Perfect English Townhouse

Continuing her exploration of English interiors, Ros Byam Shaw visits 14 distinctive townhouses full of charm, character and style. In Perfect English Townhouse, Ros Byam Shaw examines the timeless English style of decoration in a variety of Georgian, Victorian, and contemporary townhouses. Architecturally, these tall, narrow properties present challenges. How do you make the best of a basement kitchen with a low ceiling and little light? Or allocate space effectively when you live across five floors? And how do you maximize any outdoor space? Perfect English Townhouse features case studies of such homes, not only in London but also in the provincial towns and cities of England. Some feel like little corners of countryside surrounded by sidewalks, others have a more sophisticated urban allure; some are endearingly quirky, others more classical. All the interiors featured are interesting, inspiring, and reflect the personalities of the people who live in them. These are the kinds of spaces that most of us are familiar with, and that many of us occupy. What is unusual is how cleverly and creatively these examples have been decorated and designed, in the Perfect English style.

Some styles of decorating have a longer shelf life than others. One of the most durable is what has come to be known as English Country Style, which works just as well in a city apartment or suburban home as it does in a rectory or manor house. We may recognize an interior as archetypally English, but putting a finger on exactly what makes it so can be tricky. One of the strengths of English style is that it isn’t prescriptive. In fact, quite the opposite. It is relaxed, laissez-faire, and endlessly adaptable—all reasons, no doubt, why it has enjoyed such longevity. You may know it when you see it, but what are its essential ingredients? In Perfect English Style, Ros Byam Shaw looks at a range of rooms with a strong English feel to them. As it happens, almost all are in England, although this is a look that travels the world, from the Americas to the Antipodes, still predominantly English in flavor even when spiced with foreign ingredients. She explores the main rooms of a house, their characteristics and furnishings, and how they achieve that mix of comfort, informality, and visual charm that is the hallmark of English style. Ros also homes in on specifics: the qualities of patina, the important role of fabrics, how to buy and include antique and vintage furnishings, and how a collection, whether of pebbles or 18th-century glass, adds individuality and character.

The English style in interior design is admired and imitated the world over. The English style in interior design is admired and imitated the world over. At its grandest it is a stately home furnished with antiques, but the houses featured in this book are country cottages, farmhouses, townhouses, and apartments. What links them is as much an attitude as a look. The English style of decoration is practical and informal, designed around the inhabitants of the rooms and their lifestyles rather than to awe or impress. These houses are lived in and loved, with interiors that are comfortable, relaxed and not afraid to be pretty. All are perfect in their own way, and all as endearingly English as saying sorry when someone treads on your foot. The book’s chapters—Plain English, English Eccentric, English Rose, English Country House and Classic English—reflect the many and varied facets of English style, and each section ends with pages devoted to suggestions and ideas for furnishing a house in all these versions of English style. At the back of the book, there is also a comprehensive listing of suppliers to help readers create their very own take on perfect English style.

Master the words and phrases necessary for handling everyday situations Practice Makes Perfect: English Vocabulary for Beginning ESL Learners helps you develop your vocabulary by providing practice in word-building and encouraging you to analyze new words for an ever-increasing vocabulary. Each chapter of this comprehensive book focuses on a theme, such as family or travel, so you can build your language skills in a systematic manner. As you lay the foundation for an increasing vocabulary, you are able to perfect your new words with plenty of exercises and gain the confidence to communicate well in English. Practice Makes Perfect: English Vocabulary offers you: More than 220 exercises Concise grammatical explanations A new chapter on contemporary vocabulary An answer key to gauge your comprehension With help from this book, you can easily speak or write in English about: Different occupations and jobs * American holidays and traditions * Taking the train * Growing your own garden * Where it hurts on your body * Your house * Your family and friends * What you studied in school * Your favorite TV show * Your family's background . . . and much more!

Expand your English vocabulary and build your confidence in speaking! With Practice Makes Perfect: English Vocabulary for Beginning ESL Learners you will soon be talking in English as if it were your first language. Inside you will find more than 1,500 commonly used words you hear at work, at school, and on the street, with topics that range from clothing to cooking, and from doctors to digital devices. This new edition also covers numbers, and the many ways that they are talked about in daily life. This reference/workbook explains nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs – and how they will help you learn new vocabulary. Once you master the words in this book, you will find it easier than ever to add new ones to your expanding vocabulary. And with over 200 exercises to practice what you learn, you will become comfortable using English in everyday situations.

