The inimitable style of renowned French interior designer Madeleine Castaing, chronicled in-depth for the first time. While many were drumming to the beat of modernism in the early- and mid-twentieth century, French antiquaire and decorator Madeleine Castaing created her own look that was a unique blend of neoclassicism, Proustian romanticism, and pure wit. Her distinctive aesthetic vision has inspired tastemakers on both sides of the Atlantic, and her devoteesboth then and noware legion. Ocelot carpeting, opaline blue, "coolie" lampshades, and an eclectic mix of neoclassical furnishings ranging from English Regency to Napoleon III all formed part of the vocabulary of "le style Castaing." This lavishly illustrated volumethe first on her workexplores in-depth the elements of her style, and examines how she crafted interiors so emotive that visitors felt that they had stepped into a Balzac novel or a Proustian recollection. Her entire life and career are chronicled, from her early years in Montparnasse, the epicenter of artistic activity in Paris, to her incomparable country house Leves and her legendary shop on rue Jacob in Paris.

Emily Evans Eerdmans received her master’s degree in fine and decorative arts from Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London, and has pursued her passion for antique furniture while working for Partridge Fine Arts, Devenish, and Hyde Park Antiques in New York. She has written articles for the Furniture History Journal and Connoisseur’s Quarterly. Her previous books include Classic English Design and Antiques and Regency Redux. Jacques Grange is a world-famous interior decorator who worked with Madeleine Castaing in his early career. Frederic Castaing is Madeleine’s grandnephew and is an antiques dealer in Paris.