The September 2009 issue of House Beautiful greatly inspired us at Eberly and Collard Public Relations to continue looking at color with an in-depth approach and assessing what it means for every season. 
We deal so often with color design and conceptualization in this field – speaking on the topic at varied events and assisting our designer and product manufacturer clients – we have decided to begin sharing our experiences with color and our thoughts on how it can help enliven interior design, outdoor living and the landscape.
Color has the ability to drastically change a room. Without touching the accessories or furniture, paint can transition the entire ambiance of a room and make everything appear new and fresh. Or, with just a few colorful accessories, a room can take on new focal points and draw the eye into undiscovered corners.
Some colors make a room feel calm and tranquil, while other colors can spice up a space with a bold blast of energy. Every person is different, as is each room and garden, and that is why color selection is so very important.
For September, we thought we would discuss one of the many colors House Beautiful touched on in its special fall color issue – amethyst. A transparent violet, amethyst is a warm, soft addition to the home inside or out. September is the perfect time to use this color in the décor, as it spruces up a space with a last-minute splash of summer color as fall begins to approach.
What does amethyst mean?
The color of amethyst is often associated with stability, peace, balance, courage, inner strength, sincerity, and calm disposition. Amethyst in design offers soothing vibes, and has been linked to tension and headache relief. People have also claimed the color can help with sleep deprivation when painted as an accent wall in bedrooms or placed on beds in the form of throw pillows.
A few ways to use Amethyst:
In the Home: One of my favorite things about this color is that it can complement existing décor items from 2009. A warm yellow was determined earlier this year as Pantone’s color of the year, and amethyst is the perfect complement. Many
designers suggest placing this light purple tone near yellow throughout the house to make both colors pop. For example, one interior designer we know recently added light yellow-accented draperies to a client’s living room infused with pale purple shades. By doing so, the result was a narrow yet creative color palette.
In the Landscape: Summer heat does not mean the planting season has to end. There are several lovely amethyst flowering and foliage varieties that are perfect for the garden bed such as the very heat-tolerant Heuchera ‘Sugar Plum’ from Terra Nova Nurseries and Mazus reptans ‘Purple Mazus’ from Stepables. For the landscape designer or architect, installing purple plants enhances or balances all of the surrounding greenery, a means to use opposite sides of the color wheel to develop harmony.
Our favorite shade:
Soft Amethyst by Glidden is a fantastic shade of amethyst – bold enough to make a statement, but soft enough to not overpower the area. Glidden certainly seems to have done its trend-based homework given the inclusion of this specific color.
As color palettes range in new directions, using amethyst as an accent or focal point is setting trends in today’s interior and exterior rooms.
How have you used or plan to use amethyst in your design work this year? What other colors are you seeing set new trends in interior design and outdoor spaces?
Watch our blog and follow our tweets for more about our take on color and the ways in which industry designers and manufacturers are coloring our world.
~ Leslie
