Looking for the perfect colors to pair with purple in your home decor? Find out the colors that go with purple to help you create a beautiful and inviting home.
Since my childhood adventures with Harold, I’ve thought of purple as a magical color, able to create fantastical worlds and inspire the imagination.
Interior designers don’t tend to share my passion for the color, as it can be tricky to decorate with — so many contrasts and clashes. However, many gorgeous colors work well with purple.
Colors that go with pastel purple are sage, peach, and white. Lavender pairs with light brown, forest green, pale neutrals, gray, and yellow, while rich plum works with exotic red, orange, and gold. Dark purple shines with sky blue, black, turquoise, and dusty pink.
Choosing Colors that Go Well with Purple
We all remember the verse so melodiously sung by Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell about being brown, blue, violet sky, purple, and so much more.
While none of us would choose to be purple literally, we can surround ourselves with this moody color, known to be uplifting and engendering creativity and wisdom.
This versatile color has an exotic reputation, being associated with royalty, wisdom, mystery, magic, and creativity. As a result, purple feels too rich, too passionate, and too dramatic for many people. Let me change your mind with these stunning examples.
Which colors are good matches for powerful purple?
Colors that Go with Pastel Purple
This soft, gentle, pale shade is one of the easiest purples for home decor. It’s as soft as pale blue and charming as pale pink, but with an on-trend refinement that brings it right up to date.
#1. Sage
This season’s favorite green perfectly matches pastel purple, creating a delicious ice cream palette.
Combine sage and pale purple for a gentle, peaceful ambiance in a bedroom or nursery. It would also be charming in an elegant, vintage-style dining room.
#2. Peach
Bright orange and purple are considered a decorating no-no unless you’re particularly in love with eclectic environments.
Instead, pair the gentlest purple with ice cream peach for an Art Deco Miami vibe.
#3. White
Gentle pastel purple glimmers against white and other soft neutrals, updating a dull color palette with a contemporary touch.
This purple is gentle enough to be an anchoring shade, covering walls and furnishings with a soft, floral warmth.
Choose this pairing for a traditional or Victorian style or a sleek, modern look.
Colors that Go with Lavender
This light-toned purple has a blue undertone, making it one of the most delightful purples for your home. It’s on-trend this season, whether you choose to play up its soft blue or its warmer pink tones.
#4. Brown
Brown is one of the colors of the moment, rich, earthy, and comfortable. However, combined with lavender, brown has a quiet luxury vibe, full of elegance and charm.
The color pairing also has a playful, whimsical touch, like discovering a patch of columbines on the edge of a wood. Choose lighter browns to tone with the lightness of this purple.
#5. Forest Green
Another natural shade that works well with lavender is forest green, the color of woodland shadows. Together, the colors create a peaceful ambiance despite the contrast between the two.
Consider accessorizing with metallics like chrome and silver, as these tone beautifully with lavender.
#6. Neutrals
Many designers regard paler shades of lavender as neutrals, using them instead of white. Lavender also combines with regular neutrals, like warm-toned sand, cream, and beige, to create elegant, inviting interiors.
Keep wooden elements warm and glowing, as lavender can tend to make a room a little cool.
#7. Gray
While gray doesn’t have quite the same fan following as it did a couple of years back, it is still a workhorse of interior design.
Update blue-toned gray with lavender for cool, crisp sophistication.
This pairing is best for sunny, airy rooms, as a chilly, sun-starved south-facing room can read the colors as too cool.
#8. Yellow
Facing each other across the color wheel, yellow and purple is an outrageous, clashing pairing.
However, if you have the confidence (which I certainly do when it comes to color), using a gentle lavender and a sunny yellow can fill a room with cheerful serenity.
Add lush fuschia for additional interest — and a perfect playroom.
Colors that Go with Plum
Plum is a delicious shade of light reddish purple, sometimes with a brown undertone. It’s a warm, cozy color, reminiscent of glasses of wine around the fireside.
#9. Red
Many designers see the pairing of red and plum as a non-starter, an overwhelming fashion disaster.
However, this otherwise garish combination works well when your purple is a red-toned plum, and your accent color is a pale blush pink.
A nod to the past with retro accessories is a charming touch, so long as you keep the rest of the decor contemporary.
#10. Orange
Purple and orange, another so-called design fail, can be successful if you combine a rich plum with a lush burnt orange.
These colors lend themselves to a magnificent, opulent interior with satin, velvet, and plush sofas.
Accessorize with Persian rugs and statement artwork.
#11. Gold
Continue the luxe look by pairing plum with gold, like heavy furniture, richly ornamented frames, and yellow-gold drapes.
Other shades of purple also look charming in this kind of interior — layer up lavender, violet, and even some pink for extra glamor.
Colors that Go with Dark Purple
Dark purple can range from deep, shadowy shades to eggplant colors so intensely dark that they shine black under some lights.
#12. Sky Blue
Deep, blue-toned purple and fresh sky blue create a beautifully moody ambiance. Add soft neutrals so that the two jewel tones can shine.
The pairing creates unexpected energy and a playfulness ideal in a large, comfortable living room.
#13. Black
Consider your space carefully before combining two dark, dramatic colors, both light-absorbers.
If you want a cozy, cocooning feel, this pairing can work in smaller spaces. However, if you feel the colors can be too claustrophobic, add white to the palette for lightness.
#14. Turquoise
Gorgeous Tiffany blue glows against an anchor of dark purple, perfect for an eclectic interior.
Play with textures like a furry pillow, shag-pile rug, and plenty of plushy throws to add interest to a cozy, inviting space.
#15. Dusty Pink
Purple and pink are natural bedfellows, both having a lovely red undertone. Combine a soft, dusty pink with a more intense purple for indulgent feminine charm.
This pairing suits a romantic bedroom, a delightful nursery, or an opulent powder room. Add silver and crystal to up the luxe factor.
Final thoughts
Although purple is not the most common color for home decor, those willing to experiment will be rewarded with surprisingly charming interiors.
Whether pale, dark, blue-toned, or red-toned, purple works with several colors, including this season’s earthy neutrals and nature-inspired greens.
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