The go-to guide for learning and reinforcing American English vocabulary for beginning ESL learners—now enhanced with audio recordings through the McGraw-Hill Language Lab app Now enhanced with audio recordings of exercise answers through the McGraw-Hill Language Lab app, this bestselling guide to learning ESL is more helpful than ever. Based on tried-and-true method, Practice Makes Perfect: English Vocabulary for Beginning ESL Learners helps you develop your vocabulary and comprehension skills with practice in word building, analyzing new words, and using them in conversation. Chapters are built around themes, such as nouns to name people and verbs for household activities, to help build a comprehensive foundation. More than 200 practice exercises from old and new vocabulary help you practice as you learn. Subjects included in this guide include names for people, places, and things; adjectives that describe people; verbs for household activities; how to ask questions; verbs used for shopping; how to give directions, social networking vocabulary; and more. Boost your English language proficiency with Practice Makes Perfect: English Vocabulary for Beginning ESL Learners, Premium Fourth Edition, featuring: Practical and high-frequency vocabulary Example sentences that illustrate and clarify each point More than 200 exercises to practice using English in everyday situations Answer key for reference and quick feedback NEW in this edition: Audio recordings of exercise answers through the McGraw-Hill Language Lab app

Tea & Antipathy is a delightfully hilarious and true account of one American family's summer in the posh London neighborhood of Knightsbridge in 1965. Capturing the helpless feeling that living in a foreign city often brings, the book recounts how the Millers met a wide variety of memorable characters from all social classes, including Mrs. Grail the Irish cleaning woman, who was convinced that their home was haunted and who hated the English; Basil Goldbrick, a businessman from Manchester; and Basil's clever wife Daisy, who resented Americans. Told in a gently sardonic tone, this story provides insight on what London was like during the Swinging Sixties and what it was like to uproot a family for an adventurous summer abroad.

Home is where the books are. This inspiring home decor book is brimming with photos of cozy places to read and creative ways to display books at home. For stylish bookworms and bookish stylists, this covetable home décor book merges the literary appeal of Jane Mount’s bestselling Bibliophile with the aspirational allure of Emily Henderson’s bestselling Styled. Discover beautiful bookshelves adorned with lovely objets d’art, handsome home libraries with snug armchairs, reading areas for kids that ignite the imagination, and cookbook corners in quaint kitchens—and learn to replicate these in your own space. From bedside tables to bar carts, leather-bound collections to color-coded shelves, here are book nooks and styling techniques for every room and aesthetic. Reading lists from Gillian Flynn, Jasmine Guillory, Alex Elle, Joanna Goddard, Nik Sharma, and more offer plenty of recommendations for stocking your shelves (and your TBR list). In a stunning package with a tasteful hint of gold foil on the case, this sumptuous book is perfect for browsing, displaying on a coffee table, or gifting to the reader, book lover, designer, or creative in your life. Filled with clever design ideas and dreamy spaces, Book Nooks is an irresistible invitation to curl up with a book, whether this one or another. BOOK NOOKS FOR EVERYONE: Organized by type of book nook—from cookbook nooks to kid nooks, gardener nooks to neutral nooks—and featuring a range of home aesthetics, including colorful, contemporary, cozy, and whimsical, there is plenty of inspiration here for all readers. BEAUTIFUL TO GIFT AND DISPLAY: Book Nooks makes a lovely gift for design enthusiasts and book lovers. Not only is it filled with original ideas for styling your book collection, but it acts as an eye-catching décor object itself. Display it on a coffee table alongside a candle, decorative tray, or book-themed vase. INSPIRING AND EASY-TO-ACHIEVE: The styling ideas included in these pages are original yet easy to recreate at home: Fill a nonworking fireplace with paperbacks; stack oversized books to create a stool or end table; turn your book pages out for a neutral shelf; frame vintage cookbook pages for one-of-a-kind artwork. Discover tons of ideas that can be incorporated into your home, no matter the aesthetic or budget. READING LISTS FROM LUMINOUS VOICES: In addition to beautiful interior shots, you’ll find book lists, including Gillian Flynn’s favorite mysteries, Alex Elle’s most trusted books on healing and self love, Jasmine Guillory’s must-have romance novels, Nik Sharma’s most used cookbooks, PEN America’s recommended banned books, and more. Fill your shelves with their book recs and discover a new favorite! Perfect for: Reading enthusiasts, book lovers, and book club members Design aficionados, stylists, people interested in home decor Followers of BookTok and people who post "shelfies" Fans of Bibliophile, Bibliostyle, Styled, or Art of the Bar Cart Shoppers looking for a birthday, housewarming, or anytime gift for a bookish friend Readers of Cup of Jo, Book Riot, Downtime on Substack, Design*Sponge, or Dwell