Purple | Design Happens

ALL POSTS TAGGED "[purple]"

Inspiration Board: My Color Crush on Purple

by Jeanine Hays August 15, 2011 15 Comments

Developing a color palette is one of my favorite things to do. Whether I’m designing a new pillow or wall treatment for AphroChic, one of the first things I like to start with is color. As you can probably tell from my posts, I’m all about bright palettes and bold shades, and I love to explore the color spectrum by creating a mood board or something visual to get inspired. I have a few favorite tools for finding just the right shade. I personally can’t live without the Pantone app on my iPhone, and my other favorite tool is Pinterest, a cool site where you can take some of your favorite images from the web and put them into a visual scrapbook or “board.” I decided to create one for my current color crush — purple.

Regal, warm, and a beautiful accent color, my Pinterest board explores all my favorite purple shades from grape to a warm gray-purple mix.

Angie Hranowski Design Studio

I’ve found that curating a favorite shade in a visual inspiration board leads to unexpected discoveries. You never know what will pop out at you. Like that a purple sofa can look amazing when paired with bits of brown and cream…

Marie Claire Maison

…and that modern wood furniture pieces can ground shades like dark purple, blue and pink.
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HGTV Design Star Episode 1: Go Behind the Scenes With Me

by Brian Patrick Flynn July 14, 2011 17 Comments

So I briefly moved from Atlanta to New York City after being asked to join the production team as a design producer for season six of HGTV Design Star. Totally awesome opening sentence, right? I know! FYI, just in case this new job seems totally random, I’ve been producing home makeover TV shows for about eight years, sometimes also hosting them, while working on private homes for clients on nights and weekends. In other words, this wasn’t my first time at the TV decorating rodeo. Was it my first time taking a subway to said metaphorical rodeo? Yes. The B and the D Line to be exact.

After some time up-close-and-personal working on the challenges and location scouts of HGTV’s hit show, I can tell you first-hand that it’s one of the fastest-paced, most challenging design shows on TV. So much that sleep is pretty much a luxury for producers, crew members and contestant designers. I’m not complaining. The entire experience was awesome. Let’s talk about episode one.

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Daily Delight: Sequin Pillows

by Lili Zarghami March 16, 2011 5 Comments

Don’t let New Year’s Eve be the only time you think of sequins. These sparkly, full-of-personality metallic embellishments will add a bright touch of glamor to your bed, armchair or sofa.

sequin pillows

If too many sequins make you nervous that you’ll turn your living room into a 70s-era disco, try just one. Silver or gold can act feminine and pretty, while a black or purple are punchy and dark enough to blend. I want to throw the silver pillow on the plaid chair in the Coastal Living room from yesterday!

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Happy Mardi Gras!

by Lili Zarghami March 8, 2011 10 Comments

King cake is so evocative of Mardi Gras for me, that I thought I’d use it as design inspiration today.

king cake
The New Orleans-style dessert cake is topped with the three traditional colors of Mardi Gras: green, yellow and purple. So in honor of this delicious galette des Rois, here are some of my favorite Mardi Gras-colored rooms.

Groundhog Day: Spring! Spring! Spring!

by Kayla Kitts February 2, 2011 6 Comments

It’s two days into February, and I’m already craving spring flowers, springtime decor and tons of sunshine. Fortunately, the weather prognosticating groundhog Punxsutawney Phil and his Southern comrade General Beau Lee, with the help of their fickle shadows, have declared we’ll be enjoying an early spring!

Groundhog Winter Spring

Thank goodness! Especially for those in the path of this colossal storm. So, get your spring fever on with five of my favorite spring blooms and colorful rooms.

Spring Tulips Orange Kitchen Celia Berliner

Nothing says “Hello spring!” quite like a vibrant shade of orange, especially in the kitchen. I would love to sit back and enjoy those mimosas while gazing upon a vase filled with these variegated tulips. Design by Celia Berliner

Got Spring Design Fever?

Purple December

by Erinn Valencich December 28, 2010 3 Comments

Last fall, major designers debuted a range of purples for both tabletop and home. Any of my favorites below would make a gorgeous statement on your holiday table, sofa or bed. Pair purple with silver or gold, and say a chic farewell to 2010. Happy New Year everyone!

Bedroom needing a winter’s lift that will carry you right into spring? Check out Vera Wang’s new line of bedding, available at Bloomingdales. Super chic, and with a great mix of patterns and prints, so it looks like you culled many stores, instead of buying a set. Perfect!

Purple for 2011

Visions of Sugar Plums

by Brian Patrick Flynn December 16, 2010 3 Comments

Writing about holiday decor often puts me to sleep. There’s only so much one can say about red, green, silver and gold decor until the desire to punch Rudolph in his crimson sniffer kicks in. Known as somewhat of a Scrooge from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve, I wanted this year to be hollier and jollier.

KAZAM! In two shake’s of a non-existent reindeers’ tails, I suddenly found my design side getting into the Christmas spirit.

This is the part where you hypothetically ask yourself, “Well, how did he do that?”

Brian’s Yuletide Challenge

Color of the Month: November 2010

by Kelley Walters November 1, 2010 15 Comments

Picking the color of the month is like picking your favorite cupcake. Chocolate…so rich. Strawberry? Sweet, ripe fruit. Or how about silky red velvet with cream cheese icing? See what I mean? Practically impossible. How can you abandon any when they’re all so delicious?

In October, we got lucky; consensus came quickly. We all fell for peacock, turquoise’s big sister, which pairs perfectly with this season’s gray, dusty pink and chartreuse.

For November, it took a lot more work to find a color we could all agree on. We argued for gold (the metallic sort), cherry, raisin and even black. Finally, though, we made our choice. This month?

Did We Choose Right?

Floors That Pop

by Jeanine Hays October 18, 2010 6 Comments

Are you yearning for color but a little hesitant? Here’s a suggestion: don’t look around…look down.

The Rug Company

Instead of wall color and room-centering pieces of furniture, focus on your floor. Building a color palette from the ground up is a great way to create a color story for a space in your home. Here are some tips on how colorful flooring can add wow factor to a new room or easily transform an existing space, whether through solid blocks of carpet or the layering of decorative rugs.