Purple is the colour of richness, and has long been associated with exotic items and royal significance. It also represents creativity, peace of mind, and luxury. But when it comes to incorporating the colour into lifestyle and home design, people are often perplexed by which colours go with purple.
Many find it too bold, too different, and too difficult to pair with other colour combinations. But why is that? And is it really that hard to find colours that go well with purple?
Why is purple hard to colour match?
There are tons of different theories on why it seems difficult to find colours that match with purple or how to incorporate purple into one’s aesthetic.
Purple seems “foreign” to some because it’s not as “naturally occurring” as green or blue. It could also be because in colour psychology purple is often associated with darkness, mysticism, and magic. But these are just theories.
The truth is, purple, just like any other colour, is easy to experiment with. And you don’t even need to study design to know that. All you need is a basic understanding of colour theory.
Purple and the colour wheel
Colour theory states that you can gauge which colours complement each other by looking at them on a colour wheel. Colours directly opposite each other – or colours that “contrast” each other – are seen as complementary colours. They balance each other out.
So what are the colours that compliment purple? Yellow, orange, and green are the most obvious ones.
However, contrasting colours aren’t the only ones that matter. Colours right beside each other on the wheel also complement each other. For example, purple, indigo, and pink.
You can also form a colour scheme or a colour palette by pinpointing three colours that form a triangle on the circle or four colours that form a rectangle. So for a triad, you’d get purple, green, and orange.
You can also play with purple in its various tints and shades, and mix and match with neutrals like white, black, grey, and brown. Honestly, the possibilities are endless.
10 colours that go with purple
Purple and green
We’re calling it. Aubergine colour schemes will always be in style – it’s backed up by theory after all. As contrasting colours, purple and green go together in perfect harmony. The rich jewel tones of purple and green gives off moody and dramatic, and really calls out to feelings of richness and royalty.
In pastel hues, this colour combination is perfect to create a sense of calm in busy common areas, like bathrooms and kitchens.
Purple and blue
Blue and purple together is the stuff of dreams. After all, you can use blue to make purple when you mix it with red!
This particular colour combo reminds us of cotton candy and early childhood. It can also work well in pastel scenarios or in darker gemstone colourways.
A darker palette will work best with standalone pieces that make a statement against neutrals of black, grey and white.
Fun fact: Even the famous apartment from Friends benefitted from a blue and purple colour palette.
Purple and mustard
Purple and yellow, or purple and mustard, are complementary colours on the colour wheel. This means that they are complete opposites to each other, and work well together to create a harmonious look. Incorporating these two colours into your homewares and living spaces will balance a room and level the colour palette.
However, it can be tricky to match the right purple to the right yellow. If you’re aiming for a nice mustard accent, we suggest choosing a more reddish-purple so that the tones are closer to the warmer side.
Brown and purple
The brown and purple colour combination is a no-brainer. Dark purple like plum looks great next to tan, coffee, or beige. For an outfit, the combo results in a more muted, professional look with just a hint of colour.
Purple and grey
While purple’s complementary colours are green and yellow, you can’t go wrong with a neutral grey. Grey and purple work well to create a more dramatic look within a room, as the grey subdues or levels elements and furniture, the purple is enabled to flourish.
Purple, pink, and blue
This fun combination is both symbolic and super cute. These colours together can have childish connotations, so why not lean into that and create a playful, lively atmosphere to live and work in. This colour trio is perfect for areas of the house that are used for visiting guests or communal rooms that need a bit of funk.
Pops of yellow and warm oranges will play into the purple and tie the colours together even more.
Do red and purple go together?
Even though you can make purple by mixing red and blue, actually using red and purple together often results in a colour clash.
But there’s a saying that goes, “you need to know the rules to break them”. This is true for coupling red and purple together. While red is usually quite bold, and purple mostly calm (even though it always pops in a room!), putting them together creates a contrast that elicits dramatic power and strength.
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