Trendy Decorating Color: Purple

Purple was a popular design color last fall and winter, and the trend is not going away. Different shades of purple were also seen on runways this spring for new fall lines and it is one of the top trend colors for your home as well. The delicate pale lilac is perfect for nurseries, bright eclectic purple is popular in college dorms, and purple has even started  taking over kitchens and baths. Now there are even purple appliances available. My favorite places to incorporate purple are the living room and bedroom.

But what does the color purple really translate to? Does purple have historical meaning? What about feng shui and purple? And what colors can you match with purple?  Let's find out!

Purple is a combination of red and blue. Red is emotional andpassionate, and is a strong color that is associated with high energy and even danger. Blue is calming and deep, and more associated with wisdom and intellect than with feelings like red. In other words, purple is like the mixture of the color palette's yin and yang, forming a color that boosts your imagination while it uplifts your spirits and calms you down to a state that lets your creative juices flow. Now it makes sense that the color purple is favored by artists.

Purple is associated with luxury, nobility and wealth, and is the color of royalty. In fact, in the Elizabethan Era of the 1500's, which is considered the golden age of English history, there were even laws regarding who could wear purple! Historically purple was used by Roman Emperors, and coloring purple fabrics was the most expensive, thus during the Elizabethan Era only the Queen and the King and their immediate family members were allowed to wear purple. No wonder that when you create a bedroom using purple you instantly get a luxurious feeling.

Purple is also the color seen at Mardi Gras, associated with magic, fun and even mystery. But there is also a dark side to purple. Purple symbolizes suffering, mourning and pain in religion. It is the depths of purple and the mixture of emotions it evokes in us that makes it a great interior design color. When it comes to feng shui, an ancient Chinese aesthetic, purple is used for mental and physical healing and awareness, and to attract wealth and money.

Sounds like a great color for workspaces, but if you are prone to daydreaming, purple might not be a great color for your home office, you might be creatively daydreaming away from your work.  But if you are looking for more creativity and spark, purple is a great color for workspaces.  It is also the best color for rooms where you want to do soul searching, whether you associate that with cooking or taking a long bath. Purple is a strong color, and a little goes a long way. Instead of painting all four walls, paint just one wall – or instead of investing thousands of dollars on a custom upholstered couch, why not just try a purple throw on your sofa?

Some great color combinations with purple:

-          Lilacs/pastel purples and dark purples

-          Purples and greens; purple goes great with both darker and lighter shades of green

-          Purple and silver/gray

-          Purple and gold

-          Lighter purples with black and darker purples with white create a nice contrast

-          Purple with yellow

If you have any questions how to incorporate purple into your home or other colors you would like to be featured, make sure to leave your comment here.