Disclosure: I am not a purple girl. I'm not sure why. There is nothing wrong with purple- it is, after all, a rather pretty color. And it is the hue of royalty. But for some reason it never grabbed me like other colors.
That is, until I saw this image of a glorious brooch designed by Tony Duquette. The amethyst and kunzite look so beautiful against the glint of the brooch's gold setting. And a few days ago I came across this image below of Mary Jane Pool's bedroom with its lavender bedding and curtains. Let me tell you, if purple is good enough for Mary Jane Pool, then it's A-OK with me. So perhaps I'm coming around to purple. Sometimes you just have to have an open mind.
Mary Jane Pool's bedroom (Image from Domino, Mar 08). For those who have read the March Domino, don't you just love her whole apartment?
Plum Sykes in her former apartment, surrounded by lilac (or light "plum") colored walls. Image from Bright Young Things
An easy way to incorporate purple into a room. A soft purple linen undercloth with a purple matelasse tablecloth in the French home of Janet de Botton (image from Vogue Living Houses, Gardens, People
Pretty in purple- the floral print panels are by Muriel Brandolini. (Design by Jose Solis Betancourt and Paul Sherrill; Southern Accents Jan/Feb 08; photographer Pieter Estersohn)
A tablesetting in shades of purple looks smart against a grisaille background (image from Perfect Tables
Image at top: Photo of Duquette brooch from Town & Country, Dec 07
Personally I love a little lilac!
ReplyDeleteA- See, I'm coming around b/c I agree with you. Lilac is a pretty and feminine color!
ReplyDeleteI've never been that much into purple either - then all of a sudden, I just love it. Particularly a deep shade used on a linen. Scrumptious!
ReplyDeleteLinda- I know! Isn't it funny how all of a sudden you see something in a different light?
ReplyDeleteI'm the same way exactly. In general never a purple person but when I see amethyst and lavender done a certain way it's just lovely.
ReplyDeleteCourtney- I probably should have mentioned Anne Coyle b/c when she uses lavender it looks just great.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a purple girl either Jennifer, but the photos just might persuade me to change my mind.
ReplyDeleteAnne Coyle uses lavenders as a great base! I've always loved hues of purple and lavender. This is a great post! My entire living room and dining area (same space) is painted in lavender. Great post! The brooch is gorgeous and I love William Yeoward.
ReplyDeleteI hate to sound pedantic, but isn't every colour in the spectrum validated by how it is used? Or despised if it's too blatant? If we think of purple only in terms of Easter eggs, we're bound to reject it. Jennifer's examples show how effective purple shades can be. And in a post on floral chintzes, there was Rose Cumming's dazzling "Delphinium"~I have used it to great effect against greyed lilac walls, with black/gold regency accents.
ReplyDeleteAt Fenton House, Mr Fowler covered a gilt chair in rich magenta twill~it was in the Yellow Drawing Room and it spiced things up in a remarkable way.
Okay, now I'll get off my high horse...
Alkemie- That sounds beautiful! Coyle is a master of the use of lavender!
ReplyDeleteToby- I think you do have a point- it's all in the way it's used. What is interesting is how color (amongst other things) can elicit such a strong emotional reaction. I wonder what I saw as a child that turned me off of purple? What I'm now realizing is how much I like "greyed" shades of purple- lilac and lavender specifically. Your scheme of greyed lilac walls with the Cumming chintz sounds divine. And look how the curtains in Pool's room seem rather greyed. That might just be the lighting, but it gives the room a sophisticated and subtle touch of color.
ReplyDeleteLilac is the new aqua. hard to find fabrics in it now - just like aqua was, by next year the showrooms will be flooded with all shades of purple. I just finished a teenager's bedroom done all in lilac = it was to die for!!! So beautiful. I love the picture of the brooch and the skirted table, that was from one of my favorite stories in that book. great post, as usual.
ReplyDeleteJ
It just occurred to me that of the best "purple" rooms was one that didn't exist in the real world: The set for the Edwardian period morning room in the television
ReplyDeletesaga Upstairs/Downstairs. A sort of plummy mauve on the walls was outlined in black, the woodwork was grey and the chimneypiece black marble. It was a striking background for much of the "upstairs" drama~am I the only person on the planet who's crazy about that room?
You're too funny, I'm not a purple person either but these are all great examples of how lovely the color can be!
ReplyDelete~Kate
A touch of purple silk (or cashmere) against a grey (or even navy) suit is very elegant, too. As Toby Worthington writes, it's all in how you use it.
ReplyDeleteGreat table setting.
Toby- You know what? I've never seen Upstairs/Downstairs. (Have I just ruined my credibility?) That said, I obviously need to rent it! Is there anybody else out there who's familiar with this room?
ReplyDeleteKate- We're coming around to it!
ReplyDeleteMr. E- Absolutely. A rich purple against navy or gray is very striking!
ReplyDeleteJennifer~
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post! The older I get, the more I feel myself getting the fever for this color. It's so soothing. Ironically, I just posted a lilac collage on my blog today. I love the way you always put everything together so cohesively and illustrate your subject so well.
"Plum Sykes"--Do names get any better than that?!
ReplyDelete-pt
Anne- I saw it! Lilibet in Lavender! Great job. :)
ReplyDeletePT- Yes, much like Cookie or Oatsie. Fab names!!!
ReplyDeleteOk - I'm late to the game, I had a deadline today, but, I think I don't like purple either, then...The SA bedroom has always been a favorite. There is also a linen velvet chair used by Rose Tarlow, the purple is so deep it's almost black. Heaven. And, yes, clothes are different - but always the shade is the thing. Grape? No thanks.
ReplyDeletePeak, Mr. Worthington is right.... you need to rent "Upstairs/Downstairs." It's great soap opera, as is the "follow up" ("The Duchess of Duke Street.")
ReplyDeleteMr. E- I'm off to Netflix now, assuming of course that they have it!
ReplyDeleteJennifer dear, there are 58 episodes of Upstairs Downstairs, so you'd better be selective or we'll never hear from you again, and that would be a loss to civilisation. If it's that Morning Room set you are curious about, it is seen to its best advantage in series 3~to do with the First World War. In the later series, that room gets an overhaul, and all that mauve is banished in favour of 1920s orange. Pity.
ReplyDeleteToby- Well, I knew the show aired for a while, but had no idea there were that many episodes. Good heavens no, I can't watch all of them! I'll see what Netflix has in series 3, b/c I would like to see the Morning Room.
ReplyDeleteI have to say : I love purple and purple and green is for me a wonderful mix
ReplyDeleteMélanie- Oh yes, I do like lilac and green together.
ReplyDelete