Tea at Trianon: A Purple Staircase

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Saturday, January 31, 2026

A Purple Staircase

The staircase painted a deep magenta boldly cuts across the putty pink walls with hints of pastel green.

In the living room wood paneling painted in sea foam green creates a soothing atmosphere. A Galerie Glustin coffee table...

They call it burgundy but it looks purple to me. From Home and Garden:

Pink, in a palette that ranges from the most delicate powder to a saturated magenta, runs throughout the house, telling a story of intimacy and femininity. The homeowner, with a background in fashion and an innate sense of beauty, had envisioned a cozy sanctuary for herself, her family and her lively dog, Rodeo; interior designer Tracy Simmons brought that vision to life through a carefully considered mix of materials, shapes and inspiration. The result? A vibrant, sensory, deeply lived-in space, with a decidedly feminine touch.
At this California home, colour is not mere decoration: it offers a narrative structure. In the dining room, saturated walls and Stella McCartney's Fungi wallpaper for Cole & Son create a theatrical atmosphere that's warm, immersive and impactful. Vintage A. Suman seating, upholstered in Métaphores fabrics, adds tactility. The deep pink tones of the wallpaper drench the ceiling, and all manner of window and door frames, culminating in colour-matched curtains that elegantly gather round the openings to gently let in natural light.
Pink walls continue, in even more playful iterations, in the girls' bathroom with Kelly Wearstler's signature blush tiles, in the velvet armchair in the living room and right through a selection of vibrant Pierre Frey fabrics. ‘I wanted each room to convey a story about the owners,’ the designer says, ‘and colour, for me, was a way of whispering these emotions.’ Indeed, this house is more than an explosion of tones and patterns, it is a masterclass in how to work with colour such that it excites without tiring the eye. Tracy achieved this by tackling the project room after room and allowing each space to take on its own character. (Read more.)

In the kitchen the natural stone backsplash with its striking veining creates a dramatic focal point while the leather...