comfort are prized in each.

If you admire American country style, you’ll be in heaven as you are treated to hundreds of design details and oodles of examples of how to live with and celebrate Americana.

Country Decorating, Houses With Character & Nurturing Interiors

And if country casual style is not your favorite decorating approach personally, I can imagine you still finding inspiration from such beautifully photographed spaces.

As someone who has been snapping photos of interiors for many years, I can tell you it demands great skill when rooms are smallish or short on natural light.

Old country houses tend to have those qualities so what a challenge to find that lovely light and that magic angle! Well done, DuAnne Simon!

And well done, Nora Murphy! As a homebody who never tires of celebrating the beauty of life at home, I’m so grateful to have your warm voice, trained eye, and creative energy reflected on these pages.

The eight lovely stories revealed in Nora Murphy’s COUNTRY HOUSE LIVING compelled me to gaze at my own country home with fresh eyes.

How will I infuse more lifegiving joy, simplicity, and personality into spaces here calling out for revival?

Peace to you right where you are.

-michele

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