I’m a big fan of blue and white, just find it so beautiful. I’ve used a lot of that color in my guest room.
Well, no one does blue and white better than the Dutch! When I was touring this outdoor village that I shared in this post: Zuiderzee Museum, I got a wonderful surprise when I walked into one of the buildings there.
The entrance of the building and this room were decorated wall-to-wall in blue and white. The murals have all been created in a Delft style design. I was literally surrounded on all sides in this beautiful blue and white art.
These blue and white designs are the work of the talented Dutch artist, Hugo Kaagman. (Photo below from his website here: Hugo Kaagman.)
His work is all done with stencils and he mixes traditional Delft designs with contemporary designs, even cartoon characters.
It really was amazing to be inside this room. I had trouble making myself leave and just wanted to stay and soak it all up.
In 1993 he painted a 65 meter long wall in the Schiphol Airport. Unfortunately, I missed seeing it while I was there awaiting my flight back home.
He’s also created designs for 19 of British Airways airplanes, so the next time you fly on one of their planes, look at the tail area and see if it’s decorated in blue and white.
I didn’t realize it when I was there (had to take photos quickly to catch back up with our group) but his work in this room is signed. In this photo below I did catch the name he gave it: The Blue Fishvendor. His signature is just below the car design on the left where you see the words, Nederland.
Here’s an image from his website showing the part I didn’t quite capture in my photo. There’s one of those British Airway planes with his work on the tail.
A small table in the room was also decorated in blue and white.
Isn’t this beautiful!
So, you know how sometimes you see or hear something and then it seems to pop up everywhere. When I returned home from the Netherlands, I stopped by Talbots because they are currently have a sale that’s 30% off everything. Online you get the discount with the code: Friends30.
What did I find in their store? Lots and lots of beautiful blue and white designs. I was in heaven! Of course, I wanted to buy everything, especially after having just returned from Holland and seeing blue and white Delft designs in so many places.
I’m linking to my favorite blue and white outfits below. Click on the titles to access those items at Talbots.
I especially love this dress, I think I’m going to order one. There are so many cute spring designs in right now, I’m having trouble choosing, but so far, I think this dress is my favorite.
This blazer reminded me of a blue and white linen suit I purchased in Talbots many years ago. It’s a classic design and has never gone out of style. I love it even today. I love this scarf, too!
Aegean Stripe Blazer and Ornate Tile-Print Scarf
See what I mean, so many cute designs! Love this shirt! I saw it in Talbots and the fabric is perfect for summer…very lightweight.
Are you a blue and white fan, too?
Thanks for this post. I’m a blue and white freak. I’ll be in Holland at the end of the month and have a question. Is it possible to have porcelain pieces shipped home? Cost? Do shops do it for you?
Mary, I’m sure they do that there. I didn’t go in any of those type shops while there, but I know when I was in Italy, they offered shipping things home in all the stores there. They are so used to visitors coming there and wanting to buy beautiful things that they can’t take back on a plane, so I bet they will ship like they offered to do when I was in Italy.
Hi Mary,
A couple of weeks ago I did a workshop painting a Delft Blue Tile (see my post about that here: https://howling-liz.blogspot.com/2021/07/delft-blue-tile-workshop.html ). The shop that organizes the workshops also sells Delft Blue pieces and they ship them everywhere.
Here’s the link to the shop: https://www.heinendelftsblauw.com
Liz
I love blue & white too! My obsession started when I was a little girl in my Great Grandmother’s house, in the kitchen was a built in china cabinet and there were all her Blue Onion & Blue Willow dishes plus a set of blue & white canisters with spice jars that had windmills on them. I just loved those and my Sister and I now have them, we both loved them and each took half of the set. I have a few Delft pieces and search for pieces in Antique stores. Thank you for sharing the Blue & White room, it is just beautiful!
