More Purple People (+ color 101)

Still   LOVING   the   PURPLE   in   your   HOME ?
You   aren't   alone !   My   first   post   ever -- 2   years   ago! --  was  called
" Purple  People."  It  was  my  most-read post  for a year+  and,  because purple  continued  to  make  a  strong  showing,  I added  " Purple  People  2."   

Still,   PURPLE   in   its   many   forms   is    holding   its   own   out   there!     I thought  the purple-craze  would  have  waned  by  now...but no!   People  were not  simply latching onto a trend when they painted their walls purple or purchased a purple sofa and accessories to decorate their homes!

I    think    people    just    love    purple  -  period.  

Although some  people  jumped  on  the  purple  bandwagon  a couple of years ago because it was trendy, others have held onto it because they just love purple - it makes people happy!   In the photo above,  a  warm - lavender  color-wash on the wooden-paneled walls is enhanced by  chartreuse  accents.  Jamie Drake designed the fantastic room above it  for a teenager.

What      complements      purple      the      most    ?  

Another shade of purple?  Lots of white?  Gold?   Chartreuse?  
Let's   look   at   some   successful   combinations. . .
1 .      a     complementary     color     scheme

The  complementary   color   scheme  would  
include  gold / yellow   as   it's   purple's   complementary  
-  opposite   color   on  the  color  wheel.   

On  a  side  note,  in  the  above  and  below  photos,   black  on  purple  makes  a  good  pairing!    Above, the wing chair, Chesterfield sofa and walls blend into one another while the chandelier and table are most visible (along with the golden notes in the books, of course!)  Similarly, in the photo 2 down, a light-colored floor balances out the dark walls while  glossy  black  accents  (chair's leather + floor lamp) strike a balance with the unfinished floors and matte walls.

One  more  side  note:  Notice how In the photo above  the   blue-purple  plays  "neutral"  --  and fades into the background.  Taking precedence are the black accessories, yellow and gold accents, lighter upholstery and geometric design in dark-purple+off-white rug.  

2.    a    monochromatic    color    scheme: 
In the below photo, the warm purple moves from dark  (wall)  to  lighter  (headboard, lampshade accent)  and a combination of the two in the floral pillow.    Several   shades   of   the   same   color   create  a  successful  palette.  

purple  +  purple  =  monochromatic   layers!

"A monochromatic color scheme consists of a single color that is either left pure, or mixed with white, gray, or black." - dream home decorating

As in the below space, the room  above  is  layered  in  various  lavenders  and  lilacs, from palest, sweet lavender in the rug to the chair covers to medium cool-blue purple of the sofa pillow and Delphinium on the table to a darker, flat gray-lavender wall and window treatments.  The eye moves easily throughout the space.

Smoky gray-purple walls blend well with the artwork and do not overpower it!  The artwork - the focal point - contains multiple gray-lavenders from darkest to light.  Your  eye  moves  easily  through the space...From a blue cast in the stone floors to the shiny, grape-colored silk seat cushion, to the walls, the artwork and the bright-purple florals.

3.    an     analogous     color     palette  
"Analogous color schemes use 1 primary color and its 2 tertiary colors. The primary colors are red, blue, or yellow. A secondary color is what is created when mixing 2 primary colors together. Secondary colors include green, purple, and orange. A tertiary color mixes a primary color and a secondary color.   An  example  of  this  would  be  a  color  scheme  consisting  of  yellow,  yellow  orange,  and  yellow  green."

This  dark,  cool  blue-purple  above  looks  great  against  its  even  darker  warm-wine-purple  wall  color.   Accent  pillows  and  throws  also  include  both  warm  and  cool  purples.    This  is  an  analogous  color  palette  because  it   includes   colors   that   are   adjacent   on   the   color   wheel   

(let's   label   these   as:   "red-violet,"   "violet,"   and   "blue-violet" )  

and  because  it  contains  related  warm  and  cool  colors.

Using  the  above  chart,  we  see  the    1.   main  (dominant)  color,  "violet,"      2.   a second  (supporting)  color,  "red-violet,"   and     3.  a  third  (accent)  color,  "blue-violet."  Analogous color schemes are usually good for creating calm, serene spaces as little contrast is involved.  It's also recommended in such color schemes to mix two warm colors and one cool or vice-versa.

What a refreshing scene, thanks to this cool-purple tablecloth.  Its French-inspired pattern brings casual elegance to the space.  The  blue  and  white - checked fabric cushion is not only a perfect color foil for the cloth (blue and purple make a beautiful  analogous  color  scheme  as they sit next to one another on the color wheel), but the checks are in attractive contrast to the floral design.  The  overall  white  room  is what makes this tablecloth the star; the hydrangeas provide the perfect finishing touch.

Solid, dark-purple velvet upholstery against an historic, gray-scale Zuber paper?  Gorgeous!  The gray-scale wallpaper below does not

overpower the grape-colored, velvet sofa beneath it, or vice-versa.  

(A successful combination of color over gray-scale + pattern over solid.)

p u r p l e   +   g r e e n   ?     +  o r a n g e  ?

 4.    a    triadic    color    scheme
There are still ways to incorporate some purple into your home if you'd like.  
Who would've thought of a garden wall!?!  
Or below  you  may  consider  lime  or  kelly  green  accents  for  your  royal  purple.

There  are  numerous  avenues  for  drawing  PURPLE
out  and  giving  it  a  new  life!

Above we have a balance of warm (green+chartreuse) and cool (royal purple)
although there appears to be more green fabric, the purple overpowers the green.

In a  triadic  color  scheme,  purple is paired with orange and green.  Note that these colors are evenly spaced within the color wheel.  In the triadic color scheme,  one  color  is  dominant  (purple)  and  the  others  are  accents  (green,  orange).  

Note also that purple, green and orange (secondary colors) are what you get when you mix red, blue, and yellow (primary colors).   (And though each of the above+below photos is missing that "third" color, they are still attractive...I'm going to have to research the answer to why this still works!)

5.      Purple     accents     in     white / off-white     spaces

A little purple can go a long way; especially a dark, saturated one!  Look at the effect the artwork, accessories and benches have on these otherwise white/off-white spaces below!

If you do not want to commit to paint on your walls, just go with 
 white  walls,  plus  purple  furniture + accessories!

And last but not least, an idea from designer Kathryn Ireland:

The grape-purple here takes center stage with its otherwise white surroundings.  Designer Kathryn  Ireland quoted, in "Great Paint Colors for your Bedroom," that she loved the "French" method of painting a wall a color beginning at the floor and stopping mid-way up the wall.  Dark-iron chandelier, candlesticks with soft, creamy-yellow tapers and candlelight have a softening effect on the stark purple+white combo, as do the hanging+table linens.

 So here's  to  two  fantastic  years of  posting 

and all those of you who read my blog -- 

I am  so  very  grateful  for your time and interest!!

PHOTOS:  1. jamie drake,  2. 1hr, 3. elle decoration via anne sage,   4., 6., the house home, 5. unknown,  7. steven gambrel, 8. amanda nisbet, 9. asaltulis, 10. amelia handegan, 11., 16., 17., 21., 22.  vintage home,  12. enchanted learning  13. amuse bouche 14.  just be splendid, 15. unknown,  18. tiger color blog, 19. pinterest,  20. unknown, 23. a life of...  24. encore une minute,  25. belive in happiness




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