Living in Message from Degas

Living in Message From Degas by ninamleung featuring Ethan Allen

Heathfield Co gold leaf table lamp, $915 / 1882 Ltd white dinnerware / Eva Solo kitchenware dining, $82 / Ethan Allen throw pillow / Diptyque black candle / Kelly Wearstler accent chair / Fornasetti accent table, $4,925 / Traditional furniture

I haven't used enough black in my house. It can act as a highlighter or a space definer. I've been especially inspired by this Design Sponge post on using black paint. Helen Frankenthaler uses a lot of black in Message from Degas. It creates a beautiful contrast with the yellowish "river". That contrast creates a starkness that is so like Turpan, hence the desert-inspired home goods I discovered for this post. 

Dressing in Message for Degas

Dressing in Message for Degas by ninamleung featuring Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen dress / 10 Crosby Derek Lam black sandals / Cynthia Rowley black purse / Just Cavalli safari jewelry / Acne Studios black sunglasses / Floppy hat / Oasis red shawl, $20 / Black nail polish, $14

In Turpan, one needs a good, wide brimmed hat and a comfortable pair of sandals. The heat is dry and almost suffocating. Being on the Silk Road feels so exotic and so foreign. The film, The English Patient captures that same, transporting feeling. So much of it is set in the desert, in a foreign land, with much to discover.

The dark accessories paired with a slash of a khaki dress is much like the Frankenthaler painting, Message from Degas. That darkness is like a cool river running through the desert.