Black & White Stripes Redux

By Slim   |   47 Comments

wicker basket with towel

Poolside, the Tintagel Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka

It seemed everywhere we turned in Sri Lanka, black & white stripes beckoned.

Slim Paley photo

The Tintagel Hotel

Slim Paley photo

Lobby of the Tintagel Hotel

We were so inspired!

Of course I had to answer the call.

Now as shopping meccas go, Sri Lanka’s not, well, Mecca, but I did manage to purchase a few things.

I found a great woven cotton black & white striped tablecloth and napkins (which didn’t make the post due to laundering concerns, having been packed with the black rubber coasters I bought that turned my bag into a tire factory for the rest of the trip ( picked up in our first port of call too. A lot of them.)

Well, honestly, who knew they would smell so pong-y?!

(have you read “King Leopold’s Ghost”?  A startling book about the history of the rubber trade in the Congo).

cold soupsSlim Paley photo

Gazpacho & stripes.  (Note rubber charger :))

Galle, Sri LankaSlim Paley photo

We loved the black & white striping at The Kahanda Kanda Hotel, Galle, Sri Lanka

 apparently somebody else was also digging the combo 

and didn’t attend his “Lizards #101 Blending In” class.

 Ralph Lauren does it beautifully

Going to be pulling out my black & white shirt with the itchy collar and soaking it in Downy til it cooperates.

I even ordered these straws. Probably won’t use them with the tablecloth, but…

Never say never.

I did buy coasters made out of tires.

PS. Straws can be ordered here

Paradise Road, Colombo, Sri LankaSlim Paley photo

Paradise Road, The Gallery Cafe, Colombo

19th century Swedish corner bench via Balsamo Antiques NY.

Amelia Handegan

Great little pop of blue from the bedside lamps!

black stair railings

My beach house stair railings from the second floor

Love this mix in AD

.Cute idea for a tea towel bar.

.

Slim Paley photo

Tea towels from “Bed Bath & Beyond” $9.99

via

travel, Sri LankaSlim Paley photo

Gourdon, France

credit unknown

black & white stripes with wicker always works

photo of Miranda Kerr

been there.

Natasha Poly. Isabel Marant jeans

if memory serves I had a few of these little crocheted numbers growing up.

A far cry from last week’s Costco porno dummy suit (still sitting in my car)

Growing up,  my mom  used to say with a sigh; “Every Dog Has His Day”

( my mom’s from Dublin, she has 50 million of these expressions)

I never really liked that one because I never understood it,

 and now that I do , I still don’t like it 🙁

but it did come to mind when I saw these

swimsuits hand crocheted in Australia and  available on Couture Lab .

.

.

.

black & white stripes

Slim Paley photo

.D Will Black & White stripes inspire you, or are you all about COLOUR for Spring & Summer?

How about combining colour & stripes and having it ALL and we’ll just thumb our noses at those “Dog Days”?!

S.P. photo

If you’re so inclined, you can find last year’s Black & White Stripes post  here

Stay tuned for more travel and “Springing into Summer” posts soon!

xx

~

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47 Comments

  2. You are too perfect! Are you sure you are not computer generated perfect woman , with perfect taste and perfect life???
    xob

    • oh puhleeze B.T.- if you only knew how far off the mark, and therefore greatly appreciated that comment is, particularly this week, even more than most…

      xx

  3. Love everything….except the dog part….hahaha..
    I think this ol dog still has game!
    So do you lovely girl!!

  4. Perhaps we share the same mother! My mother said to me: “you’ve had your day in the sun”. I remind her (frequently) that she said this, but alas her memory is faulty. Mine isn’t .

  5. Slim,
    I love stripes and black and white might be in the top three! Great post. Loved the lizard, and the striped table runner and straws.

    Karen

  8. Slim – Just scrolled through today’s and last years b/w stripe posts. Gawd! Thank you!

    I have been working with a b/w stripe for our dining chairs (not enough to recover all 6) trying to come up with a “go with” b/w pattern (ie: floral or geometric).

    Now, I will consider another b/w stripe – off to the upholstery shop. 🙂

    Cheers!

  10. Slim,
    I love your blog, your photographs and your enthusiasm! If you are interested, I teach photography (lighting, portraiture, creativity) at various places. This June 8-10 I am teaching a creativity workshop/respite at my Seattle studio. If you think your readers might be interested, I can send the PDF. There are some amazing women coming and the space is limited to eight.
    Thanks!
    Rosanne Olson
    http://www.rosanneolson.com

  11. Oh, my! How lovely (& the first “Black & White” entry as well…you know….I’m new to this candy shop!). At the risk of parroting all your earlier comments: I LOVE BLACK & WHITE almost as much as I love black & white and orange!! Or maybe black & white & pale pink. Your stream is just classic…gorgeous shots…balm for my aching heart (you know. The dog thing 🙁
    I am a passenger in my husband’s car as we travel to our summer house on the Chesapeake with puppy & son. (Probably puppy’s last visit). I will have plenty of time to play on my phone (to the extent that I don’t get car sick). I’m wondering where on earth was that cliff-side shot taken with all the fabulous black & white table umbrellas? I wanna be there now! And if I have to navigate the stairs while leaving the bar, so be it…maybe some other dashing, (preferably younger) traveler would catch me……just dreaming. Happy Easter, beautiful one,
    Melissa

  12. I love all the meaning of “black and white.” I know life has many shades of grey but sometimes things just need to be as clear and black and white…like this gorgeous post!

