Ivy and Elephants

Monday, August 1, 2011

Ebony and Ivory

In 1982, one of the number one singles was "Ebony and Ivory", which was sung by the greats Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. The first line of that song is (y'all sing along now)

"Ebony and Ivory, live together in perfect harmony..."

Today I will highlight contrast in home design. These contrasts are yin and yang which can be colors, antiques & contemporary pieces, simplicity and complexity, darkness and light, gold and silver, well you get the idea. Ebony and Ivory is a perfect example of two beautiful contrasts.

I love vignettes because they tell a story and they often times reflect my personality. The Ghanaian ebony thinking man among the white porcelain pieces is an example of one of Candice Olson's essential principles of good design which is decorating with contrast in mind. Plus, I just adore her.

I have fallen in love with porcelain pieces adorned roses. I have had the good fortune of finding them at Les Marchandises d'Maison. That's right, the Home Goods store. The ebony piece in the middle is a hand carved ebony statue from Tanzania. She is a carrying what appears to be a heavy jug. These contrasts allow me to enjoy the yin and yang of decorating. In this case, black and white as well as old and new. You have seen some of my porcelain pieces in the posts Cloche Encounters and To Shine or Not to Shine.

I have this thing for tea pots and caddies. The ebony tea caddy with the African elephant is a great contrast to the delicate porcelain teapot and is an example of how contemporary and traditional pieces co-exist without competing with one another.

I picked up the ebony African old man with the marble base at one of my favorite local antique stores. He looks great anywhere you put him. Today he stands next to the porcelain bell. Hey let's ring the bell, "Espresso any one?"

This antique black marble hindu buddha looks peacefully at the delicious strawberries which are lying on a sandwich tray adorned by roses with patterned lace around the edges. I have a tendency to mix high end pieces with great regular market finds. The buddha came from a local antique shop. I recently found the tray at my neighborhood Marshalls. The porcelain bud vase I found on eBay for little of nothing. I was the only bidder. I love those kinds of bids.

So switching up a bit, I added a few more pieces to this contrasting vignette. The large porcelain vase in the back, with the beautiful roses around the neck, is the keeper of a special silk floral arrangement I had made as a center piece that sat on each table of my mother's retirement party. Two very special ebony statues from Ghana pose between the porcelain pitchers and creamers. In the foreground is a very delicate rose. The juxtaposition of colors, objects, history, culture and textures allows me to live in an environment that is elegant yet casual. This is what I call Vintage Urban living.