| From jewel-bright reds to deep, dark purples, the | | | | Used boldly and as solid areas of color, damson is |
| plum palette is rich, gorgeous, and eye-catching, | | | | grand without being overwhelming. It is ideal for |
| adding a sense of luxury to all interiors from the | | | | rooms used for entertaining, a formal living room or |
| classic to the ultramodern. | | | | drawing room, for example, or a dining room. If you |
| If you yearn to use strong colors but are wary of | | | | shop around you may find good-quality, secondhand |
| the primary reds, the luscious plum palette will | | | | velvet curtains at a fraction of the cost of new ones. |
| certainly find a place in your home. The plums are a | | | | Hang them on gleaming brass rods with an elaborate |
| complex family of muted reds, ranging from deep | | | | finial, and tie them back with gold cord and big gold |
| maroons which verge on brown, through crimson, | | | | tassels, or use a fixed brass hook. |
| dark fuchsia, and purplish reds to the redder shades | | | | Use brocades and velvets for upholstery, trimming it |
| of violet. | | | | with gold braid, fringes, and brass pins. The floor |
| The names given to this glorious range of colors are | | | | covering should be patterned - a rug or a wall-to-wall |
| a clue to their seductive appeal. If you want to | | | | carpet with a small motif. Good color combinations |
| conjure them up in your mind's eye, think of the | | | | are gold or yellow with touches of blue-green and |
| scintillating crimson of claret or burgundy seen against | | | | gray. |
| the light, or imagine the dark, purplish bloom of | | | | In a darker or small room, use slightly lighter versions |
| grapes, bilberries, and damsons, and the dark crimson | | | | of these colors and choose patterned fabrics with a |
| red of plums. The splendor of these gorgeous colors | | | | pale background. Try a traditional eighteenth-century |
| is also seen in semi-precious gemstones such as | | | | French scenic wallpaper, a Victorian sprig design, or |
| purple amethysts, and the reds of rubies and garnets. | | | | an elegant Regency stripe. A gilded over-the-mantel |
| The plummy reds and purples are strong, rich and | | | | mirror, a brass fender and fireplace set, and brass or |
| intense, but unlike the hotter, orange-reds such as | | | | carved and gilded wood wall sconces will introduce a |
| scarlet, they are never flagrant or shrill. They bring | | | | metallic gleam and suggest the right degree of |
| warmth and richness into the home, but with great | | | | opulence. Existing wall lights can be gilded with metallic |
| finesse and elegance. Where the primary reds must | | | | gold paint. |
| be controlled and balanced, these reds take their | | | | If you prefer a relaxed and less formal look, use |
| place in such an unassuming way that even the most | | | | aging and distressing techniques combined with |
| faint-hearted colorist soon feels quite comfortable | | | | secondhand furniture and textiles to create the |
| with them. | | | | lived-in splendor of an old country house. |
| The plums are regal colors, traditionally associated | | | | A striking bathroom can be constructed around a |
| with display and magnificence. They cry out for | | | | checkerboard of tiles in shiny, fruit-bright colors. |
| luxurious materials - brocades, velvets, and silks - | | | | Combine purple reds with hot reds, mauves, cool |
| glossy textures, gleaming antique woods, and gilded | | | | cobalt blues, dark green, bright yellow, and sky blue |
| details. They are theatrical but tasteful, gorgeous but | | | | to produce a feast of color. A white washbasin, a |
| never vulgar, and incredibly easy to live with. Use | | | | plain unframed mirror, and a chrome towel rack will |
| them in bold, flat passages in a modern interior, or | | | | provide a utilitarian contrast. |
| choose dusty colors and distressed paintwork for an | | | | Fruity and sensuous, damson is a lovely choice for |
| aged look which is timeless. | | | | bedroom schemes. It is pretty in an elegant way and |
| In the Purple | | | | makes a pleasant change from pastels. Provide relief |
| The purplish plums combine easily with a wide range | | | | with crisp white or cream, and introduce colors such |
| of colors. They work particularly well with any shade | | | | as green, pink, and yellow in patterned textiles and |
| of yellow from bright lemon to earthy yellow ochers | | | | wall coverings. Don't be afraid to combine patterns - |
| and antique golds. A particularly striking pairing | | | | stripes, florals, and checks can work very well |
| combines damson with lime green. For more | | | | together as long as there are two or three colors |
| harmonious schemes, combine the purply shades with | | | | that provide a linking theme. A few items in the |
| related colors such as blues and reds. | | | | accent damson will hold the scheme together. |