I Heart Eva Zeisel Life, Design, And Beauty

I became aware of Eva Zeisel when I was in art school. She was one of those legendary teachers that taught at Pratt before my time. Then my friends, the ceramists, Philip Maberry and Scott Walker talked about having met her, and showed me some treasured small pieces of hers that they had acquired.

Eva Zeisel designed this set of china - photo by Sara Essex Bradley

Over the years of her long life (she lived and worked until she was 105) I would see her wares. I never owned any of her designs, but always kept my eye out when I'd be in vintage shops. Yes she made things for Crate and Barrel, and many other modern outlets, but I was more attracted to vintage wares.

The sensuous undulating curves of Meito Norleans Midas china designed by Eva Zeisel

A few months ago I came across a set of china designed by Eva Zeisel circa 1949-1950. It was found at one of my favorite shopping haunts, Caravan Finds right here in New Orleans. They had a dazzling set of Meito china.

Caravan Finds - the china is hanging on the wall in the last picture on the right - You can also find Caravan on One Kings Lane

You could get a 101 piece set of Eva Zeisel Meito Norleans Midas for $69.95 in 1954

Meito is a Japanese company that partnered with United China and Glass Company (founded in New Orleans in 1830) to commission sets of affordable dinnerware  exported to the United States in the post WWII years. The result was the Norleans line designed by Eva Zeisel.

The curved handles are very much like the curves of the iron work in New Orleans - I used trendy CAKE Chrome Gnome salt and pepper shakers made in 2007 - mine are gold and look great with the Zeisel vintage china

Eva actually spent time in New Orleans, and her Meito Norleans line was very much influenced by what she saw here.  Eva tells us, "A Mr. Stolaroff (side note - he was the vice president of the company)  asked me to design a set for Meito in Japan...He asked me to go to New Orleans...I remember taking a boat to the tip of the Delta...I photographed many wrought iron crosses in graveyards."

Many sets of Mid Century Modern china sported the wheat pattern - but none were as beautiful as the one Eva Zeisel designed for Meito, and none would match the price - The set in this vintage ad  had 53 pieces for $59.90, and the far more beautiful Zeisel Meito Norleans Midas had 101 pieces selling for $69.95 in 1954!

The Norleans line was a hit at the 1950 design shows. In 1954 the American housewife could buy a 101 piece set of this beautiful porcelain for only $69.95! And she also got lagniappe - six extra teacups and a teapot! Even today, in comparison with other vintage china, Norleans is a very affordable collectible.

The plates and bowls feature a wide rim - The napkin is Trina Turk Palm Springs Block

The set I am showing is called Meito Norleans Midas. I love the soft color of the gilding, and of course the curves, both on the handles, and on the undulating rims of the pieces, which are classic Eva Zeisel motifs. The pillow top lid on the sugar bowl is a form that became known as the iconic Eva Zeisel belly button design.

The lid on the sugar bowl is very much like Eva Zeisel's "baby's bottom design" which is in the same vein as her iconic "belly button" design - The candlesticks are by Paul Loebach

The wheat pattern was a very popular motif in Mid Century Modern china made in Japan. I have another set called Eternal Wheat done by Crestwood China and also made in Japan. The Crestwood wheat design is far more delicate. It's pretty, but it cannot compare with the oomph and verve of the Eva Zeisel design.

Eva Zeisel with one of the rugs she designed for The Rug Company - note her iconic belly button design

Eva Zeisel just passed away in 2011. She worked until the end of her life. She not only designed ceramics, but also designed a rug collection for The Rug Company, and furniture for Design Within Reach. One day when I am have some extra cash, I would love to have the coffee table she did for DWR.

One day I will get this Eva Zeisel coffee table

Eva Zeisel with her cut out pattern for the design of the coffee table base she did for Design Within Reach

I was inspired by her cutting out paper patterns for the coffee table she designed,  so I cut out some letters spelling her name and hung them on the chandelier - this photo by Valorie Hart

There is new book about Eva Zeisel due out any moment, called "Eva Zeisel: Life, Design, and Beauty" by Pat Moore (Author) , Pirco Wolfframm (Author) , Pat Kirkham (Editor) , Brent C. Brolin (Photographer), Eva Zeisel (Introduction).

