Description
“Nature’s quintessential color combination of blue and white never ceases to amaze me. The look of pristine snow against deep blue Aspen skies; spires of blue and white delphinium in a garden; Connecticut’s spring mornings where the apple blossoms and nodding heads of white narcissus are in contrast to soft blue skies and vibrant green grass—these and many more images found in nature have informed my work for the last thirty-five years. From fashion to interiors, and tabletop to gardens, the presence of blue and white is a constant in my past collections as well as throughout my previous eight books. It seems natural that I would eventually do a book on living and designing with this seminal color combination.”
—from the Introduction
This private tour of the dazzling homes of legendary style-setter Carolyne Roehm showcases her favorite color combination in more than three hundred glorious photographs.
From the time designer Carolyne Roehm rented her first small apartment in New York in her twenties, she has loved blue and white. In that one-bedroom flat, she draped the walls, chairs, sofa, and a canopy bed in an inexpensive blue and white sheeting fabric designed by her boss, Oscar de la Renta, and began collecting blue-and-white porcelain from around the world—initially bargain reproductions and eventually museum-quality pieces—from China, Japan, Portugal, the Netherlands, and elsewhere.
Today, Carolyne Roehm presides over a magnificent duplex in Manhattan, an antique-filled stone house in Connecticut, and a chic yet rustic home in Aspen, all of which contain rooms decorated in blue and white, featuring accents from her collections of china, ceramics, glassware, linens, furniture, and decorative pieces. These rooms employ the whole spectrum of blues, from delicate sky to the deepest, boldest navy, evoking moods ranging from tranquil to vibrant.
In A Passion for Blue and White, Carolyne Roehm takes us inside her homes (including her former pied-à-terre in Paris) in never-before-seen photographs of these stunning rooms. She also reveals how she has used blue and white to magnificent effect outdoors in Connecticut around her pool and in her gardens—and even how she used the combination in designing a wedding for a friend.
She provides inspiration for tabletop design, flower arranging, and gift-wrapping, suitable for all budgets. Her ceramic, textile, and glass collections (endless sources of her creativity) can be emulated by anyone with trips to flea markets, thrift shops, and inexpensive import stores as well as antique stores and galleries.
A swatch of French fabric began Carolyne Roehm’s lifetime love affair with blue and white. In this book, she demonstrates through her own decorating and designs, how this combination works its magic on everything from upholstery and drapes to napkins and tablecloths, wrapping paper and ribbons. For anyone with a passion for blue and white, here is the ultimate style guide and Carolyne Roehm’s most gorgeous book yet.
About the Author
Style icon and lifestyle maven Carolyne Roehm has been part of American design culture for over four decades, with a career spanning the fashion, gardening, entertaining, publishing and decorative arts worlds. Finding a mentor in Oscar de la Renta, Carolyne worked alongside the couture great for 10 years before launching her own fashion house in 1985. A discerning eye and passion for beauty lead her into the world of flowers, where her books are often referred to as the best in their field. Subsequent entertaining and interiors titles cemented her position as one of America's lifestyle experts.
A former President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, with appearances in both the Who's Who of Women in America and the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame, honored by Manolo Blahnik with a shoe in her name, in a fitting tribute design legend Bill Blass labeled Carolyne, "The ultimate tastemaker." Now the author of twelve books, Roehm's mission is to teach others how to capture and create beauty in their lives, in both the everyday and out of the ordinary.
She divides her time among her homes in Manhattan, Connecticut, and Charleston.
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