Living in John Singer Sargent's Clouds

Living in John Singer Sargent's Clouds by ninamleung featuring iron outdoor patio furniture

Iron patio furniture / Iron outdoor patio furniture / Outside garden decor / White outdoor / Tommy Bahama outside garden decor / Outdoor garden decor / Serveware / Ariana Teak Round Bowls Set of 4 / Rope Handle Hurricane / Amazon.com : DMI Sports Champion 6-Player Croquet Set Mallet and...

Playing and eating outdoors in the English Countryside on a warm summer day. Doesn't that sound heavenly? 

Living in Lee Krasner's Blue Stone

Living in Lee Krasner's Blue Stone by ninamleung featuring iron candlesticks

Blue tableware / Hermès napkin ring / Garnier Thiebaut french napkin / Blue Pine Needle Cast Iron Tea Set / Canvas polka dot dinnerware / Carlisle Placemat 33x48cm, $6.65 / Iron candlestick, $165 / Desico blue candle, $1.92 / Noir 3 leg table / Kravet blue chair

Dressing in Lee Krasner's Blue Stone

Dressing in Lee Krasner's Blue Stone by ninamleung showing how to wear gray jeans

Jaeger cashmere sweater, $300 / Moncler coat / IRO gray jeans / Tila March wedge bootie / Prada nylon bag / Adidas Originals blue jewelry / Daisy Fuentes black plastic sunglasses / Illamasqua lip gloss, $24 / Nail polish / Clinique Happy

It must be the title of Lee 
Krasner's painting that inspired me to do a cold weather ensemble. 
The jeans definitely evoke Blue 
Stone, all muddled and messy. 

Living in O'Keeffe's It was Yellow and Pink

Living in O'Keeffe's It was Yellow and Pink by ninamleung featuring hand woven rugs

Drum shade lighting / Hand woven rug / Zara Home jacquard blanket / Mitchell Gold Bob Williams burl bowl / Fragrance candle, $165 / Plain mirror, $96 / Stray Dog Designs hand crafted furniture

I couldn't help but go more with the India theme on this one. Rajasthan is such a culturally rich place with heavy aesthetics. I had to go with it. O'Keeffe's painting could have been influenced by India if O'Keeffe had gone there herself. I like to imagine what would have happened in her work if she had. She was very influenced by her surroundings. If she did travel there India, I think she would have been bombarded and possibly overcome.

Though the painting It was Yellow and Pink is abstract and simple, it has a richness that is very Indian. I see all of these items in a small sitting room. The colors are a bit overwhelming, but, like the painting, they work nicely together.

Dressing in O'Keeffe's It was Yellow and Pink

Dressing in O'Keeffe's It was Yellow and Pink by ninamleung showing how to wear a plunge dress

Issa plunge dress / Bcbgmaxazria shoes / Chloé long wallet / Oscar de la renta jewelry / Michael Kors rock and roll jewelry / Too faced cosmetic / Chanel floral perfume, $260

I never thought of pink and gold going well together until I saw O'Keeffe's painting It was Yellow and Pink. Putting this outfit together proved that it works. The necklace is so beautiful and reminds me so much of Rajasthan. The fun Indian film Bride and Prejudice was an influence as well. Aishwarya Rai is gorgeous! I really put this together for her. 

Living in Drop of Water on the Rose-Colored Snow

Living in Drop of Water on the Rose-Colored Snow by ninamleung featuring glass candle holders

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Glass lamp / Montague Capulet faux fur throw blanket / Staub kitchenware dining / Photo wall art / Pillow Decor funky throw pillow / Iittala glass candle holder, $49 / Folding table

My objective was to find home objects that are a little Spanish for Miro, a little Chinese for this particular painting, and similar to the other inspirations I found. It's a little modern with some fun flourishes. I so want to cozy up with that fuzzy, black throw with a nice cup of chrysanthemum tea! Yum!

Dressing in Drop of Water on the Rose-Colored Snow

Dressing in Drop of Water on the Rose-Colored Snow by ninamleung featuring Kenzo

Vionnet silk jumpsuit / Salvatore Ferragamo polka dot high heel shoes / Head Over Heels by Dune black clutch, $48 / Hervé Van Der Straeten cuff bangle / Gold bib necklace / Tom Ford black oversized sunglasses / Kenzo home decor

Dominating, intense reds with bits of black and gold work perfectly with Miro's Drop of water on the Rose-Colored Snow. The painting and this ensemble are sleek and sophisticated, but still a little playful.

