Happy Exclusive Plum Year!

I’m not the kind of person who follows trends. When it comes to fashion and music and home decorating, I march to the beat of my own drummer. But purple is one trend that I’m all over! Pantone recently announced that Radiant Orchid is their 2014 colour of the year. And soon after after, Sherwin Williams announced that its colour for 2014 is Exclusive Plum.

“This dusky, filtered violet is refined without being stuffy, elegant yet easy, and layered with romantic potential.”

Jackie Jordan, Sherwin-Williams director of color marketing.

It just so happened that I had been thinking of repainting the ocean-inspired gallery wall in our hallway purple. The perfect spot to try out Exclusive Plum! What was charcoal grey…

…is now pretty in purple :-)

Oh yeah, feelin’ the purple love! In fact, I was so in love with the colour, I needed more of it! But where… no way was I painting the whole hallway. I did that a few years ago and just about peed myself painting the front entry on wobbly scaffolding with only the chandelier to grab onto if I went down. Nope, not happening. Hmmmmm… there’s no reason why I couldn’t paint one end of the hallway purple…

And now all dramatic and sexy in Exclusive Plum :-)

I love how the purple works with the dark brown doors and the flooring and the colour at the other end of the hallway. And it’s totally satisfied my need to have more purple in my life :-)

What’s your colour of the year for 2014?

Sock Snow People

Some of the dog rescue people that I know got together to make adorable sock snow people to auction off and raise money for a variety of local rescue groups. They’ve been given the name Breenie Babies in honour of a wonderful lady who does the most amazing things to help animals in need.

Please say hello to my three Breenie Babies – from left to right are Jaunty Janna, Seductive Samantha, and Thoughtful Theodore. With a colourful penguin tossed in for good measure :-)

These are a few of the other fun sock snow people that this creative team came up with :-)

 

Don’t ask ;-)

There are lots of tutorials online – click each image below to go to the web site and see how these sock snow people were made.

I’m totally making some of these next year!

Ravishing Radiant Orchid

Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2014 is Radiant Orchid.

“While the 2013 color of the year, PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald, served as a symbol of growth, renewal and prosperity, Radiant Orchid reaches across the color wheel to intrigue the eye and spark the imagination. An invitation to innovation, Radiant Orchid encourages expanded creativity and originality, which is increasingly valued in today’s society.”

“An enchanting harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid inspires confidence and emanates great joy, love and health. It is a captivating purple, one that draws you in with its beguiling charm.”

You know me, I love my purple! In fact, I happen to be wearing this sweater as I type this…

And as soon as I saw it, I thought of my favourite colourful designer, Jamie Drake.

Image via New York Social Diary (Table is painted BM Mulberry 2075-20)

He was way ahead of the forecast with these rooms!

 
Images via Drake Design Associates

Eileen Kathryn Boyd has also used this gorgeous colour…

 

And another one of my favourite designers, Amanda Nisbet…

Do you like Radiant Orchid? Would you use it in your home? Yes on both counts here!