French Connection, The
Conventional wisdom may say that we cannot have the best of all worlds, but one need only peruse the pages of The French Connection to see that this simply is not so. A look around has opened American minds to the bazaar of choices, rendering loyalty solely to France passe.Pushing the borders of design, best-selling author and interior designer Betty Lou Phillips focuses on distinctive, pleasing interiors that are at once a bit English, a dash Swedish, a trace Italian, to say nothing about ties to other central European countries or even the Far East. Indeed, no dwelling with impeccable "bone structure" is complete these days without an enviable mix of treasures, however modest, culled from assorted nations circling the globe.Yet a chance survey of sprawling high-rises as well as commanding mansions suggests that most living spaces remain noticeably French. At the center of savvy stateside tastes are sumptuous pieces whose seductive  beauty--provenance, painstaking carving, and mellow patina of age--offer a glimpse into souls, in addition to more than a modicum of pleasure. Showcasing glamour and comfort for the interior as well as grandeur for the garden, Ms. Phillips embraces a world of classic design with her inimitable style and panache.Award-winning designer and best-selling author, Betty Lou Phillips is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers.  With projects from New York to California, her work has been featured in countless magazines, as well as in her numerous home design books on French and Italian style.  Interiors by Design--her 13th design book-is the ultimate guide to home décor.  Additionally, she has appeared on the Christopher Lowell Show and the Oprah Winfrey Show.  She lives in Dallas, Texas.Betty Lou Phillips is the author of Emily Goes Wild!, an illustrated children's book, and co-author of The Night Before Christmas in Paris.  Later this year Gibbs Smith Publisher will release her Night Before Christmas in New York and Night Before Christmas in Texas."Purists, rejoice . . . Phillips explains French styling in the context of French history." --USA Today