The painting, China, and this chic look remind me of the character Flying Snow in the beautiful film Hero by Zhang Yimou. If you haven't seen this gorgeous movie, do. The art production is incredible. 

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.

Living in Robert Ryman's Untitled 1961

Living in Robert Ryman's Untitled 1961 by ninamleung featuring hand carved furniture

Flower light, $65 / European bed linen / Fake fur throw / Nikko dinnerware / Jamie Young map globe / Wall mount mirror / Home decor / Jo Malone eucalyptus candle / Hand carved furniture / Round cocktail table

Ryman uses only white but varies supports and textures to communicate different thoughts and emotions. A room can do the same. Color is emotive, but texture can be too. The hardness of the marble coffee table evokes a different feeling than the softness of the knitted throw. Though all these objects are white, they reference different places and things and alter the mood. 

Dressing in Robert Ryman's Untitled 1961

Dressing in Robert Ryman's Untitled 1961 by ninamleung featuring a white blouse

Cooper Ella white blouse, $120 / Alexander McQueen white coat / Michael Kors highwaisted pants / Chloé brown flat / 3 1 Phillip Lim satchel purse / Irene Neuwirth 18k gold bracelet / Marc Jacobs daisy perfume / Illamasqua matte nail polish

Even though Ryman uses a lot of white, he is purposeful in his choice of support. In the case of Untitled 1961, he chose brown paper. I did the same here. I chose a brown support and covered it with white. This is inspired not just by Ryman, but also the beautiful film White by Krzysztof Kieslowski. The film really does utilize a lot of the color white. It's a sad film, but the visuals make it so worth it!

Living in the paintings of Uyghur Artist Abdukadir Dilmurat

Living in the paintings of Uyghur Artist Abdukadir Dilmurat by ninamleung featuring a round ottoman

FOSSIL blue bedding / Wood wall clock / Rectangle tray / Jonathan Adler frame / Pier 1 Imports decorative hardware / Armoire / Karma Living round ottoman / Voluspa Crane Flower Candle in Tin | Gracious Home | Product

This was a fun one! Because Kashgar sits right in between the West and East, it truly holds a vast mixture of goods from both regions. Many of the things shown here are Chinese inspired as well as Turkish inspired. The Uyghur people are of Turkish origin so adding those influences makes sense. 

Dressing with the Uyghur Artist Abdukadir Dilmurat

Dressing with the Uyghur Artist Abdukadir Dilmurat by ninamleung featuring a bezel necklace

Kenzo print dress / Mulberry / Loeffler Randall black high heel boots / Givenchy red tote bag / Bezel necklace / SCP handcrafted earrings, $19 / Cream nail polish / Dior Hypnotic Poison

I put together something a little exotic, using a richly patterned dress as the starting point and finding thick, warm textures to surround it. The area is known for textiles, particularly silk and wool felt. Animal hide is also prevalent, particularly in the mountain areas. I added a little jade as a reminder that we're in China.

Would you believe that the film The Kite Runner was actually filmed in Kashgar, China? It's a stand-in for Afghanistan. It makes sense since they are so close to each other geographically and the area is much the same. The borders don't make that much of a difference. Great film to watch for inspiration and to see what Kashgar is like.

Living in Henry Moore's Drawing, Reclining Figure

Living in Henry Moore's Drawing, Reclining Figure by ninamleung featuring a black globe

Black globe, $250 / Wool area rug, $845 / H M blanket, $56 / John boos cutting board / Tina Frey Designs fruit salad bowl / One Hundred 80 Degrees ceramic pitcher / Iron home decor / Pier 1 Imports twin bell alarm clock / Vintage end table / Leather accent chair / Staub Cast-Iron Mini Cocotte, Matte Black | Williams-Sonoma

Henry Moore's work is unadorned and unpretentious, devoid of fussiness. His home and work space was likely similar. I chose objects that are utilitarian, yet comfortable, and still have a pure and simple design.  

