Monday, March 30, 2009

Blue and White
























Chinoiserie images on china, the perfect blue and white plate to design a room around.
























Classic navy blue wall from Ralph Lauren and Chinese Porcelain from Wikepedia
Crisp, classic navy blue walls with white slip-covered furniture, are the perfect room to showcase a collection of blue and white porcelain.  Borders of blue and white band a curtain and the edge of a plate.























pve design painting, Gouache
Last year I painted these tablescapes - for Absolutely Beautiful Things and came across them while I was organizing and thought I would share them with you again. Somehow, I never tire of blue and white porcelain.  Ginger jars, tea jars, boxes, vases, plates and textiles all looking as though they were gathered for a family reunion.


















image from Absolutely Beautiful Things
Immediately, images of Ralph Lauren and grand rooms appointed with blue and white come to mind.

















The Ralph Lauren Mansion, the shop on Madison Avenue, NY, courtesy of Habitually Chic
Having begun my design career at Ralph Lauren, it was a given that "navy blue and white" be in every collection.  One of my favorite looks for Spring or Resort has always been the navy and white sailor top with white sailor pants.  Ralph Lauren always seems to stay true to blue and white, the above image is from the Mansion via Habitually Chic. Heather recently posted on the shop.  What a fabulous chair, and the chinoiserie vessel, they make quite the pair.






















a pve design painting for Absolutely Beautiful Things
Collecting all begins with the love of an object for color or design. Perhaps you have a signature collection.   All you need to do is gather your collection in one spot and see it take shape. Do you have a love for blue and white?  What do you collect?  Please e-mail me a photo or post your collection.  Perhaps I will be inspired to honor a collection with a work of art.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

I adoooore blue and white! I think I have it in every little corner of my house.

Formerly known as Frau said...

I love the blue and white, I don't have any I'm more of the green and creamish/white toile and stripe currently. Beautiful paintings.

Anna Spiro said...

Oh Patricia, you wouldn't believe it but I gave my mother the beautiful paintings you painted me and it's so funny that you should post them as mum just put them into the framer last week to get framed! That is such a coincidence! I love this post!
xx
Anna

pve design said...

C.T.-
just new that you were a blue and white sort of gal.
pve

Frau-
show me your green!
pve

Anna,
oh, please have your mum show us the frames.
pve

Purple Flowers said...

I have a small blue and white lamp and vase on my desk in "my space room." This is defined as half guest room when needed, my reading chair, sculpture, bakers rack, desk and in general, my stuff.
The backdrop for the vase and lamp is a beautiful summer blue painted wall. I think it is all very pleasing to the eye.

BEST OF THE NEST said...

nothing more crisp than blue and white - love your collection of still lifes and tablescapes--

Anonymous said...

The color combination of blue and white is classic and timeless.

And collecting... well the quote below should sum it up:

“Life is made up of small pleasures. Happiness is made up of those tiny successes. The big ones come too infrequently. And if you don't collect all these tiny successes, the big ones don't really mean anything.”

Debra said...

What beautiful images. I love Blue and White and recently posted about the collection I have that belonged to my Mother. Blue and White is my all time fovorite-something so classic about it.
Recently saw a small collection of this very pattern only in green and white, and thought of you1

heidi said...

Gorgeous paintings!!! Blue & white are timeless. xoh

Kwana said...

These are beautiful. Blue and white is always so elegant. I'm now drawn to all things green in the soft Jadeite color. It seems to call me. I don't quite have a collection yet but I think one day I will.

I'm also loving pretty plates. Don't know where that will lead yet. We'll have to see.

kate said...

Beautiful posting!!! I love the blue and white and your painting of the pot with flowers most of all!!
best to you
kate

Karena said...

Patricia, I do have a lot of blue and white and love it so much. It is so pleasing to the eye. Your painting for Anna is fabulous, ans how generous of her to give it to her Mother!

annechovie said...

These paintings are so charming, Patricia! Blue and white has such a perennial appeal.

Joyce said...

Verrrry beautiful Patricia! I think I have 2 tiny dishes that are red and white that I got at an estate sale years ago. Enjoy! xoxo

Laura said...

You are stoking my already unhealthy obsession with Royal Copenhagen china with these images!

Julia said...

I love the blue and white! It reminds me of the Netherlands!

Anonymous said...

Love that blue and white painting at the bottom. It seems so safe and cozy. Like reading childrens books before bedtime.

GrannySmithGreen said...

Oh what fun! I'm sending you and email!

Laura @ the shorehouse. said...

I have a little blue and white collection that has taken shape at the shore house...thanks to a built-in bookshelf in the kitchen that I had no other use for! I'll take a picture this weekend for sure...I still haven't unveiled my cobbled together kitchen on the blog. My favorite pieces are the canisters I schelpped home from Paris...in a box the size of a toaster oven...on my LAP! Ah, to be young and carefree... ;-)

jacqueline said...

Beautiful paintings, as always! I have been collecting and displaying blue and white for 20 years. I never tire of it, it just feels so fresh and crispy! Amazing coincidence - my new favorite book, A Passion for Blue and White by Carolyne Roehm arrived on Saturday and I have been mesmerized since! Also, thank you for the gorgeous ranunculus you shared the other day.
P.S. I tried to include a photo but can't figure out how to do it in this format!

Brillante Interiors said...

I always loved Blue and White china (which I have), Ralph Lauren bedspread (which I had for years)and so many other objects. My Website Home Page has also a picture of a beautiful potiche and plates on the wall of my country house (check it out...)
Lovely Post.

Ulla said...

beautiful!

Pigtown*Design said...

I have some old Blue Willow pieces that I've found one-by-one. and i received a set of the Royal Copenhagen blue and white china that Laura (what i like) linked to. I love love love it all!

Ivy Lane said...

Beautiful items!! LOVE your painting for Absolutely Beautiful Things! :)

ArchitectDesign™ said...

What a beautiful painting!! wow -I collect many things...but going with the blue & white theme I have a collection of cobalt blue and white wedgewood jasperware. Such a beautiful combination: blue & white

3 Peanuts said...

Your painting is so beautiful. I collect white pitchers. I just love white!

inkWELL Press said...

I love the blue and white - it's so fresh and yet has a throw back vintage feel to it. Your paintings are so beautiful.

nicolefalack@gmail.com said...

I Love blue and white and recently posted about it on my blog Sketch42.wordpress.com
You can check it out here.
http://sketch42.wordpress.com/2009/03/19/dark-walled-rooms/

Btw, I am currently working on a blue and white room... its almost done. Will post pics when its ready!

Robin said...

I have a collection of teacups and teapots, and one of my favorite pots is a cheap little blue and white chinoiserie, but it looks lovely with the right flowers: When I had a garden at my old house I loved to put white peonies and blue indigo in it, it made the most wonderful tableau.

Michelle said...

Just gorgeous Patricia! I collect decanters and milkglass. Also, I have a collection of "tiny things" that my kids loved to buy me- their size categorizes them into a group on a tray.

Great work :)
Michelle

Lauren said...

LOVE blur & white although it doesn't work so well in my home. Funny you should post about this because last night I just posted an old room I had done in our house that featured all the blue & white things in our house that I had no place for. (It got turned into our baby's room but my hope in our new house is that I'll stay neutral enough that I can switch my collections in & out!!) I'll look for a collections photo to send you!! My favorite things to collect are usually from nature..
xoxo