Eva Zeisel: Life, Design, and Beauty

Eva Zeisel was a Hungarian-born American industrial designer known for her work with ceramics, primarily from the period after she immigrated to the United States. Her forms are often abstractions of the natural world and human relationships. Work from throughout her prodigious career is included in important museum collections across the world. Zeisel declared herself a "maker of useful things"

Young Eva Zeisel a maker of useful things

 Go HERE to see this touching video clip of Eva Zeisel

I pre-ordered the book. It not only has her amazing life story, but tons of new photos of her work and snapshots from her amazing life. If you are a fan of Eva Zeisel this is a book you will love, enjoy, and treasure. And I think it's an important volume for every design book library.

Eva Zeisel never stopped working

Loving New Orleans as much as I do, paired with loving Eva Zeisel, and added to that my love for beautiful vintage and antique china, you can just imagine how I am thrilled to have and to hold this extraordinary collection of Meito Norleans Midas china.

Cholo under the table set with Eva Zeisel china - photo by Sara Essex Bradley

All the lovely photos in my dining room were taken by Sara Essex Bradley. I styled a table setting combining Eva's vintage china with current items. I love her designs and think they are timeless and cross all eras gracefully (much like Eva did in her lifetime). What kind of vintage china do you love and collect?


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Where Did You Get That?

I did a post about a dinner for ten that Alberto and I recently hosted, and got a few queries about where I got a few things.

So I did a post of Guest Picks at Houzz, with links to everything you see on the table, including the table! So check it out. Houzz is getting to be more and more of a great go-to site for decorators.

When I researched the Houzz post, I found a plate similar to mine with an Italian name. I'm beginning to think the lobster was a very popular image, perhaps used for transferware.

The mark on the underside of my plates say "Hand Painted Made in France", and I think they are vintage, not antique. I have had them for twenty five years or so, when I first got them in an antique shop in New York for my little cottage in East Hampton. Perhaps the gold rim is hand painted, and the lobster is transferware.

Find out where to get these vintage lobster dinner plates and other great things for the table at Houzz

I always loved them, and use them on New Years, or when I serve shellfish. The lobster has morphed into a crawfish since the plates moved to from East Hampton to New Orleans.

Hope you enjoy my "finds" on Houzz!

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Turquoise Drapes

This room was once a very small dining room. It didn't work, it's one of those rooms that is kind of a pass through room. I have squeezed ten people around a sixty inch round table for a dinner party, but the people on the inside edge, were kind of trapped in their places.

For most folks, the dining room is a very under utilized space. We have a huge eat in kitchen. So I decided to claim the space as my office. It can still be easily converted for a dinner party.
Because this room has limited light even during the daytime, and I photograph with the existing natural light, the pictures are a bit dark. Click on images for larger views of an unstyled room for your eyes only.

View into the office from the side entry hall

The arch is original to the house

I always wanted a red room, and this is it. I enjoyed dining it, but I really love working in it. The color is both soothing and energizing. Everything I love is in this room: Plate collection, botanicals, art work, my design books, photographs, and a major Gris Gris altar tucked into a corner.
You can see more of that HERE and HERE and HERE, along with the glazed chintz fabric I hand sewed for the old curtains for the one window.


Since this is an interior room with just window, the light coming in is subdued. I added another pair of Big Girl Drapes here. These are silk, heavily lined, so much so that they look like fabric columns, very sculptural. A small child could easily hide within the luscious folds.



I love this deep saturated turquoise Dupioni silk used for the drapes. They have a seven inch French pleat at the top. They're hung on the return rod I wrote about HERE.


I edited the art behind my work table, and hung one large painting instead of the jumble of things. I redyed the green linen slipcover on the wing chair and ottoman. I did two of these chairs ten years ago for our French Quarter apartment. After many washings and years of use, the lime green linen faded. Re-dyeing them has added a few more years of use. Alberto made me the little side table from cast off legs from a damaged Florentine table, and a new enamel tray from Wal Mart that I loved for its color.


I adore a color story! Saturated or pale, it's all great to me. I love how the light changes color at different times of the day and night. I love how the opposite colors on the old color wheel always magically work. What's your color story?

Coming soon: Guest room Big Girl Drapes, and small changes in the kitchen.