Watching Downton Abbey makes me think of Port. Thinking of Port reminds me of my trip to Portugal a few months ago and how crazy delicious the port wine was.
But that’s another post, as well as a glimpse into my thought process, which no, doesn’t always lead to alcohol.
This post is about Delft. Or perhaps I should say “Delft-ish” inspiration, as I don’t want anyone busting me on these images not being genuine Dutch Delft, a connoisseur of which I’m definitely not.
I do like me a good delfty object though and I can certainly appreciate how the blue & white of Delft can really make a room sing.
Or a bag. Like this Prada one.
During our say in Portugal we had the pleasure of visiting the lovely little town of Pinhao, where the rustic scenes of this gorgeous wine making region are represented on the walls of their quaint train station.
Delft certainly seems to be having A Moment, or am I the only one noticing?
Roberto Cavalli Resort 2013
Check the boots!
I’m totally in love with these Delft On Acid limited edition tiles by South African artist Ruan Hoffmann available thru Cletile.com
and you can’t beat a spot of delft for old world charm, here mixed with great panache with dark wood, rough plaster walls and the sleekness of modern components.
Delft wallpaper via Studio Ditte
The combo of Delft with peach tones=perfection
Carolina Hererra is channeling Delft for Spring 2013
and Tadashi Shoji
The Mondrian Soho, NYC is in on the moment.
Glorious. Especially if your frenemies are opposite.
dang, I’ve lost the credit for these cute jammies.
*OK- Here’s the link to the PJ’s J.Crew
nailing delft tones
Always gorgeous mixed with sea grass and large palm fronds, but then again, you had me at seagrass & large palm fronds…
adorbs.
Karolina Kurokova steps out in Cavalli
Vivienne Westwood
photo by Norman Parkinson
Historical blue Portuguese sideboard by Heritage
I don’t know that I could put this much effort into graffiti that can just be licked off, you?
I guess that’s why I’m not a cake icing graffiti artist and Shelley Miller is.
Carolina Herrera’s daughter in a sublime tableau of red & blue delftishness
Tory Burch Spring 2013
My girlfriend admiring the gorgeous tiles of the Pinhao train station. I just noticed how her scarf ties in with the wall border.
image via Pinterest
Gaultier, of course
The Blow away vase by Moooi
~
OK, I’m off to yoga and then I might even treat myself to a spot of Port.
xx
~
Slim,
Be still my heart. I love blue and white and this post has me searching for some blue and white jammies and that bicycle (not to be used at the same time), I love the cupcake, the fashion and of course, the blue and white porcelain set in the beautiful rooms you’ve shared. What an interesting little town in Portugal, the wall tiles are so pretty for public spaces.
Karen
Slim, your eye astounds!
So many pretty images! AND your friend’s hair color is awesome!!!!
What a wonderful post! It brought fond memories of our trip to Portugal in ’87. We drove around beautiful countryside, often bedazzled by the sudden appearance of untended but magnificent azulejo murals on the side of country roads. Their workmanship and longevity are both marvels.
YOU ARE MY HERO!! What gorgeous presentations…although, now I have to change my table settings to blue and white and emulate that flower arrangement and….. franki
Wow, gorgeous! But then I’ve always been a sucker for blue and white. That bicycle!
Gorgeous post. The jammies are J.Crew, btw, in case anyone is pining after them.
A loose interpretation of Delft…perhaps you meant blue and white porcelains
who cares… still beautiful!
I concur, Anne!
lovely when used judiciously. You have some ‘Blue Willow’ in there, too.
Oh Slim…one of my favorite posts of all. I think I could pull off the Cavalli suit. Your thoughts? My style guru. xbd
I’m afraid I’m going to have to say NO more suits for you! MORE DRESSES!! xx
So pretty! I just started a new board on Pinterest ‘Blue’ so I pinned one of your pretty pictures (by Slim Paley credit). Thanks, Slim for adding beauty to my day!
Fabulous Post.
Adore Blue and White
Irene South Australia
One of your best posts for its variety and creative use of the theme. And of course, for those gorgeous Portuguese tile scenes in the station.
You find the most amazing images to share…
I’ve got a few pieces of blue and white porcelain. Harumi Ota is a clever porcelain artist and I purchased two of his pieces and long for more. Have you been practicing Yoga for a long time? I have been away from it for too long and need to get back. It is so great for keeping us all flexible.
Yes Leslie, I’ve been practicing quite a long time. I love it and wish I had the discipline to practice EVERY day!