  15. Slim,
    Fantastic and inspiring post! Love black & white right now. I even used a b&w runner on my table for Easter on my blog. Especially enamored of lemons with b&w stripes. I think my favorites here are the beach towels and the wicker and stripes. Always love wicker with anything. (My husband’s favorite rant is, “Wicker makes me sicker!”) He’s not a fan.

    Most of all I enjoy how you manage to combine travel with design elements. Always an escape to stop here and dream! I needed it today.

    Kim:)

  16. Love the black & white … makes me think of vactions !! Could use one of those right now .. summer must be right around the corner. xoL

  17. Everything looks so fresh and appealing. There seem to be so many florals and prints making their way into Spring, black & white will be welcome.
    Happy Easter. Hope the Easter Bunny spoils you.

  18. This year is the year of Black & White, it seems. It is everywhere I look or maybe my eyesight is failing and I am only seeing contrast! I have bought a little bit of b&w for summer and I do love it!
    Great photos, SP!
    xoxo, Chris

  21. Now that is fantastic! I am sitting here drooling over every photograph… so well designed and it makes me want to completely do my apartment over!! The wicker,the black and white all look so crisp and clean… I love it… now I’m happy!
    Lesley

  22. I am a huge black and white striped fan. I have a black and white striped curtain on my front porch and black and white striped cushions in my back yard, I mix them with bright cobalt blue. I have an abundance of black and white striped shirts. Yes indeed I am totally drawn to black and white in stripes, checks and just about any pattern for that matter, but stripes are my favorite. Kathysue
    PS thank for the eye candy, loved it!♥

  25. I’ve been a black-and-white girl for years! Our house is all black and white. Most of my wardrobe is too.
    I even wrote a book on black and white in interior design, which US Vogue and Verandah magazine featured. (Very touched by that: Australian authors don’t get much coverage overseas.) Anna Spiro has influenced me to try more colour, but I still find black and white is timeless. Black-and-white homes never seem dated. Look at Stephen Shubel’s Sausalito cottage, which was done a decade ago.
    Oh – Celerie Kemble has a new black-and-white book out too. It’s quite good, you’d like it!
    Janelle McCulloch

  26. Fantastic post and photographs.

    That tea towel bar is such a great idea! love the black and white jeans and that crazy tumblr photo, where is that?

  27. Adore black and white stripes and that RL bedroom is wonderful You are so fortunate to travel in these most luxurious surroundings!!

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

  29. Wow! Love the black and white too! The tumblr photo is very cool.
    You have a clever and artful eye for putting together a dazzling post – everytime!
    Thank you, Slim.
    Kim

  30. Inspired inspired inspired!! LOVING your travel images, and not withstanding, the STRIPES! I must have missed your original travel post….how long are you gone for? For, like, EVER??!

  31. You are dripping with inspiration (even if the week got off track a bit–sorry). Here is another ‘dog day’ saying…”isn’t it about time you gave up those stilettos?”

  33. Very inspired by all the black and white stripes! I just stumbled over to your “About Slim” page and realized that I have been reading since the beginning if you started this blog in 2009! Kudos to the person who dared you to start this blog 😉

  34. Slim, what a great post. Especially love the Gallery Cafe with the authentic tile roof (of course) and contrasting stripes. A sophisticated editorial. Do stop by “Joy” soon. Shiree’

  35. Huge fan of black and white, especially in stripe form. And while I just about never wear black with anything other than white (including a jacket that seems to be having a moment), navy or some kind of gray, I loved the photo of the bag with the flowers. So cheery!!

    As always, thank you!

    xx

  37. when i was in high school a friend taught me how to crochet a bikini. my mother wouldn’t let me leave the housein it but like a good catholic girl, i hid the bikini in my bag and changed into it at the beach.

    happy easter!

  38. Hi Slim, I love and adore stripes! I just ordered curtains from la toile du soleil in France…lots of color, but I love black and white as well. What an amazing journey you had! Their sense of style floors me, I love the valets sarong! Thank you, it has all been so much fun. True confession; since my addiction to Pinterest I have stopped reading as many blogs, but not yours…talk about original content! I look forward to it and am elated when I see it…it is always fun! By the way, this “dog” used to have that exact bikini in the most gorgeous shade of green! It’s so mean spirited, but now I look at the newbies wearing them and think, “well have fun while it lasts, because every dog has it’s day”! I burst out laughing when I read that. I am glad that I had no idea what my own Mother was talking about! Happy Easter and thanks again.

    • Thank you so much Pamela!

      I agree, the Sri Lankan sense of style is a force to be reckoned with, to be sure. I still have a few more goodies to come.

      PS. Sounds like many of us were sporting those crocheted bikinis and, God knows, not really appreciating how little lycra figured into our vocabularies then 🙂

  39. Pingback: WHITE & BLACK | Slim Paley

  40. I love your beach house! Where did you get those two beautiful posters on the wall above the paddles? I really want to buy them for my house. I have searched everywhere for them 🙂 thank you in advance!

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