Yellow, black and white...I just love it!

I just read a post on my favorite blog of all time, Chinoiserie Chic, about inheriting our parents' design aesthetic. Do we or don't we? It got me thinking about the bold yet traditional approaches my mother's taken over the years, especially about one approach by which I will forever be awed and impressed: her little ode to yellow, black and white. The year was 1972. I know, I look so young, right? It was our first home in a small, uninspiring new development in Northern California. But Bonnie was not daunted by the banality of this neighborhood. She decorated with gusto; and I will say, she knocked it out of the park. There were peacocks and Eames chairs in the living room, cork walls in the dining area... but it was the kitchen/family area that will forever be branded on my brain. She papered the entire kitchen and adjacent family room in a shiny black vinyl that was covered in a white bamboo trellis. Very similar to the one pictured below... But scattered about every 10-12" over my mother's trellis patterned paper were giant, bold yellow poppies. Tailored white drapes hung in the family room with bright yellow tape at lead edge and along the valance. And over what I'd like to think was a white Saarinen table, was a yellow faux bamboo light fixture. While I can't remember the exact sofa, I know it was black leather with buttons that would catch on my shorts. The whole thing had a very Jonathan Adleresque crispness, along with his sense of humor and fun. Not long ago, after buying Kelly Wearstler's Modern Glamour, I showed these pictures to my mom. She laughed, "Oh my God, it's so 1970's..." We fondly remembered that bright, happy space and in unison we both exclaimed, "I just loved it!"

 

I just found a woman who really loves this color combo! It's her whole blog.

Images: Kelly Wearstler, blackwhiteyellow.