Dressing in Henry Moore's Drawing, Reclining Figure

Dressing in Henry Moore's Drawing, Reclining Figure by ninamleung featuring John Varvatos

Rebecca Taylor crop top / Burberry coat / Fenn Wright Manson black skirt, $190 / Church's eric church boots / Satchel handbag / Blue Nile earrings / Tiffany Co ring / Deborah Lippmann nail polish / John Varvatos home decor

Layers and warm, cozy tweeds are quintessential British and perfect for Henry Moore. There's a scene in the film, Atonement that reminds me so much of Mr. Moore. Of course, the time frame is about the same as his lifetime, but, also, specifically, the scene in the underground subway tunnels reminded me of his work the most. These drawings are so spooky and scary and beg to be explored. 

Living in Louise Bourgeois's Les Fleurs

Living in Louise Bourgeois's Les Fleurs by ninamleung featuring white dinner plates

Arteriors blue light / Rug, $1,270 / 1882 Ltd. white dinner plate / Serveware / Adrienne Landau colorful throw pillow / Red home decor, $310

Cozy, textured, dark, and sculptural.....all of these pieces are so Louise Bourgeois. Imagine touching each of them. They all have a specific feel and they're not just different textures, but they're also interesting forms. Not only do I want to sit in that chair, but I want to feel it. It has a great sculptural form. A room with these objects in it would feel very cozy and comfortable. 

Dressing in Louise Bourgeois's Les Fleurs

Dressing in Louise Bourgeois's Les Fleurs by ninamleung featuring a red leather handbag

Valentino fuchsia dress / Cropped blazer / Valentino leather pumps / Victoria Beckham red leather handbag / Black jewelry, $32 / MUGLER spray perfume, $70 / Jin Soon nail polish

Louise Bourgeois would likely wear something sophisticated, mysterious, and a little dark, particularly when she was painting like Les Fleurs. The dress reminds me of this sculpture; the organic shape, the undulating lines. And, of course, this all reminds me of film Paris Je T'aime. It features Paris and lots of personal stories told in vignettes. It's all so Louise Bourgeois!

Living in Wang Hui's Scrolls

Living in Wang Hui's Scrolls by ninamleung featuring Denby

Floor lamp / Nordstrom king bedding / Denby teapot / Denby drinkware / Temple of Heaven Special Gunpowder China Green Tea 1000g/35.27 Oz 1... / Modern chair / Jonathan Adler accent table / Blu Dot book case / OCEAN CORAL DIFFUSER & REFILL SET - @MICHAELARAMINC OFFICIAL SITE / DENY Designs Heather Dutton Dunes Throw Pillow / Landscapes Clear and Radiant

Relaxing in the Chinese mountains with a pot of gunpowder tea, a warm blanket, and a book full of eye candy. Sounds pretty dreamy to me! 

Dressing in Wang Hui's Scrolls

Dressing in Wang Hui's Scrolls by ninamleung featuring a tweed pencil skirt

Zadig & Voltaire long sleeve top / Haider Ackermann sleeveless turtleneck top / St. John tweed pencil skirt, $465 / Balenciaga wedge heel boots / Vanessa Bruno oversized handbag / Kate Spade pearl jewellery / Fragrance / Dolce & Gabbana nail polish

It was probably pretty cold during some of the trip from Beijing to Shanghai taken by the Kangxi Emperor. His party would have had to dress warm and well, especially considering status. Their status must be obvious to the locals so they receive their due respect.

I chose warm wools, thick textures, and drapey silhouettes for the modern version of a woman who would have been in the Emperor's party. The greys reflect Wang Hui's color palette, as well as the green nail lacquer. Notice the white flower earrings that are very similar to the rhododendrons I saw on Emei Shan. The look reminds me of the film, Balzac and the Little Chinese Mistress. There are lots of great scenes with beautiful mountains. 

Living in Eva Hesse's Drawings

Living in Eva Hesse's Drawings by ninamleung featuring minimalist furniture

Flexible lighting / Silver home accessory / Fossil Tape Dispenser / Sketch Book Postcard Size / Pottery Barn farmhouse desk / Orange22 minimalist furniture

The things Eva Hesse lived with were likely utilitarian, simply designed, and of mostly natural materials. She probably had a great work table and simple seating, nothing pretentious.