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  • Gina Everett

Create Perfect Colour Wheel - Shades of Purple



Shades of purple vase on table

In our last blog post about Autumn Style we touched on the colour purple. After the Pantone’s recent launch of a shade of purple, in honour of the late musician Prince, the time is right to look at how to add this bold colour into your home.

The Colour Purple

Purple is a rich strong colour that has many associations. Royalty, wealth, spirituality, wisdom, serenity, magic, luxury and passion, to name just a few.

Lighter shades of purple like lilac and mauve are on the blue side of the colour spectrum. These create a peaceful and serene colour and add a calming effect to your home. Think spa or salon for a soothing sense of wellbeing.

Whilst it may be easier to add these shades of purple into your decor scheme, we’re going to concentrate on the stronger shades of purple.

There is a reason that people associate strong shades of purple with royalty, wealth and luxury. In ancient times the dye used to create shades of purple was extracted from a type of sea snail. This created a shade known as Tyrian Purple. Highly prized and very expensive to produce meaning only the wealthy or royalty would have access to it.

As the trend for bold and dark interiors continues into AW17 there’s no reason purple shouldn’t join the party and here are some great examples of how.

All Over Purple

Purple is not a colour for the faint hearted and if you are going to do it be bold. In this room the decorator has really gone for it! The rich purple walls, windows and upholstery are all pulled together by a glossy purple ceiling which reflects back the light and colours in the room and prevents it from being too dark.


Purple walls in this room are part of perfect analogous colour scheme. This is where colours are matched with those nearest them on the colour wheel. In this case rich blues and pinks.


Purple Walls in room

Image: Feather and Black featuring Henrietta Bed in Teal £1,699

If you’re not brave enough for all over colour using purple can still real drama and impact to a room. In this room shades of purple are cleverly styled with yellow which is a complementary colour from the opposite side of the colour spectrum.


The star of the show is the venetian chandelier which stands out against pale yellow walls. The colour scheme is followed through with the sofa choice and picked up across the room through layering of cushions and throws.

A rich shot of purple brings opulence and style to a room. This table is styled with purple accessories to reflect the deep shades of the purple drapes against the simple elegant white furniture.


Image: Amara

Get the look.

Brave enough to try it? Here is our pick of where to find shades of purple to furnish your home.


1. Linea Midnight Garden Winona Vase - £30 from House of Fraser

2. Purple Bobble Trim Cushion - £14.99 TK Maxx

3. Optic Vase - £45 from Marks and Spencer

4. Ariel Chaise - £425 from Furniture Village

5.Normann Copenhagen - Lust Mirror Small - £80 from Amara

6. Le Cocktail Velvet Chair Purple £425 from Oliver Bonas

Title image credit:


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