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Is purple making a comeback in interior design?
More so than any other colour, purple arguably had its high point in the past. Specifically, 2,000-odd years ago, when it was the colour most associated with Roman imperial prestige, thanks to the fact its dye was the most expensive to produce. Ever since, it has been a bold choice to use in interior design – one that goes well, perhaps, with the sumptuous gilded hallways and state rooms of palaces and hunting lodges but which might gel less happily with more understated, modern tastes.
For a few years, then, purple has felt like a bit of a risk. Counterintuitively, it can be both too bold and too dark, too rich and also too dominating of a space. Just because something’s a risk, though, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth experimenting with and taking a chance on – after all, our Top 100 designers are lauded for their ability to pull off design coups as much as for their willingness to follow a client’s brief. And some colour psychologists recommend purple as a good statement colour choice precisely for its surprising, regal connotations – not least to make an impression on guests in an entrance hall.
So we’ll leave it up to you to decide, with the help of a handful of excellent examples of purple design from the House & Garden archive: is purple making a comeback?
Simon Brown1/19Farrow & Ball’s ‘Brinjal’, a rich aubergine, is used for all the woodwork in the hall and right up the stairs in this Notting Hill townhouse by Studio Vero. A cold white can make purple look quite harsh, but these walls, in ‘Jonquil’ by Edward Bulmer’s are perfectly pinkish and warm. The greens of the abstract rug by Gideon Hatch contrasts with the woodwork but matches the lamp from Palefire.
Simon Brown2/19In the same Notting Hill house, the tiny landing work-station has Ferrick Mason’s vibrant Kinkead Cinnabar wallpaper on the walls, which picks up the same Farrow & Ball’s ‘Brinjal’ paint, on the desk and sliding door. There's no reason to shy away from bold colours and prints in tiny room.
Paul Massey3/19Painted in ‘Old Rose’ by Pure Original, this lilac bedroom wall is the perfect backdrop to an eccentric amalgam of colour and textures in a country house project by Nicola Harding. It subtly picks up the pinks and blues in the layered textiles of the quilt, headboard and canopy.
Milo Brown4/19Turquoise and purple is a popular colour combination, creating a magical and playful vibe when used in combination. In this Holland Park living room, colour queen Lonika Chande brings the outside in with dots of blue and green throughout the room, and the purple cushions (the same shade as the Lucy Dickens collage above the fireplace) play against them nicely.
Rachael Smith5/19Interior designer Natalie Tredgett has made her mark on her own Victorian terraced house, creating an eclectic environment that works as both a family home and a stylish showcase for her eye-catching furniture and lighting designs. In the study, red and purple bookcases in Farrow & Ball's ‘Wine Dark’ and ‘Red Earth’ are nothing if not striking.
Paul Massey6/19Purple and yellow is a colour combination that is not for the faint-hearted, but Ben Pentreath has used it once or twice to good effect. In the dining room of this Georgian house in London, he has used ‘Bromine’ by Emente on the walls, with an accent of yellow in the window seat cushions, which are covered in Claremont’s ‘Damas Les Perroquets’ silk in jaune. He has used a similar combination in a Highgate cottage he decorated, which has walls in Farrow & Ball's 'Brinjal', while the blinds are in Zoffany's 'Linden' linen.
Martin Morrell7/19Purple doesn't have to be too bold or extravagant. Like in this enchanting house by Retrouvius on Dartmoor, where the living room is decorated in a Bauwerk aubergine lime paint, which forms a gentle backdrop for framed kuba cloth panels above an antique oak settle and refectory table. The dusty texture and colour of the walls is picked up perfectly by the ‘Mon Prince’ sofa from Caravane.
Martin Morrell8/19Adam Bentley’s Yorkshire peasants’ cottage adds a touch of colour in the form of cupboards painted in Farrow & Ball’s deep purple ‘Pelt’. This injection of purple works similarly to the ‘unlikely red’ theory, where adding a flash of red with accessories elevates an entire scheme. The rest of the room feels very natural and earthy, meaning the purple cabinet is a really exciting juxtaposition.
9/19When Max Hurd called in his friend Benedict Foley to design his London house, the result was an explosion of clashing colour. In the attic space, red walls are gloriously combined with purple fitted carpet and a lilac patterned fabric by Viola Lanari. Using different tones on the same colour has an enveloping and theatrical effect.
Dean Hearne10/19In this playful, anarchic living room by Nina Lichfield, pops of purple on the blinds, cushions and ottoman – in a purple trim by Loro Piana – give the space focus. The luxurious finishes (like the tasseled trim on the ottoman) is picked up by purple's natural opulence.
11/19Interior designer Rachel Chudley refers to the spare bedroom in her flat as the ‘purple boudoir’, where a cashmere bedcover from Jaipur provides a rich contrast with the walls. Where purple is a fairly divisive colour that tends to make a statement, a spare room is a good place to experiment.
Paul Massey12/19There are small glimmers of purple throughout this this charming Cotswolds cottage (that is also available to rent), in accessories or trims, which act as nice hints towards the bathroom at the top of the house, which is awash with a beautiful purple shade. Blues and neutrals are much more popular for bathroom tiles, but you can be much more experimental in a house that isn't your main residence.
Simon Brown13/19Jorge Almada of Casamidy designed the armchairs in the library in his and his wife Anne-Marie Midy’s Brussels home, and painted the walls in a lavender. Selecting one bold colour for the walls and picking it up in accessories and furniture across the whole room is a move not for the faint hearted, but it shows confidence and commitment.
Simon Brown14/19At graceful Cadland House in Hampshire, a gallery wall of pictures with a maritime theme stands out against the dark purple walls of a study, with cushions from India adding pattern. The deep aubergine shade feels regal and opulent, which adds to the extravagant feel of the house.
Paul Massey15/19Kerem Ozelli worked with architects Michaelis Boyd to renovate his Georgian townhouse in London, but he closely oversaw the decoration himself. In the living room, a bold violet sofa adds colour to the room beneath a photo taken by the Scottish photographer Harry Benson.
Jake Curtis16/19Adam Bray upholstered the centrepiece sofa in this London flat with his own purple ‘Greville’ mohair velvet. This shade of deep plum is like an ‘entry level’ purple, because it still feels fairly neutral. The same shade is picked up in the piece of art on the left, and the pops of green across the room provide some visual
Sharyn Cairns17/19A pair of Queen Anne chairs reupholstered in regal ‘Romeo & Giulietta’ purple velvet from Dedar creates an intimate sitting area in the sitting room of this 19th-century mansion by Rabih Hage. Purple works well in velvet, visually recalling richly textured royal regalia. The playful injection of purple brings some fun to the formal, Victoriana furniture style.
Simon Upton18/19Nicky Haslam is never one to shy away from an unusual colour, as this London project done in collaboration with Studio QD shows. Purple is a highlight of the bathroom, with panels in ‘Lavender’ by Edward Bulmer Natural Paint framing a seagrass wallcovering and ‘Light Emperador’ marble from SPC.
Simon Upton19/19Want to add campness, wit and drama to a room? Purple is your friend. In another Nicky Haslam project (his own house in the Cotswolds), lilac ribbons unfurl down the walls from faux curtain poles, painted by Lizzi Porter against a background of Sanderson’s ‘Winter White’. Simple country chairs flank a chest of drawers from Ikea; Lizzi painted its front with a faux agate effect in colours that echo the ribbons on the walls.
