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Pretty Purple Centerpiece
I was in the grocery store the other day, as I am quite often — having three teenage boys and all — when a bunch of pretty purple carnations caught my eye.
I rarely see purple carnations in different color tones bunched together like that {unless I’m at the flower wholesaler}, so I grabbed them up and created a simple centerpiece using a $5.00 vase that I found at Marshall’s.
Pale lavender, lilac, aubergine and magenta make a very pretty palette for parties, weddings and showers. Or, if you love purple, you may just want to buy a bunch of these carnations for yourself. Note: Flowers are not just for special occasions.
If you can’t find purple carnations, you should be able to special order them at your local grocery store or florist. You can also purchase them on-line from fiftyflowers.com.
photos by Porter House Designs
Purple Spaces To Swoon Over
I can never let too much time go by before I write a post about purple!
As many of you know, my favorite colors are lavender, plum and every tint and shade in between. I’m always looking for a reason to love on purple.
So, to celebrate the design of my new blog header I’m sharing a fun collection of purple spaces. Purple people, enjoy!
{I’m obsessed with this tile! Photo by decorativehomeinterior.}
{decorativehomeinterior}
{creamylife}
Color Scheme: Purple And Orange
Often it is the boldest of color schemes that yield the greatest benefits.
Pairing purple and orange is certainly a courageous choice but consider this: Purple is the color of royalty, introspection and spirituality. While orange is associated with creativity, energy and joyfulness.
Even in their lighter tints of lavender and peach, together these hues create a majestic warmth unlike no other color duo. It’s a look and feel that’s perfect for when you want to create…or just meditate.
Instead of a traditional purple, try periwinkle {as shown above}. This is a cool, bluish purple that looks great with deep golden oranges, such as ginger. Photo from decorpad.com.
{petdogonline}
{beinteriordecorator}
{flickr}
{modernfurniturepieces}
Sweet Christmas Color – Sugar Plum
Once again, this year I put up my little lilac Christmas tree {along with a few other purple things}.
If I could, I would decorate the whole house in shades of purple. Unfortunately, hubby and the boys {my three sons} would freak out, but I can still dream…with visions of sugar plums dancing in my head.
In the language of color, Sugar Plum is just a Christmasy name for purple. It’s sweet sound conjures up images of anything from deep grape and plum to mauve and lavender.
Below is the Sugar Plum-themed dining room of artist Jennifer Hayslip. I love how she mixed lavender with other sweet colors. This photo was taken a couple of years ago, but it’s such a timeless, vintage look that would look great right now.
{Sugar Plum cupcake from yummycupcakes.com}
{Sugar Plum Fairy photo by Porter House Designs}
Sweet Seasons Greetings!
Color Sheme: Purple and Brown
As the Fall 2010 colors begin to emerge, the autumn-inspired palette of purple and brown is definitely a trend to watch. As you know, purple is my fave and I’m also glad to see that brown is still hot.
{trenddirector.net – Fall 2010 color trends}
I’m also loving the different variations: lavender, taupe, plum, chocolate, periwinkle, espresso, violet, mocha…
{jcpenney-studio helix collection}
{houzz.com - designer Brian Patrick Flynn}
I’ve also been known to do a little lilac paired with khaki and chocolate, myself:
This Year’s Purple Trend
Turquoise has been declared Color of the Year, but so far it seems Purple Reigns. Join me, as I take you on a tour to the many different faces, places and products where Purple has been seen:
The color Purple has been spotted everywhere: in fashion, home accessories, magazines, advertisements and make-up collections, as the beautiful Zoe Kravitz shows us here {photo from InStyle; Fancy Pancy eyeshadow from Sephora}.
There were 1-2-3-4-5 celebrities who donned pretty Purple dresses at the Golden Globe Awards in January. In addition, Michelle Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden all sported the color at the President’s State of the Union Address last month.
Coach has a lovely new spring collection of handbags that features a fun mix of Purples in a variety of shades and tints.
On the decorating front, there are plenty of Purple pleasures available for our homes this year.
{from Target and Bliss Living Home}
Purple is a great color for your home because, in it’s truest form, it is a perfect balance of warm {red} and cool {blue}. For a little variation try a wine-colored plum for even more warmth, or a blue-periwinkle for a touch of cool.
