I know there are folks who adore
purple. It’s never been my favorite
color, but my appreciation grows steadily over time.
For example, last summer I saw the
most amazingly simple combination of plants.
Vitex agnus-castus,
underplanted with purple-leaved Heuchera,
separated by clumps of Perovskia
atriplicifolia, all abloom at once, all thriving in an inhospitable stretch
of highway median. Looking velvety cool,
despite the blazing hot pavement, probably at 130 degrees or more, and
refreshingly delicate among the chaos of rush hour traffic. The sight convinced me that purple should be
the backbone of the new garden I hope to establish this year to replace my
overgrown, faltering butterfly garden.
Purple shines in winter as well as
summer.
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Some plants shimmer despite the frigid weather. |
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Even the decorative cabbage is layered with purple tones. |
It is old-fashioned and romantic,
the
color of Lilac, Lavender and evening skies, and pure energy and adventure. Think of frosty morns and glam rockers. Purple is decadent
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Cowtan and Tout's Mackinaw is lush with autumnal colors, but it's really the bits of purple that give it that extra something. |
and exotic;
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Thibaut's new collection, called Biscayne, includes this tropical floral. Lucala in Linen and Plum |
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Detail of Lucala |
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Detail of coordinating Rinca wallpaper, also in Plum. Both Lucala and Rinca come in printed fabric and wallpaper. |
royal and
rebellious.
And perhaps no one understands this
better than the creative team at Manuel Canovas.
Founded in 1963 by its namesake,
Manuel Canovas Paris quickly became known for textiles, both for fashion and
home, in bold patterns,
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As you know, I'm a big fan of chrysanthemum and Penelope. Seen here in Prune and Rouge. |
floral,
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Bagatelle in Magnanese |
chic and oriental;
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Sultan in Fuschia |
gorgeous rifts on
traditional toile;
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Bengal in Grenat |
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Cerisy (my favorite toile of all time), seen here in Prune, is both warm and vibrant with a cream-yellow background, ivory accents and rich raisin purple.
Bengal and Cerisy are available as fabric and wallpaper. |
and stunning color combinations…
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Byzance, a linen-silk blend, in Rubis |
usually with shades of
purple.
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Although these are the "taupe" versions of Aurore and |
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Dara, they seemed infused with dark and bright purples. |
Even without a lot of pattern, Manuel
Canovas fabrics are sumptuous and heavily invested in purple.
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Maroquin, in Cassis, is beautifully textured. |
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Safari in Lilas |
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Shetland, a wool-blend plaid, comes in several color combinations, including Amethyste and Taupe. |
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Tamia in Parme is sturdy enough for outdoor use. |
The variety of textiles, and how they
are embellished, is extraordinary.
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Fiesta in Amethyste... embroidery on linen-viscose |
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Nimes in Basilic... embroidery on viscose-silk |
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Silk Charlotte in the softest Mauve |
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And Bastide is a damask of fire-resistant Trevira fabric.
Seen here in Parme |
And I love the charmingly descriptive
names for purple hues.
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Belem in Lie de Vin... the color of wine. |
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Spritely Marly comes in the popular French color known as Parme, which I think of as the hue of spring crocus. |
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Foch, a luxurious cotton velvet, comes in five shades of purple, including Quetsche... a dark, luscious plum and |
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Glycine... like racemes of wisteria. |
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Zenith in Violine, |
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Vence in Oeillet |
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and Vallauris in Pensee, recall Deco-era resorts on the French Riviera. |
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Calypso in Fuschia and |
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Nautilus in Lilas aren't your usual beach-inspired patterns! |
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Tarascon, seen here in Parme and Violine, may be the perfect stripe. |
Manuel Canovas is now one of the five
brands that make up Cowtan and Tout, and Ariane Dalle, previously with Pierre
Frey, leads the design process. But
purple, in all its glorious variations, is still a mainstay of the collections.
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Champs-Elysee, a linen-viscose weave, comes in Raisin (seen here), as well as Lilas and Violette. |
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Voyage en Chine in Prune |
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The chairs sport a cotton-linen weave called Ales... here in Amethyste... and the draperies are the finely-embroidered Beauregard. |
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Ales in Parme |
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Beauregard in Nattier Rouge or |
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Fuschia Rose. |
I remember a pair of earrings and
cocktail ring that my mother owned decades ago.
They were uncut amethysts. The
ring was large and almost liquid. The
earrings hung in long teardrops with posts, which looked like little seals of calligraphy. I believe my father had purchased them in
Hong Kong. And although the set is long
gone, I can recall how magical, how foreign and mysterious, it seemed to me
when my mother would get dressed for an evening out or let me play with her
jewelry box.
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Le Cabinet de Curiosite in Amethyste |
So as we head from January (garnet)
to February (amethyst), consider adding a bit of purple passion to your home,
preferably with something wonderful from Manuel Canovas.
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