I’m saving each and every photos of this fabulous post. I am a blue and white glutton –chinese blue & white, english flow blue, dutch delft, english delft, ikat, moorish blue & white, portuguese and spanish tiles….And you have given them all to me on a platter! Inspiring me to get out my collection of flow blue. I can just imagine my three little grand daughters in sun dresses in the Tory Burch print. Glorious post. Thank you.
Mary
Bravo Slim! This is an outrageously gorgeous post. I am avid lover, collector and admirer of all things blue and white. I just cannot get enough! It is positively addicting. LOVED this parade of blue and white dreaminess! Thanks for a fabulous post!!
My new fav post — love delft and actually own a suede blue delft jacket. It is one of my prized clothes possessions about 10 years old. Love Portugal too!
You’ve surpassed yourself …does that even make sense??oh so fabulous post. That is all.
GULP!….i am all in on this one…port and portuguese tile…a stairway to heaven for me!!!!!!!!
What a fantastic post! One of my favorites. Why is it that blue and white is so appealing? And Delft tile is the ultimate in blue and white. Ohhh…… to go for a bike ride on the Delft Bicycle in a Delft pantsuit! Thanks for so many gorgeous and inspirational pictures.
I keep scrolling back up to drool over that gorgeous little cup full of what-not. Hold on, I have to wipe the drool off my keyboard now…
Have I been living under a rock?
Had no clue this whole delfty thing was going on!
I have loved delft (and windmills) since I was a little girl and my Dad brought me blue delft earrings and a blue delft windmill from Holland.
This beautiful post made my day. Thank you SP!
xo
Sublime is the word.
Must have green/cream tasseled Tory Burch flats.
one of your best posts!! so much excitement scrolling & reading through. delft – that’s what it’s called!
L
Ah, a little shot of spring in the middle of winter! Thank you, Slim! I received those cute jammie’s for Christmas and they are soooo comfortable. Didn’t realize they were part of a trend – leave it to you to identify it! Thanks for the eye candy…
I cannot believe you find so many varieties of Delft in so many different things!!! This post makes me so happy!!
Wonderful conglomeration of blue and white photos! I have some delftish decor items in my home as blue is my favorite color and I never tire of them like I do other objects. The blue and white has a way of refreshing your mind through the eye.Does that make any sense to anyone other than me? Ha! Anyhoo, you always have a keen eye for color and how to view it in different ways. Good work!
Blue and white, love it almost as much as blue and yellow! Lovely.
Beyond.
That’s it, I am packing my bags and moving to this post, I never want to leave it, so gorgeous. The tiles in the subway are sublime, along with all of the other blue and white wonders you’ve procured. The tiles from the African artist? Amazing. OMMM & cheers!
Brava bella Slim ! This was gorgeous all the way….amazing how we can never have enough of blue and white Delft china and azulejos….thank you for finding the credit link of the pj’s ….they’re so cute ! oh and just to mention another credit, the textiles on stone bench against the beautiful panel of azulejos are from Gaston y Daniela new collection.
I love how Downton Abbey drives your inspiration….Thank you for all this beauty !!
Lala
Your friend’s hair is as beautiful as it was when she was in the movies. Does she ever age? It must be all that travelling with Miss Slim Paley! I always knew travelling kept your mind, body, spirit and hair young.
I was going to do a blue-and-white post yesterday but then lost most of my credits in the blog hole. Yours is so much more gorgeous anyway. Saves me the trouble.
Did you know there’s an upcoming exhibition at Boston’s MFA (Museum of Fine Arts) called ‘New Blue and White’? I suspect 2013 is gonna be a blue and white year…Even Kylie Minogue wore a Delft-inspired frock to launch the Sydney New Year’s fireworks.
janelle mcculloch | library of design xx
(PS There’s also a cute new(ish) restaurant in Napa called French Blue with witty blue and white branding. I’m sure you’ve been there already. I’m always 6 months behind trend.
PPS Are you going to Chelsea in May? Come and meet us all for a cocktail at The Blue Bar in the Berkeley Hotel.
What a stunning collection of images Slim – I am a huge fan of Blue and White. I think the trend for use in clothing might have been kicked off with Gaultier for Dior – he used blue and white delft patterns on the underside of a white ruffled ballgown a few years ago. Roberto Cavalli also did a stunning full length evening dress in delft more recently.
Sliiim, nooooo. Sigh. Why do you make me love things that are out of my reach and yet uncopiable on a small scale? Cupcake excluded. *me pouting petulantly but wishing you a Bon Weekend nonetheless*
Me gusta muchissimo el Delft Slim!
