home about me our home

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Is It Lavender or Lilac?


Southern Accents magazine.  Designer Amelia Handegan

Is it Lavender or Lilac?  These are two gorgeous colors.  Lavender is a light to pale purple with a bluish hue and Lilac is a light to pale purple with a pinkish hue.  I love to look at both of these colors  and yet, I never use them in my own home.  Often we think of a little girls room when we think of either of these two colors.  If the room has too much of either of these colors it will appear too sweet.  A room done in shades that are too vibrant of either of these colors will seem harsh and jarring to the eye.  I want to show you some " grown-up" rooms done very nicely in Lavender and/or Lilac.   I always pause when I see a room done well in either one of these colors.  Here are some pictures that just made me take pause and say," Aaaaaaah!"


This room has a nice contrast between the dark brown and the lilac.




Very Pretty!


With just a touch of Lilac in the lovely flowers, this room reads as a Lilac room.



What a comfy looking chaise.  I love the softness of the lavender velvet. It looks so inviting to me. Notice the blue-gray in this lavender?


How delightful would it be to sit here and have a wonderful meal with so many pretty things in lavender to look at?



Notice just a hint of lilac on the walls, keeping it soft and gentle to the eye.



This homeowner, reallllly loves lavender!  I have to mention the great beamed ceiling in this picture



What a pretty combination, Spring green and lilac





Aaaaaah! Isn't this a sweet nursery?



Just subtle touches of lavender here.



Whoa!!! Although this room is well decorated, the vibrant Lavender took it to a place that , personally , I do not want to go.

You can see when a color is used in the right value it can be a beautiful  room, however, when done overboard it is very jarring to the eye.

I will leave you with this final picture of Lavender done in the very best possible way.




"Enjoy the Process" Of:  Discovering ways to use Lavender in your Home.

Kathysue

6 comments:

Sue said...

I love that last picture. I don't decorate with lavendar or wear it. I think that comes from the "When I am old...I will wear purple" poem. I do however love to bring in shades of purple in flowers. I love deep purple and green together, love lilacs when I can get them...and I love a spritz of lavendar on my sheets.

Sue

Rue said...

Hi Kathysue :)

I'm not a purple lover at all, but I love the table setting with it. I think it's a lot like using turquoise... a little goes a long way ;)

rue

Kat said...

Now Kathysue, you know about my problems with purple lol. But the bath with just the touch of lavender in the flowers is gorgeous, and I actually really love the beachy room with the beamed ceiling. The last room is definitely a WOW room, but there is no way I could live with it. I think I'll just camp in that field and be happy! Kat

Sissie's Shabby Cottage said...

These rooms are so soft and serene. However, I prefer just touches of lavender or lilac.
However, the rooms all have Wow!

La Dolfina said...

I adore photo # 3
I'll leave lavender to the professionals and admire it from afar :)

Tricia said...

Gorgeous images! I could handle some subtle accents in my home for sure~ flowers and pillows.