Charlotte, I love both those china patterns. Sounds like your Great Grandmother was a blue and white fan, too. So wonderful they were passed down to you and your sister. 🙂
I love the blue and white delft pieces. In Greece they paint their homes white with bluish/turquoise roofs. So crisp and beautiful especially when the house tops are looking out over the Mediterranean Sea. I have many pieces of blue and white and just moved into a new home and I want to do a hallway in the blue and white pieces. Thank you for sharing.
Carol P-K
I love the pictures I’ve seen of Greece, Carol. Sooo beautiful! That would be gorgeous, decorating a hall that way. I love that idea!
I’m a blue & white fan but I prefer the Asian inspired pieces, eg. temple jars, lidded vases, plates, etc. Just my preference but I find the Dutch designs are beautiful too. I agree that you MUST get that dress from Talbot’s. It’s divine!
I remember one of our guides saying that when they began importing pieces in from the east, Chinese porcelain had a big influence on the Dutch potters. Thanks, Linda. I love it, too! Blue and white never goes out of style, does it? 🙂
Wow, Susan. His work is incredible! I’m resting at home for a few days and finally had some time to enjoy my copy of A Passion for Blue and White today. Our living room is a palette of warm yellows, caramel and red so we recently made the decision to commit to a blue&white color scheme year-round (not just summer anymore!) in the family room. Thanks for the new inspiration and I hope there was a gift shop so you were able to bring home a postcard or tile as a souvenir.
Susan, I love blue and white! The delft murals are stunning…they look like delt tile. I would have had to be pried away from the work of this talented artist! I am enjoying every post that you have shared! Love the blue/white from Talbot’s! Classic! Pam @ Everyday Living
Fun post, Susan. I’m a fan of blue and white, so the tiles and murals were most interesting to me. I love wearing blue and white as well. Might need to do some shopping this weekend. Wish I could wear sleeveless dresses! ‘-)
Wow, this is wonderful! I have a lot of blue and white Delft’s Blue tiles that I inherited from my grandmother, but this almost as beautiful.
I am a big fan of all things blue and white!! In a museum in Toronto I saw very early Delft pottery, just wonderful!!
So, you took another trip?? Just to Holland?? All these years you never traveled and now you turned into a gypsy!!!! You go girl!!
Love the first blue/white dress, would look great on you with your figure!!!
I love decorating ( and dressing) in blue and white as well. My favorite part of the blue and white scheme is how well it pairs with an accent color for a pop of excitement. Adding an accent of spring green, yellow, hot pink, coral or red all make for extra interest. I just placed some of those blue and white Talbot tile pattern pieces in my shopping cart too. Isn’t it interesting how many cultures have reinvented the blue and white theme? The Delft mural looks so charming with its infinite images.
Patricia, I love that idea, an all blue and white room and adding pops of color throughout the year. The blue and white is almost a neutral in that way, isn’t it? And it’s a classsic, never goes out of style!
Wow! All that artwork is beautiful!
Good thing you didn’t buy any of those blue & white Talbot’s clothes before you went. If you wore them in that place you would be like a chameleon. You would just blend into the background! :0)
He can come to my house….franki
I love this blue and white post!
Thanks, Elizabeth!
Love it!! Our family has Dutch heritage so we’re always attracted to collecting blue and white Delft style tile and stuff…
Susan, first of all thank you so much for the wonderful tour of Holland and for taking so many of us along with you. So glad that you had a wonderful time and made it back home safely. As for Hugo’s artwork, it certainly is amazing as well as beautiful. -Brenda-
P.S.: I have the same stripe blazer and it will remain one of my favourites as agree, it is a classic.
This post reminded me of my daughter’s love for blue and white. Whenever I spot something at a yard sale in her colors, I have to grab it on the off chance she’ll love it. She usually does! Thanks for posting..
Love this post about the Delft Blue! I have a lot of Delft Blue myself and even did a workshop a while ago to make my own!
Thanks for sharing!
Liz