Seriously one of my favourite posts, and that is saying something on your blog!
I have a soft spot for Portugal, I had a lot of Portugese friends when I was in College in London and they dragged me to Cascais the beach town near Lisbon where I was meant to stay 10 days and ended up staying all summer. Did you manage to go to Sintra?? Divine!! Or drink their local liquour made of cherries called Ginjinha..Lethal! I don’t remember anything after I drank that. This post also reminds me of the KLM Delft Windmills that parents would give you and forget there was alcohol in them.. now you got me going on Alcohol.xo
I adored Portugal and the people there. and yes, we went to Sintra-so beautiful!! I saw that Cherry liquor but I didn’t have any-now I wish I had. I think we made up for it though in port and fantastic red wine!
Thank you for confirming my love of blue and white! This is my decorating theme throughout my home. Your posts are wonderful………, invites me to our wonderful world that you bring. Bobbie
Gasp, most beautiful post ever, by anyone.
so nice!!
This may be my favorite Slim Paley post. I loved every bit of it. You brought back the memory
of my mother’s Delft collection. I am glad Delft is back in a new,refreshing modern way. Thank you for compiling all the photos from wallpaper to footwear. Well Done.
Slim! What a breath of fresh air! You’ve got me thinking spring and it’s wonderful.
Totally in love with the bicycle..never have seen anything like that!
How gorgeous. Blue and white together is never out of fashion. You have an amazing eye. How long does it take you to photograph or source and collate these images into such a visually coherent post?
It usually takes me quite a while to amass the images to do a post like this, but once I put them all together they almost write themselves.
Except when they don’t-then it takes me even longer!
I want to ride that bicycle over to that conservatory wearing those PJ’s carrying that bag and drink that coffee whilst looking out onto that terrace but…..I definitely DON’T want to wear those shoes!!
The amount of work this must take. love the Parkinson photo
So enjoy your blog! I live in Honolulu and will be visiting Montecito in a couple of weeks. I looked into your blog archives
to see if you had ever done a post on your Favorite places to see , dine, explore. I wasn’t able to find that info…I would
so appreciate any of your “to-do’s” in S.B and Montecito. Aloha, Cin Nichols
Hi Cindy.
That post is in the works
In the meantime I rec. you check out Santa Barbara Magazine’s link http://sbmag.com/category/city-guides/ for restaurants, winery guides, things happening in and around town, etc.
My favorite dinner spot is The San Ysidro Ranch for great food and beautiful ambience, inside or out.
I hope you have a wonderful visit!
Your highlights of delft between fashion, design and interior design is gorgeous. I have always had a soft spot for those royal shades of blue. I especially loved the Chanel nail varnish and the cupcake from the Mondrian. Good design always seeps its way into pop culture. Thanks for those amazing photos!
I love it! and the CH dress!!! WOW! I know everyone is saying this is the year for green but I am feeling the blue! And a gorgeous set of ginger jars I have my eye on.
Your Delftish post is pure eye candy. I’m loving that Prada bag! Fabulous images!
Slim Wow! That was your prettiest post so far, and that’s saying a lot! My mother has collected blue & white forever. Her bedroom is done intirely in blue and white linen gingham and delft. She will have a fit over your post! I am calling her at a decent hour, so that we can compare notes. There is a fabulous old Spanish restaurant in Tampa, The Columbia, that is swathed in identical tile. I have loved it since I was a child. Dying to do a project with the South African tiles, amazing. That sideboard looks perfect for a Mizner project on the horizon. Just beautiful, thank you!!!
Slim, Loved every one of these images. The jammies and Prada bag are divine!
The kitchen with the mix of blue plates, rustic wood and stainless steel is so perfect.
Another fab post.
xx
Kim
Spectacular!
Gorgeous post all the way through! Want it all! xo Caroline
Beautiful post. But I have to ask… Isn’t that model a wee bit bow-legged?
For a blue and white fan, this post was magical. I could not believe the work of cake-icing graffiti artist Shelley Miller. What a talent and what transitory work. It reminds me of the sidewalk chalk artists at St Mark’s in Venice.
Best…Victoria
¡Bravo! Mis más sincera enhorabuena por lo que has señalado
Quisiera comentar en este lugar como señal de apoyo
I’ve loved Delft and the combination of Blue & White since I first saw a piece in a Dutch neighbour’s home as a child. Every culture seems to have a variation of this clean and fresh china, inspired decor and fashion statements. I loved all the beautiful photos and reincarnations of this theme in your website. Deft for Delft.