Shades of Paris: Black and Gold

My obsession with Paris began long before I ever set foot in France. It goes back to when I was a little girl, when I spent hours poring over the illustrations of the city in Ludwig Bemelman's classic kids' book, Madeline.

While some of the book's illustrations are in full color, most of them are black lines on a golden yellow wash background. They're beautiful - and in my mind, the picture of Paris.

Since then, I've seen thousands of pictures of Paris, and have been to the city twice. I know it has a lot of faces. But the interiors that capture the black-and-gold aesthetic of those original Madeline illustrations - they're the ones that feel the most Parisian to me.

Kit Pollard

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The tiled interior of the Guerlain house in Paris shimmers with gold that contrasts perfectly with wrought iron accents.

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Black furniture and shiny black floors provide depth next to a gold and black rug, golden walls, and a gilded fireplace.

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This simple display confines the gold-and-black to a shelf, but it's still effective.

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This gorgeous mirror, found in a mansion on the outskirts of Paris, is an amazing contrast to the dismal space around it.

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At the Carlyle Hotel in New York, the tea room is called Bemelmans, and features wallpaper drawn by the author/illustrator.

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This illustration from Madeline - of the Tuileries - captures the delicate nature of the color combination.

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This is another great example of restraint in the use of strong colors.

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This large bath is a great example of how the same color scheme can be restrained - but just as Gallic.

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This elaborate lady's boudoir is so over the top it could belong to Marie Antoinette. The sofa, in particular, captures the rich gold and black combination that screams Paris.