What Color Goes Good With Dark Purple

10 Color Combinations That Make Purple Feel Sophisticated and Cool

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Despite its associations with royalty and regality, purple is one of the most underutilized shades in the entire color wheel. "Purple gets such a bad rap among homeowners, as thoughts often drift to children's play toys or giant talking purple dinosaurs," explains designer Kevin Isbell. "One needn't pigeonhole the color solely to the playground, however, as purple can be used successfully in all types of grown-up interiors."

Since purple has both warm and cool undertones, it can work with just about everything, completely transforming a room's mood. The secret lies with the colors you choose to pair purple with. Want to create a sweet, sunny room? Add a shot of bold citron to the mix. Color-shy and experimenting with purple for the first time? Keep your combo soft and subtle with a barely-there lilac and snowy white. If you want to crank up the luxury factor, incorporate a rich red to play alongside a regal deep purple.

To help you discover purple's unlimited decorating potential, check out these color combinations of this shade in action in 10 well-designed rooms. It doesn't matter if you prefer lilac, lavender, or a moody aubergine, there's something here for every style.

1. Lilac and Dusty Pink: Old World Glamour

If you didn't beg your parents to paint your childhood bedroom pink and purple, there's a good chance you had at least one friend who did. Sure, this combo can skew a little saccharine, but when you enlist an understated, dusty pink, this pairing becomes perfectly suitable for grown-up spaces.

"Purple enjoys a long heritage of being associated with royalty, luxury, and sophistication," says Pierre-Jean Delaye, president of RoomMates Decor. "When mixed with the warmth and excitement that the color pink brings, the combination is perfect for social spaces in the home like living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens."

The right pink and purple pairing can also work in a bedroom. Take this Argentinian home, for example. On the whole, it has an old world, almost Parisian spirit, thanks to the dusty pink chair, lavender walls, and a charming assortment of framed artwork with quirky matting.

Credit: Mackenzie Schieck

2. Purple and Citron: Sunny Style

Since they are complementary colors, pairing yellow and purple together is an easy, risk-free way to make a statement. If you want to bring a poppy, peppy attitude to your home, use an unapologetically cheery citron with your favorite shade of purple. "I love the combination of lavender and lemon, " says Elizabeth Sesser, design associate at Ike Kligerman Barkley. "It's sweet and subtle, yet fresh at the same time."

If you want to add a little "breathing room" between these zingy colors, Sesser recommends white or cream colored accents. This Seattle studio apartment shows just how tan, white, and cream textiles (and walls!) can tone down this power couple of colors.

3. Purple and Gold: Creative Contrast

Of course, citron isn't the only shade of yellow that can play well with purple. If you want to give your home an upscale, slightly artistic flair, consider a warm gold. "There's something incredibly luxe about purple paired with golden hues," says designer Marie Flanigan. "Whether a metallic gold or a golden wood, this pairing lets any violet shade be the star of the show."

With its gold velvet sofa and deep purple walls, this Chicago Victorian is equal parts bold and bohemian. Painting the molding that same shade of purple in this sitting area amps up the drama, ensuring that this room feels like a special little jewel box that's separate from the rest of the home.

4. Lilac and White: Barely-There Beauty

Contrary to popular belief, purple doesn't always have to be the center of attention. If you want to lean into the hue's subtly, couple up a light lilac and white. "Paired with a crisp, slightly blackened white like Farrow & Ball's Dimpse, you can create a space both elegant yet thoroughly modern," says Patrick O'Donnell, Farrow & Ball's international brand ambassador. "This combination could look super smart in a large entrance hall with grey marble flooring. It can also be a good choice for a poorly-lit space where natural light is not in play."

This San Francisco studio used Benjamin Moore's Orleans Violet—a light, pinkish violet—to get the job done. This option warms up the walls without detracting from the apartment's charming woodwork and French doors. Lilac can be a great choice for anyone who likes color but doesn't want a super saturated look. It still provides just the right amount of contrast to white moldings, which is the easiest way to pull off this color combo.

5. Purple and Chestnut: Vintage Vibes

Want to incorporate a dark neutral into your space but nervous pitch black will appear too dramatic? Opt for a light, yet versatile, chestnut instead. "The earthiness of brown mixed with purple makes it more livable and less pungent," says designer Fran Keenan. "Purple makes brown furniture feel young again."

Need some proof that brown can make purple sing? Apartment Therapy's own House Tours editor Adrienne Breaux hits all the right notes in her New Orleans home, where purple walls (and purple bookshelves!) helped her create a lived-in library look that's grounded by a pair of neutral chairs and a gorgeous, chestnut colored wooden fireplace.

6. Purple and Red: Royal Treatment

Combining purple and red can give your home a dose of opulence—minus the sticker shock, of course. "It's a high-energy combination, reminiscent of royalty, relics, and stained glass," Keenan adds. The best part? Any shade of purple or red will suffice, so this is a pretty versatile pick for spicing up your interiors.

While this Moroccan home uses a vibrant violet and varying shades of poppy, you could use aubergine and maroon to riff on this combo and create a more moody, luxurious look. Any shades in these two families will work together well.

7. Purple and Sage: Eye-Popping Energy

Turns out purple and green don't always have to look like your favorite childhood dinosaur—or the Joker from Batman, if that reference is more your speed. The secret lies in the shades of these colors that you choose. "The deeper and more saturated the hues the better; avoid light and bright purples and greens, as they can feel more juvenile," says Havenly's Heather Goerzen. "There's a distinct vintage vibe to this palette, yet breaking up the colors with rustic woods and black elements keep it feeling current and relevant."

Miranda Lake's indigo purple room might include a quirky dinosaur, but the look is anything but childlike, thanks to weathered wood accents in the perfect shade of sage. You can try this quirky, jewel-toned combo anywhere you want to make a statement.

8. Purple, Navy, and Green: Classic Crowd Pleaser

Navy is the perfect way to make purple appeal to the masses. Since navy and purple are right next to each other on the color wheel, it feels only natural to place them side by side in your home. If you want to brighten up your room and still use these somewhat darker shades, take a cue from this downtown Manhattan apartment. All you need to balance out purple and navy is a few key light accents and plenty of vibrant leafy greens.

9. Lilac and Light Blue: Serene Sanctuary

Want to turn your home into a soothing oasis? Pair your purple with shades of aquamarine or light blue. "When we think of the color purple, blue instantly comes to mind," says designers Janelle Hughes and Kim R. Williams, co-owners of KJ Design & Mortar Styling. "The pairing of the two hues creates both a calming and serene palette that reminds us of the depths of the ocean with its kaleidoscope of colors and the calmness of the sea."

This Brooklyn apartment offers a masterclass in subtle, soothing shades. Whisper-light purple walls mix with white bedding topped off with a blue throw, creating a harmonious place to get a good night's rest.

10. Purple and Purple: Monochromatic Masterpiece

Why settle for one shade of purple when you can enjoy a few? Mixing and matching a few shades of purple makes a punchy statement without feeling overwhelming. "There are so many beautiful shades of purple, and they pair well with cool tones," says Elizabeth Rees, founder of Chasing Paper. "Our favorite is pairing darker shades with lighter ones, such as a deep plum with pale lavender."

Blogger Jewel Marlowe mastered this look by adding a vivid violet trim and matching mat to her bathroom, which also has lilac walls. To break up the varying shades visually, take a cue from Marlowe and add white or soft grays to the mix as well.

Kelsey Mulvey

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Kelsey Mulvey is a lifestyle editor and writer. She has written for publications like Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Wallpaper.com, New York Magazine, and more.

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