“I have a dining room done in different shades of white, with white cushions embroidered in yellow silk: the effect is absolutely delightful and the room beautiful.”
- October 16, 1854 – November 30, 1900
- Irish
- Author, poet, playwright
- Written novels, plays, and poems such as “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” “The Importance of Being Earnest,” and “Salome,” he had a great influence on British literature in the late 19th century through his witty social criticism and humor.
Quote
“I have a dining room done in different shades of white, with white cushions embroidered in yellow silk: the effect is absolutely delightful and the room beautiful.”
Explanation
In this quote, Oscar Wilde humorously describes the aesthetic of his dining room, emphasizing his refined taste and attention to detail. The use of “different shades of white” and the yellow silk embroidery on the cushions creates a sense of elegance and luxury, while Wilde’s matter-of-fact tone about how “absolutely delightful” the effect is adds an element of self-assurance in his taste. This description plays into Wilde’s belief in aestheticism, the idea that beauty and artistic expression should be central to one’s lifestyle, and that even in something as mundane as a dining room, one should aim for an environment of beauty and perfection.
Wilde’s attention to detail and his choice of simple yet luxurious elements (like the contrast between white and yellow silk) reflect his personal philosophy of combining simplicity with refinement. The room described here is not cluttered or busy, but instead pure, subtle, and delicate, showcasing Wilde’s love for understated beauty and elegance.
In modern contexts, this quote can be seen as a reflection on the importance of aesthetics in everyday life. Wilde advocates for making beauty an essential part of one’s surroundings, suggesting that even the most ordinary spaces—like a dining room—can be transformed into something extraordinary through careful attention to design. His words encourage us to appreciate the visual and emotional impact of our environments and to create spaces that reflect our own sense of beauty and artistic expression.
