In 1718, New Orleans started celebrating its now infamous Mardi Gras. It originally started with high society functions and then later became the Mardi Gras we know today with parades and parties throughout the city. This event starts the eve of Lent giving people the ability to indulge to their hearts’ content prior to sacrifice for the weeks to come.
New Orleans, like Carnivale, have added vibrant colors and themes to define this time of year. Adding elements of Mardi Gras to your home can create a lively and energetic theme to your space.
Let’s start with Mardi Gras Colors
… purples, greens, yellows or golds. These colors were chosen by Rex, the King of Carnivale in 1892. Purple represents justice, green represents faith and gold is for power. Each of these colors is important in their theme of Mardi Gras and leveraging them in your home will give any room a stand out look and feel. These colors can be very powerful, so using them sparingly and in rooms where you want lots of energy will help keep your parties energized. Using these bright colors in your bedroom might keep you up all night, so try muted versions of these colors in bedrooms giving you the ability to sleep.
Mardi Gras Masks
Mardi Gras has masks in abundance. These masks stem from the very beginnings of these celebrations in Venice and Rome, Italy. If purples are not your favorite color, yet you want the feel of Mardi Gras in your home, try adding some masks to a wall to showcase your excitement for this grand occasion. Masks showcased can also be removed for that masquerade party you might attend during the festivities. For some spectacular masks, Maskarade is a fantastic store that has been serving New Orleans and beyond for years.
Harlequin Designs
During Mardi Gras, you will also see lots of harlequin designs. These designs come in the key colors of purple, green and gold and also black in white. Using harlequin prints give you a Mardi Gras inspired design that can be used throughout the year by adding other colors like red or blue to create your own design preferences. Harlequin prints are in a multitude of colors that can support a lot of different home designs. The prints are so simple that they can be used in a variety of rooms.
Laissez les bons temps rouler or Let the good times roll!
