It’s easy to fall for a rich plum paint color — this hue can be
warm, welcoming and sophisticated, and it works in nearly any room.
Because purple is made by mixing red and blue, it can read as either
cool or warm, which makes it a surprisingly versatile hue … but that
also means it can be challenging to decorate around. If you’ve been
struggling to work your purple wall color into the rest of your decor,
these ideas for color and material pairings should help.
Chartreuse. Saturated plum
paired with chartreuse looks especially splendid in fall but works well
all year long. Create a connection to nature by bringing in natural
materials, like wood, leather, woven baskets and wool and silk rugs.
How to work with chartreuse
Oriental or kilim rug.
A really rich wall color can stick out like a sore thumb, particularly
in a space with light-colored floors. An Oriental or kilim rug in shades
of red and plum will tie in with the wall color for a more cohesive
look.
Gallery wall. Rich plum
makes a stunning backdrop for eclectic, gallery-style art. Start your
arrangement in the center of the wall but don’t be afraid to hang
artwork low and high — in fact, the more of the wall you can cover, the
better!
A Gallery Wall for Every Personality
Warm metals. Emphasize
the warmth of plum walls with warm metals, like gold, copper, bronze and
brass. Here a copper side table brings out the warmth in bookcases painted deep plum and softer purple walls.
In this dining room, a brass bar cart and a brass mirror bring a vintage vibe to plum walls and white wainscoting.
Paint: Purple Basil, Martha Stewart LivingMore great ideas for bar carts
Ivory and celadon. Pure
white trim can look too stark against purple walls, whether it’s a deep
plum or a soft lavender. Try ivory trim instead. If your purple walls
are lighter, as shown here, also consider adding a deep plummy-purple
rug to ground the space, and pale celadon-green accents.
How to Bring Out Your Home’s Character With Trim
Wild card pairing: red.
Since purple actually contains red, this is not as challenging to pull
off as it might appear. The key is to choose a red that matches the tone
of your purple. For instance, here a bold iris purple is paired with
clear red. For plum walls with brown undertones, spiced-apple red might
make a better pairing.
Wall paint: Royal Raisa 013-6, Mythic PaintHouzz guides to working with red
Soft gray and natural wood.
Warm purples can really warm up a sleek, modern space. Pair a plummy
accent wall with soft dove-gray walls, white trim and plenty of natural
wood.
White, natural fibers and a bit of red.
Deepest, darkest plum can actually look almost like black. Unlike true
black, dark plum is rich and warm, and it changes with the light in
lovely ways. It is, however, really dark, so unless you are doing a very
small room (like a powder room or study), it’s probably best to lighten
things up with white. Here the white ceiling and wainscoting and large
natural-fiber rug lighten up the space considerably. A touch of red trim
on the bedding nods to the warm walls.