Henry Prideaux Interior Design
Some colors seem to have endless pairings (think: sky blue, hunter green, and stormy gray), while others may seem to constrain our decorating scheme when using them. Purple can often be one of those colors for design enthusiasts, though many designers have found myriad ways to incorporate the color into their projects. This may need to begin with expanding our knowledge of purple shades as the word often conjures up a classic Crayola crayon color (and possibly an endearing boy named Harold to go with it).
Designer Renvy Graves Pittman says at the far end of the spectrum, you have rich aubergines—which Mario Buatta was famous for using in his work. At the opposing end is lavender, while mid-range colors like amethyst establish a base point even better than a true, royal purple. Designer Henry Prideaux notes that it is quite a versatile, "sometimes regal" color, which makes purple a great option when designing traditional and contemporary interiors alike.
"When selecting the key colors for a scheme, like many creatives, I am often subconsciously influenced by nature where there are absolutely no rules," says Prideaux. "When used in interior design, however, different colors will enhance the mood within a space and the specific tone used will be the key to determining whether the room feels vibrant or more serene."
Once you've determined the feel you're going for—a lively spot for entertaining or a soothing retreat from it all—that can navigate your decision to finding the right shade of purple. From there, it's all about finding the right color pairings that will make the color sing, whether it's used in the form of accent pillows or lacquered onto the walls. We asked top designers to share their favorite colors that go with purple to inspire a purple room of your own.
Navy Blue
Francesco Lagnese
Several of our design experts shared that navy blue can make an excellent pairing for various shades of purple. Here, Young Huh pairs a plum hue with navy to enliven this light-drenched living room in a Philadelphia apartment.
“I love pairing a plum or purple with navy blue—this palette works so well with dark, rich wood tones and touches of gold," says the designer.
Mid-Century Greens
CHRISTOPHER STURMAN
"I love bringing strong colors to the mix with purple," says Patrick O'Donnell, Farrow & Ball's color consultant and brand ambassador. "This is not for the faint-hearted, but purple can look striking with mid century greens such as Bancha."
Celerie Kemble captures this look perfectly by blending stunning lacquered plum walls with elegant, retro green dining chairs. The room feels ready for all seasons thanks to the moody purple and lively green.
Bright White
Henry Prideaux Interior Design
"Purple can work as a paint color for walls and interior architecture to provide a backdrop and is also successful when used for soft furnishing such as upholstery scatter cushions, and window treatments," says Prideaux. "It is quite a versatile, sometimes regal color, making it a great option for introducing into both traditional and contemporary settings."
Here, Prideaux uses a muted shade of purple to pair with bright white walls, gorgeous natural stone countertops, and sleek countertops for a space that strikes a balance between tradition and modernity.
Pastel Pink
Miguel Flores-Vianna
"For me, lavender is a neutral," says Pittman, whose guest bedroom in her Bel Air home is incredibly convincing. "It is soothing and romantic, so it's a color I love to use in a bedroom."
Pittman says that pale lavender walls are an easy way to bring some serenity to your guest room but if you're not willing to make the commitment, she always loves D. Porthault's Violettes linens for a pop of purple in the bedroom (Bonus: they were a favorite of Catherine Denueve's). And, as in the case of this room, upholstered purple furnishings aren't out of the question either when it comes to a pastel pink pairing.
Tomato Red
Nickolas Sargent (Sargent Photography)
Pairing purple and red may seem like a major design no-no, but this is exactly what inspired designer Noz Nozawa to work with the color combination for the upstairs sitting room in the 2022 Kips Bay Palm Beach Decorator Show House. Growing up, the designer fondly remembers a local chapter of The Red Hat Society whose members defiantly wore red and purple because it was a garish pairing, and she always loved this tongue-in-cheek display of feminism.
Dated design notions aside, Nozawa aced this space with flying colors for a space that feels well-suited for a Palm Beach manse while feeling just the right amount of mischievous. Nozawa also loves to pair lavender with earthen hues of red, green, and even brown to create an unexpected pairing that balances feminine and masculine shades.
