Purple haze...

The Color Purple is currently on tour and this weekend it will be playing at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC).   

I have seen the movie and look forward to the musical...but...I started to think of purple--all of the combined shades, and how this color can be incorporated into decorating.

The first thing that came to mind was purple in nature and how those colors can be integrated with paint colors, furniture coverings, and table displays.

With the impending spring weather (it must be coming soon), I looked in my iPhotos library of pictures searching for  "all things purple."  Many of the pictures were taken in our courtyard over the years or while we were traveling. 

 James K. Polk garden and Courtyard Lillies

Irises in the Courtyard

 Grapes in Napa Valley

Table arrangement at Samoset Resort in Maine

After a quick search, I found several great examples of decorating with purple. Here are a few from the HGTV site:

This is the color I painted a bathroom in our last house.  The half bath had cherry cabinets with brass fixtures.  I thought the room would look smaller with the dark color, but it made it actually appear to have more depth.

I also found that home items in different shades of purple are pretty popular!  Here are a few:

 Light Amethyst bedding from West Elm

Marimekko Saarni bedding from Crate and Barrel

Andrea low pile rug in purple and Tanja Broya duvet and pillows in purple from IKEA

It is quite possible that purple remains one of those colors that brings back quirky memories or maybe my affinity for purple comes from PeeDee, the East Carolina University mascot (1987, 1989 alum..., Go Pirates!) and the fact that I wore purple for about four years!

If you get a chance, read The Color Purple, or catch the musical if the tour comes to your city.

Thinking about the rich variations of purple and all of the possibilities makes me think about where I can incorporate a shade or two in a room, by adding textiles, planting in the courtyard, or even as a glaze for pottery!

As Jimi said, purple haze all in my brain...