I’m Plum Crazy! And You Will Be, Too!

Hey there, ReDo Readers – happy NEW week, and happy NEW blog post! I’ve been enjoying myself getting back into the swing of things, digging my heels into my old routine and loving every minute of it! There’s something to be said for what each of us perceives as normal, or even mundane, in our own lives. I for one am glad to be back in the saddle of project work, working out, seeing friends and loved ones, home projects, and all the things that I enjoy doing. This is MY normal, MY routine and MY sense of mundane; it’s my reality and I love it. When I get asked about being away for five weeks for the Macy’s staging project, I tell them that it was a great experience, but I missed being home, in my own house, my own bed, my own routine. And that’s what I’m grateful for – having a routine that is mine and mine alone. I guess that’s one of the things I garnered from this whole opportunity, and I have to tell you, whatever YOUR sense of ‘normal’ or ‘mundane’ is, whatever your routine may be, just be glad you have it and that it helps you define your day, your world, your life. It sounds crazy, but it’s YOUR crazy, you know?

Speaking of crazy, there’s this amazing color trend that’s happening in fashion and in furniture, from accessories to fabric and textiles. If you guessed plum, you’re already on the information curve – congrats! This color – and the many varying shades around it like berry, aubergine, and wine – is hot, hot, HOT right now, and has been making it’s way into the design and decor world that last few seasons. A good friend of mine who is a buyer for Crate and Barrel told me late last year about this color trend, and I wanted to write about it then, but thought it would be best to wait for the products to actually hit the street so that I can give you some great examples of what’s out there and where you can go to get it! I’ve been out and about on my recent travels seeing what’s on the market, and doing some online research, so let’s sally forth and dive into the deep colorful world of plum!

Starting at the high end of design and luxury, we go to Design Within Reach, or DWR – one of my favorite stores. They’re known for their modern, contemporary furniture and accessories, along with their mid-century and mid-century inspired pieces, from the great master designers like Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. At DWR you can expect to pay a pretty penny for your furniture purchase, but in doing so you are also buying the highest of quality, and the history of the design brand to back it up. Right now, they have a great collection of occasional chairs and other fabric covered items customizable in plum and other similar colored material and now is a good time to get your hands on some of these hot colored pieces during their upholstery sale (which ends right away, on February 1st– but they host this sale every year). Plum and its family of similar colors will be hot for the next few seasons, so look around the DWR site for more like this.

While I was working the Macy’s gig, I had my eye on a few mid-century inspired collections, specifically the ‘Blake’, shown here in aubergine. Every design company and manufacturer has a different take on what “aubergine” (a.k.a., eggplant), or plum may be on the color spectrum; but what I personally liked about this shade was that it reminded me of a beautiful wine color, like a pinot noir. And it’s not just the color that I like about the ‘Blake’ collection; it’s also that mid-century inspired design with the wooden spindle legs, low back, long wide track arms, wider seating, and tufted (or button tufted) detail. A real throwback to that 50′s and 60′s era of our parents that is resurging with popularity in so many design options, like furniture, fabric, and decor. What I like about the quality of these items at Macy’s is that they’re sturdy, well-made investments that will last a long time. And, at such affordable prices, you really can’t go wrong with a purchase through them especially when you factor in credit options, furniture protection plans and a good return and exchange policy. This is not a commercial–I speak from experience!

Over at Crate and Barrel, you’ll find a rich palette of plum tones, including some great sheets for Spring from a company with a history of mid-century inspiration, Marimekko. According to the Finnish Design website, Marimekko was founded in 1951 by Finnish couple, Armi and Viljo Ratia. Marimekko, translated literally means “Mary-dress.” Known for their bold, effusive textiles and readymade products, Marimekko has become a respected name in the design world. From the very beginning, Marimekko was a company responsible for making the avant garde designs of female artists like Maija Isola a part of the Marimekko identity. In the 1960s, bold and boxy (for prints and fashions, respectively) became the height of fashion, launching Marimekko into the international arena. Today Marimekko is a leading textile company, producing fabrics and readymade items for stores all over the world. Their designs can be seen in places as varied as Crate and Barrel and H&M and even purchased through Amazon.com. Take a look at the bold prints and patterns and be inspired by more than half a century of fashion, design, and experience from a company that continues to bring unique imagery to life in quality textiles.

Finally, one blog for everyone with “design desires” is called Apartment Therapy. In a recent blog post from the Chicago NeoCon, they picked up on the forward moving trend of plum as a color in decor, as noted here. I also like how they connected it to one of my favorite colors, gray, which is now being called the “new neutral”. Check out their site through the link and click on the various furniture images provided in modern design, all in shades of plum. Beautiful! As shades of purple and violet start to make a comeback, these rich plum purple tones, which represent a unique point of view (speaking the language of romance and diversity) have been coming to the foreground since last year. But they’ve only recently been made available to the general public.

And now that you’ve read this article, you’re going to start noticing this strong rich tone and all it’s various shades popping up around you, in fashion in your local clothing stores, as well as on TV, in movies, and in magazines. So keep your eye out for more plum to show up on the scene and to be seen! I tell ya, it’s really plum crazy!