"I'm still obsessed with this palette because this purple is a pastel that really allows itself to be a complement to so many unexpected colors," she says. "The lavender we used is reasonably saturated with quite a bit of pink, so it's bold yet soft enough to take on earthy pairings really well."
Other Shades of Purple
Henry Prideaux Interior Design
Here, Prideaux masterfully utilizes several shades of purple to instill a sense of easy-going elegance into this London dining room. The inviting dining space is home to purple walls, a purple textured banquette fabric, burgundy leather dining chairs, and lilac cushions for a purple lover's paradise.
"In general, when adding purple into a scheme, I like to use other tones from the same family of colors," says Prideaux. "Mauve paired with pale lilac and a hint of pink look lovely when blended throughout various finishes in a room."
French Blue
Dustin Peck
This darling bedroom designed by Gray Walker shows just how lovely richer shades of purple can pair with creamy, muted blue hues. Neutral furnishings allow this power pairing to shine, and the acrylic chair adds a pop of contemporary flair.
"A soft French blue creates a moody scene with an eggplant tone of purple," says Walker. "The softness of the blue is energized by the deep purples tossed in as accents. This color story is relaxing with an unexpected twist that gives the space depth and courage."
Mauve
Farrow & Ball
"Despite all the positive connotations of the color purple ranging from spirituality, dignity, wisdom, and truth, it can be quite a visually tricky color to use in interiors and problematic to get balance with other elements in a room, especially if using as a wall color," says O'Donnell. "Consider more nuanced shades that sit within the parameters from dusky lilacs to almost-blackened reds."
Here, this unexpected pairing of a deep, almost-black shade of purple and a muted mauve feels equally moody and energizing. While O'Donnell loves to work with deep lilacs, such as Farrow & Ball's Brassica, he says there is something special about utilizing a bold purple that can nearly masquerade as a neutral for kitchen cabinets, such as the brand's Pelt or Paean Black.
Celadon Green
Brittany Ambridge
This color combo comes from a darling guest room at the endlessly awarded Grace Point Hotel in Turks & Caicos, designed by Young Huh. The designer aptly uses this color pairing as an accent to keep the room feeling breezy, tropical, and reflective of the lush surrounding environment without going totally neutral. This may be the perfect strategy for budding maximalists looking to bring more color and pattern into a room without taking a big risk.
“In a room at the Point Grace Hotel, we mixed purple with dark green and celadon," says Huh. "Keeping the walls in a light taupe allows the color to breathe and feels airy and calming.”
Gray
Courtesy of Noz Nozawa
Nozawa is a big fan of deep, saturated purples that instantly bring a sense of dramatic sophistication into any room. Here, in this home she designed for a serial entertainer, the light-drenched living room gets a bold pop of color while being balanced by grays, blacks, and bright white.
"I love gray-ivories, like the colors of travertine and beiges, with purple," says Nozawa. "I grew up primarily in the '90s where it was overused but nevertheless, I love the way gray-leaning beiges can work as a complementary color to a room with a wine-purple."
Several other experts also share an affinity for pairing purple with creamy grays and beiges. O'Donnell suggests finding a gray tone that has lilac notes, such as Farrow & Ball's Elephant's Breath for a pairing that really sings.
Champagne
Dustin Peck
If you're looking for a lighter, brighter neutral, you may want to consider a glossy Champagne, which Walker says is well suited for dark wine purples but can run the gamut to work with your favorite hue. Here, an elegant merlot purple acts as a welcome accent to this otherwise neutral space.
"Champagne ivory pairs well with all shades of purple," says Walker. "This soft neutral with a clay undertone lends itself to a range of purples that can be used as a layered purple color story with a neutral base. The clay undertone in the ivory gives a weighted base to the color that grounds the deeper purples and melts well with the lighter purples."
Mint
Julia Lynn
Here, designer Angie Hranowsky proves she's up to the task of pairing a true purple and uses an unexpected shade of green to create a memorable dining room in this Austin home. Neutrals are used throughout the rest of the decorating scheme to let those royal purple drapes shine, while the mint strikes a balance between such a saturated hue and total neutrals.
Lauren WicksLauren Wicks is a Birmingham-based writer covering design trends, must-have products, travel inspiration, and entertaining.
