Bring Monet’s paintings and gardens to life using this gorgeously illustrated book that will teach you how to create a Monet lifestyle from your living room to your kitchen to your garden—from the documentarian and author of Monet’s Palate Cookbook , with the support of the American steward and all the head gardeners at Giverny. Aileen Bordman has long been influenced by the work of Claude Monet, one of the founders of French Impressionist painting whose esteemed works capturing the simple beauties of fin de siècle French life—from waterlilies to haystacks—have fetched astonishing sums at private auction houses and can be found in the greatest art museums around the globe. With direct access to Giverny through a pair of insiders—her mother, a steward of the Giverny estate, and its head gardener—she transports you to Monet’s garden at Giverny, the third most visited site in France, in Everyday Monet. Combining the history, palette colors, and designs of Monet’s gardens and paintings in this one-of-a-kind volume, Aileen shows how to encapsulate a home and lifestyle inspired by the artist. Filled with insights, step-by-step instructions, musings, recipes, gorgeous photography, and how-to graphics, Everyday Monet teaches how to grow a garden like Monet, preserve a waterlily inside the home, decorate a dining room table or a bathroom inspired by Monet’s aesthetic, and prepare foods that inspire your inner-Impressionist. Filled with lush photos of Monet’s milieu—from the gardens of Giverny to the streets of Normandy—and reproductions of Monet’s most famous paintings, Everyday Monet is a practical guide to finding ways to implement Monet’s beautiful designs into any home and garden, whether you live on a country estate or in a city apartment, and is a memorable keepsake Monet devotees will treasure.
Everyday Monet is the new release from Aileen Bordman, an author whose passion is to share the beauty of Monet’s home and garden at Giverny with those of us not lucky enough to visit regularly.
With the help of her Mother Helen Rappel Bordman, who has been directly involved in the restoration of Giverny since 1977, Aileen takes us on a tour of Normandy, Monet’s home and his beloved garden. The idea behind this book is to offer ideas and inspiration on internal decorating, flower arranging, entertaining and gardening, all on a Monet theme. It is packed full of stunning atmospheric shots of Giverny inside and out, lots of historical snippets about Monet and his life, quotes from the man himself and more importantly handy hints about how to recreate a bit of Monet magic in your home. It really lives up to expectations and whatever you are looking for there is something for everyone here, including recipes.
This book is a beauty and I know I’m not the only one to think so. I’ve let a couple of my friends have a look and it seems this book has a great appeal to both French and British readers. I’ve learned a lot, and feel very honoured to have received a hardback review copy that will have pride of place on our coffee table, and I know that I will continue to enjoy dipping in and out of it for a long time; there is always something that catches my eye.
It would make a perfect gift for the art lover or Francophile in your life.
Monet, Monet, Monet! An impulse borrow from the library, this is an odd mix of tribute to Monet, memoir of the author’s mum and picture book. Interspersed with these are little tips on how to bring some Monet style into your everyday life. Such as: ‘Clearly, everyone cannot own a Monet painting, but we can all own a poster or reproduction. Consider hanging a print—or several, as Monet did here—of a Monet painting in your own home.’ Genius!
For art lovers of the “Impressionists,” Aileen Bordman’s “Everyday Monet” will have you swooning the moment that you just view the cover photo.
By the time you finish leafing through the book, start reading the text, looking at all of the other art and photographs, you’ll be needing the smelling salts.
Soon, though, you’ll be happily lying upon your divan, wine glass in hand, nibbling a nutty gruyere cheese on a fresh baguette and smiling happily as you savor your new treasure book on how to immerse your own life into legendary painter Claude Monet’s inspirational home and garden.
Monet’s aesthetics are vividly illustrated and prosaically narrated by Ms. Bordman. Monet’s Giverny gardens, lily ponds and lifestyle come to life in a way that gave me chills when I first flipped through the pages and just randomly read at will.
I only became more enthralled as I took time to truly read and linger over the text and illustrations.
This is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful art books ever. Yet, it is a teaching primer, too—a practical application tool!
Aileen provides us simple steps to incorporate Monet’s color palette and floral choices into our gardens and homes.
This book is very comprehensive. There are over 100+ tips for the garden, the kitchen, the bedroom, and throughout your living spaces. “Via la France!” It’s a guide to living your “best Impressionist” life ever. How fun, creative and colorful is that?
Bordman even includes recipes and suggestions for “al fresco” dining—picnics if you will! As, I said, what a comprehensive treasure “Everyday Monet” is! I can’t wait to try to make our little condo patio a French secret Monet garden.
Also, just to note, my absolute favorite App on my iPhone over the past several years is Goodreads because now I can easily keep track of all of the books that I read. Of, course, Goodreads offers more features than that. However, I’m not affiliated with GR at all—just a user and a fan. However, I have to say that recently I’ve been entering “Goodreads Free Book Giveaways.”
I recently won “Everyday Monet,” through the giveaway. Oh, my goodness. Because of this very book, I’ll keep entering Goodreads giveaways. This is a fantastic print book. It is exquisitely gorgeous and one of my FAVORITE books ever!
