Rethinking blue & white

A PASSION FOR BLUE AND WHITE

By Carolyne Roehm

Broadway Books, New York 286 pp.

MANILA, Philippines - Carolyne Roehm is one of those rare individuals who built one successful career and later embarked on another. She began in the fashion industry, first working with Oscar de la Renta then starting her own design house in the 1980s. She later opted to change course and began a thriving career in home design — taking on select projects but mostly putting together colorful volumes on all aspects of interior decoration including flower arranging and entertaining. She has authored eight books on these subjects and continues to reach more women through her website, www.carolynero-ehm.com, and an online magazine.

Roehm’s most recent volume illustrates the versatile and universal appeal of blue and white both as a color scheme and a decorative element. In over 300 stunning photographs styled by Roehm, she demonstrates how well these colors work in nearly any setting.

How many of us lean toward a neutral palette when envisioning our living spaces? Contemporary interiors call for neutral colors that often serve as a backdrop for ethnic art and period pieces while blue and white tones and elements have largely been ignored. Roehm wants us to rethink this classic combination that has interpretations in practically every culture — from Portugal and the Netherlands to the Far East, seen in the tiles and vessels of Turkey, the Wedgwood from England and the indigo fabrics of Japan. Aside from its timeless quality, Roehm points out, the blue-and-white duo is restful and calming, and it seems a decorator’s dream as it works with a full range of other colors.

As you browse through this beautiful volume, blue and white leap out of every page — in an array of patterns and designs, in large porcelain jars, tabletop accents, floral arrangements, wall coverings, dishes, bedroom schemes, furnishings and accessories. There are endless combinations and possibilities for bringing these colors into the home, as well as many nuances of blue — cobalt, aqua, cerulean, marine, navy and midnight are those that easily come to mind. Think of blue fused with deep purple or a pale green that gives way to alluring shades of this primary color.

In the most appealing section of this book, Roehm deftly sets the blue-and-white combination with other colors. Here is how she puts it: “ Whenever you place any color next to blue and white, something magical occurs: all of a sudden, the focus sharpens and the visual field has clarity and power.” As these pages prove, varying hues of pink, red purple, orange and green work wonderfully well with blue and white, each heightening our appreciation of the other. Try a yellow, white and blue combination — the French Impressionist Claude Monet once created porcelain dinnerware for his home in Giverny using these colors. And here Roehm shows us various ways of putting these colors together in table accessories and floral arrangements.

Anyone can adapt Roehm’s ideas to suit their lifestyle. You need not buy costly antiques or objects. Before, Roehm, a celebrated fashion designer, could not afford to buy blue and white antiques, so she purchased reproductions and affordable new designs from her travels. As she tells us, buying each piece was a thrill as it added to her “ blue and white nest.” She sometimes pairs these reproductions with antique pieces to great effect, as she describes. The blue-and-white color motif became a common theme in Roehm’s residences — in the pale blue interiors of her Swedish-inspired Aspen retreat, and in the rich and deep blue furnishings of her elegant Connecticut abode. It has always informed her projects — from fashion to interiors, from tabletop to garden designs.

What stands out here is the enthusiasm and enjoyment she brings to creating unique accents for the home. She gives us ideas to work with and that we can apply to suit different needs. Using blue and white doesn’t mean covering entire surfaces in these colors. Roehm tells us that it is best introduced as an accent piece or in small touches — in vases, plates, linens or glassware. For those who want to try a novel color scheme for the holiday season, opt for blue and white as Roehm did. Inside the greenhouse of her Connecticut home, Roehm gathered bunches of white flowers in deep blue vases atop a white tablecloth set with white porcelain for a New Year’s Eve dinner.

We learn from Roehm that blue and white or blue in various shades has been a color of choice for different seasons and reasons. Coco Chanel used the navy-and-white combination in her timeless creations. During the American Depression, Roehm points out, cobalt blue glassware became popular as people sought comfort and serenity associated with this color. Further back in time, indigo blue symbolized immortality, power and prosperity for the ancient Egyptians.

When thinking of blue and white as a decorative element, Roehm wants us to see this combination as one that works well for both traditional and modern design schemes. It suits informal and formal settings, and is easily integrated into kitchen or garden decor. It makes for a refreshing counterpoint to so much that is seen today.

Once in a while, when we get the urge to step out of our color comfort zones and try something new, blue and white is a color and design option that we can turn to with ease and confidence — anytime and whatever the season.