Purple chandeliers and Purple chandelier earrings are both very chic right now. I love the Murano glass chandelier, but the earrings fit into my budget so much better.
If you’re searching for a new fragrance, Halle Berry’s new perfume gives you the chance to sport a Purple-y scent.
From violet to plum to lavender, fashion designers have shown their Purple pride on the runway. If you want to know what will be hot in home design, keep your eye on fashion trends.
{Tracy Reese Spring 2010, photo by NYmag.com}
{Rachel Roy Fall 2010, photo from NY Mag}
Venus and Serena Williams’ new ad campaign for Nabisco is positively Purple.
…And finally, at our last stop we come full-circle with another show of Purple make-up. This time from MAC Cosmetics Spring 2010 Colour3 {Plum} Forecast Collection.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this ‘tour’ as much as I enjoyed putting it together. I love many colors, but purple is my favorite. However, I’m looking forward to seeing what other colors will stand out this year. When I find out, I’ll let you know!
Flower Power
Early this morning I was working in my office when something caught my eye:
When I looked up from my desk, the flower ornament that hangs on the door was all lit up and sparkling. As it turns out, the morning sun was streaming in through my home’s palladian window in the foyer. The door to my office happened to be open at just the right angle…and voila! A delightful surprise!
My amethyst, acrylic ornament was being powered by the sun. How’s that for flower power? I quickly grabbed my camera as to not forget this image. I’m rarely in my office that early in the morning {I’m a night owl}. I think it’s amazing how God uses the simplest of things to reveal His beauty…and quite often it’s right in front of us.
A Pop of Purple
Love this space from Baltimore designer Patrick Sutton.
{from Patrick Sutton Interior Design}
The lighting fixture and draperies add just the perfect pop of purple — well, violet really. Being that I heart any shade of purple, this cozy space has my name {and maybe yours, too} written all over it.
{Violet also makes an appearance in the area rug. Photos from Home and Design.}
Garden Inspired Spaces
If I could turn my backyard garden into a room…
It would look like this:
Nature is our biggest source of inspiration. Its purposeful and plentiful color is a gift from God. We live in a colorful world, but do we really see the colors? When you truly notice how colors are combined outdoors, you’ll feel confident bringing more colors indoors. Compare the two photos above: In the garden, violet phlox translates into plush violet chairs; deep brown mulch becomes the main hue for walls and flooring; new growth of a pine tree is reflected in yellow-green draperies and pillows. And check out the room’s wall mural — flowers, plants and birds — perfection.
This dining room also picks up some of the garden’s colors: red of the Japanese maple, gray tones of the stonework, and mulch brown.
The wall color in this space reflects the soft green found in many of my garden plants.
Another splash of violet in this dining room, along with a touch of mint green which is the color of the vase in my garden.
This kitchen also features that mint green. The darker shades represent the color of my “see-no-evil” frog….or maybe I should call him the “see-no-color” frog:
Perhaps this little guy can remind us to actually see the colors of nature — whether it’s your garden, a beautiful sunset, or the produce at your grocery store. Be inspired!
room photos from homesandgardens.com
You may also enjoy this post: Lots of Yellow and a Bit O’ Blue
Purple By Any Other Name
The color purple has long been associated with royalty and spirituality. In ancient times, purple dye was so difficult to obtain, only the wealthy and powerful wore purple garments. However, today purple has taken on many other meanings.
The deep plum wall color {ideahome.com} in this room almost appears gray. With this type of muted purple, you can add gray and shiny silver furnishings, creating a modern feel with an overall sense of harmony.
Lavender, just like the plant of the same name, offers a sense of well-being. It’s a fun color that is as youthful as it is elegant. In this space {southernaccents.com}, lavender is paired with neutrals to create a bedroom that fits a young or adult guest.
I love the vivid violet wall color in this bedroom {livingetc.com}. This cooler hue contains more blue than red, just like the deeper tones in the area rug and bed cover. I think these colors are very majestic.
This living room demonstrates how aubergine fabrics and accessories can add a regal feel to a neutral space {elledecor.com}. This is always a safe and easy way to add color to your home. Then, when you’ve got your color confidence, you can paint those walls!
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