My sincere thanks to author Aileen Bordman, Dey Street Publishing and Goodreads that made this giveaway possible. Again, thank you all very much.
This is a great book to rest your brain with. The photographs are lovely, the history, the gardening and tips on how to bring it all into your own home are very nice. There are even a few recipes thrown in. The book felt like a tribute to the author's mother. Recommended for fans of Monet. It reminds me of an all time favorite of mine, Bringing Italy Home. When you love a culture, when perhaps you identify with an artist, it is nice to surround yourself with things that remind you of that experience.
My eight-year-old Giverny-obsessed inner child was totally bonkers for this book. It's full of lush photos of Giverny and "practical" tips on living a more Monet-esque life. Ultimately, however, I thought this was total fluff and the prose was somewhat florid and unpracticed. It could have used some beefing up with more recipes, real craft projects, or practical ideas besides "just buy X flowers and arrange them for a Giverny feel."
I remember many years ago you could buy a tube, about the size of a paper towel roll, of seeds from Monet's garden. The instructions for planting were included and it was a fun gift for a gardener. This book reminded me of that tube because it was an uplifting page turner. I wish i had the property and the energy for such a garden.
A lush photo book of things Monet. I found the text too much - missing a lot of information, I know - but let myself just enjoy. My style is much more minimalist and this book is very full! I'd never got to enter Monet's Giverny home, but spent a wonderful day in his garden. This book brought that all back, but reminded me that his style is not mine. Inspirational, but don't imitate blindly.
The lovely photos of the gardens and home interior reminded me of the visit I made to Giverny. Ms. Bordman includes the names of plants ordered by Monet so one may enjoy similar flowers from April through October. Unfortunately, the Latin names are not included. A few photos provide tips for floral arrangements and a few recipes for an Orchard Picnic at Home.
A few of Monet's paintings are included throughout the book. One painting on page 54, attributed to Blanche Hoschede - Monet's stepdaughter - is incorrect. In The Woods at Giverny: Blanche Hoschede at Her Easel with Suzanne Hoschede Reading was painted by Monet in 1887 and is part of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's permanent collection (M.46.3.4).
Absolutely gorgeous and invigorating work on Monet's life in Giverny. Lush photography, enjoyable detail about Monet's life. The "Everyday Monet" ideas weren't quite so original to me--have a picnic! Eat bread and wine and cheese!--but the pictures of Monet's restored home were just lovely, and the colors themselves inspired me. Good reading for Monet fans who also love gardening and interior design, though that yellow dining room would be a bit much for me.
I received this book as a mothers day gift 2019, and devoured each page! I went to France October 2019, and finally fulfilled my lifelong dream of walking in Monet's garden. It is one of my most cherished memories. This book is a must see, must read for any true fan of Monet.
A great mix of the historic Monet and the segue to modern times
A great mix of the historic Monet and the segue to modern times. A lovely journey through Monet’s work and it’s relationship to gardening and the change in more’s .
Beautiful book! Gorgeous garden photos, images of the interior of Monet's home, paintings, even food. Speaking of, there's plenty of food for thought on how we can be intentional in shaping our home as both a creative outlet and a way to surround ourselves with beauty in all things.
This book is stunning. There are so many beautiful photographs, and I did learn a little about Monet and his life and home. But the writing isn't great and there weren't any really incredibly creative ideas.
Lovely book with wonderful pictures, considered purchasing. Borrowed from the library and mostly loved it. Cute ideas, though I did skim through some of the text because not all was of specific interest to me, but I did find a spelling mistake which made me not want to buy it for myself anymore.
Have had a deliciously dreamy day lost in France, first Peter mayles last book and then this lush reminder of the good life through art and gardens, felt like a spa day... despite my reality of a very stressed day these two books transported me to my favorite locations! I adore gardening, it's my passion, there was no doubt this would be five stars for me, in am already hanging over the diving board, takes nothing to thrill me when it comes to giverny, one tiny push into the water gardens and I am thrilled. Just a simple book to get lost and dream in...
An interesting idea....take the principles of design from Monet and translate it to your own setting. Aileen Bordman makes every effort to introduce you to Monet and his style. The book is filled with pictures of Giverny, the house as well as the gardens. Throughout the book are little inserts called Everyday Money Ideas that suggest ways to introduce the artist's style into your home and garden. I didn't find many useful ideas for myself but some may find a multitude of usable ideas. A nice book but not a wow.
If you love gardening, Monet's art, or both--this is the book for you. The author's mother is a steward at Giverny & was instrumental in restoring the gardens so this is a real inside view. But it's more than just the gardens and art to be found there. It's full of practical suggestions how to incorporate the beauty and art into your own lifestyle. You can learn how to grow your own tulips, water lilies, or roses; create at Monet-inspired picnic--recipes included; or arrange a lovely bouquet. This is a book to spend hours with. Enjoy
Beautiful photos and many interesting facts about Monet’s beloved property, but the constant mentions of her mother and her role in preservation were at first interesting, then extremely tiresome. Every time I started becoming immersed in a new section, another insertion of self or her mom. It would have been a better read without it. The photographs are gorgeous though!