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Decorating with Purple

Not yet ready to embrace purple in a big way? Start with a few purple accents such as throw pillows, artwork or lampshades.

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  • Purple: The Perfect Hue

    How to use this gem of a color to transform your room.

    by Trisha McBride Ferguson

    Call it purple, plum, amethyst or violet—the most regal of colors is one of today’s hottest hues. What started as a must-have fashion color has made its way into the imaginations of interior designers and manufacturers of furniture and accessories. From bedrooms and bathrooms to dining rooms and kitchens, shades of purple are popping up all over.

     

    Plum Perfect

    If the easiest purple room for you to imagine is a youth bedroom painted lavender, you’ve got some catching up to do. With a rich history of representing all things royal, purple rules as the jewel tone of choice. Created from the combination of the coolest color (blue) and the warmest color (red), it might possibly be the perfect hue. Use purple in your home decorating to evoke feelings of wealth, spirituality, power and sophistication.

     

    Chameleon Color

    One of purple’s greatest assets is its versatility. From country casual to upscale modern, it easily adapts to any design style. Traditional berry and merlot shades provide a classic backdrop for dining room walls, while a deep, velvety purple chair can bring drama to a modern bedroom.

    The finishes you choose also will help highlight the personality of your favorite plum shade. Pair purple with rich, dark wood tones to create looks ranging from traditional to transitional. Opt for silver, chrome and glass accents for a modern twist on amethyst.

     

    Expressive Accent

    Adding color to your space is one of the simplest ways of expressing your personal style.

    Purple works great as an accent color--or it can provide a neutral backdrop for any room. When looking for the perfect shade, consider greyed-out violets as well as redder, plumier purples and bluer-influenced fuchsias, advises color trend forecasting experts Color Marketing Group.

     

    Purple Pairings

    Looking to fashion and home furnishings design, we see purple paired with almost every color imaginable—resulting in a diverse range of looks. Purple plus orange makes a powerful, sophisticated statement, while purple and yellow (its complement on the color wheel) creates can’t-miss drama. Greens and browns are natural matches for plum and amethyst, while neutrals such as beige and taupe look tasteful with deep purples and shades of eggplant. Most every shade of purple looks stunning paired with black and white. And true purple connoisseurs can create their ideal environment with a monochromatic scheme composed entirely of varying shades and values of their preferred hue of purple.