May 19th, 2009
I Heart… Purple in Design
(Apologies this entry is a few days late. I was off on an impromptu shopping adventure to the States, and my scheduled posting failed me. Bad WordPress, bad! No cookie for you.)
The challenge: My parents moved to (a town just outside of) Toronto, built a new home, and are now in the process of decorating. While I don’t technically live with them (I’m only crashing May-August), I still have a bedroom of my own in the house. Now, to decorate “my” bedroom. It is their house though, so I have some very strict guidelines and have to work with what’s already present in the room. I’m lucky in that what’s there is already pretty awesome (white furniture, light gray walls), but it’s convincing the mother that my additions to the room will look good, while still in keeping with the mother’s over all style so the room doesn’t feel out of place with the rest of the house.
What I want: purple. And the mother’s thoughts? No. She says that now though. She doesn’t think she likes purple, but I’m determined to sway her, and I’m confident that I can.
I’m a natural colour kind of girl. I like gray, and I like white, and I like black. A lot. In fact, the majority of anything that I own – clothing, furniture, kitchen items, etc. – is one of those colours. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t fear colour – I love it! – my issue is this: I’m still finding my place in the world and am moving from one end of the country to the next, living in cheap apartment, after cheap apartment. Making sure my “homes” are perfectly coordinated, designed and colour conscious are far from my top priority. So sticking to my hand-me-downs in grays, whites and blacks works for me. For now.
But I digress. Lately, I’ve developed a passion for purple. I was never a girly girl who had to have my pinks, purples, and pastels splashed all over every aspect of my life. In fact, it hasn’t been until recent years that I’ve started to appreciate pink and purple as colours that don’t necessarily have to look juvenile or overly girlish. When used in small doses, in deep, saturated shades, and paired with naturals to ground the brights, purple (and pink) can actually look very lush, luxiourious, rich and glamourous; all things I’m 100% pro! When living on the cheap, trying to get the most bang for your buck is key. And when you can spend 10$ and have the finished product look like you spent 10 times that, my question is why not?
This, my friends, is what I’m trying to convince the mother of. I fear she’s stuck in my former frame of mind – that purple is for little girls. I, on the other hand, have seen the error in my ways and I will show her that purple will work for her, look expensive, and keep the ole wallet smiling.
And so, in honour of glorious colour purple, and my quest to enlighten the mother, a collection of beautiful designs featuring purple! Because I’m in love.
(Image via Desire to Inspire)
(Image scanned from Canada’s Style at Home April 2009 by myself)
I’m very drawn to this use of a slightly-darker-than-lavender shade of purple combined with a sky blue and turquoise.
(Image via Apartment Therapy)
Deep purple floor-to-ceiling curtains, a brightly painted ornate headboard and paired with an iridescent gold bedspread: gorgeous!
(Image via Laura Ashley)
(Image via Citified)
I’m a big fan of wallpapering items that aren’t necessarily walls. It’s an easy way to spruce up otherwise boring items and bring a little extra punch into the room. I’ve got some really hideous beige lampshades at the moment, and I found a nice roll of bridal wrapping paper with a soft purple floral pattern (à la center lampshade below) that I’m thinking will work very nicely for me.
(Image via Domino)
Monochromatic packs the punch! This all purple room is far from boring using many different patterns and textures. I love the Greek-esque floor rug.
(Image via Apartment Therapy)
A ceiling painted a bright colour is an interesting and unique way to introduce a pop of colour into an otherwise neutral space.
(Image via Apartment Therapy)
I love how something as easy and simple as adding a solid purple rug to this otherwise shades-of-white room really livens it up. The bright colour draws your eye away from the chipped walls, and unfinished window treatments, and brings it toward the beautiful furniture and accessories instead.
(Image via unknown)
(Image via Apartment Therapy)
I covet this headboard…
(Image via Apartment Therapy)
… and possibly this one, too.
(Image via Apartment Therapy)
I love this painted armoire. It’s so wonderfully ornate in a way that I can only assume it was most overwhelming and over the top in its original colour, but painted this saturated shade of purple, it tones down the crazy and adds a shot of playful energy to the piece. Coupled with that deep velvet ottoman, it pumps up the glamour.
(Image scanned from House & Home by myself, issue unknown)
(Image via unknown)
This bedroom is to die for. What’s not to love? Painted exposed brick, a crystal chandelier, a mirrored side table/vanity, and that stunning purple duvet. Now this is something I could live with every day. It’s got neutrals a-plenty, and just the right amount of colour to jazz the place up.
(Image via Domino)
This just in: Purple is the new black.
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Morgan » 19 May 2009
Oh I love your blog– it makes me so happy. I could look at design all day, and purple themes? Gimme gimme gimme!!
I’m 1) so jealous that you get a whole room to work with and 2) hoping that you will show us that fun things that you have done.
Purple is gorgeous… I just love that it can take on so many different vibes. Dramatic, crisp, clean– it’s such a versatile color to work with.
Good luck to you!
P.s.: Do you just search for these images or do you have an entire stock of gorgeous interior design photos somewhere?!
-M.
(reply to this comment)
Krissy replied on 20 May 2009...
Haha, glad to find another people who appreciates the colour purple! *high five* :D
I will definitely post pictures when I’m finished with the room. I’m super duper excited about it as it will be my first ‘whole’ room to deal with; I really hope it turns out how I’m envisioning it in my head. And thanks for the luck! I will probably need it being a design newbie. ;)
Oh goodness, I have a MASSIVE folder on my hard drive filled with pictures of beautiful interiors that I’ve collected over time. Whenever I stumble upon something I find inspiring, into the folder it goes. :D I’ve been trying to keep track where I get them from in the last year, but older ones (some of them are 3 and 4 years old), I don’t remember where they came from any more which is a bit of a shame.
(reply to this comment)