Interior Color Combinations:
Purple Color Chart x 7

Interior color combinations with purple, the 'color of kings', can look very sophisticated and elegant. Mixed from the primary colors blue and red, purple sits between them on the color wheel chart and can be either warm  (= reddish, for example red-violet, magenta) or cool  (= bluish, for example plum or blue lavender).

Fresh Plum

Plum + lime green + pale cobalt blue + winter white

↑   Here's a clean, summery room color scheme, perfect for a space that gets a lot of sun. Lime green and bluish purple are opposing colors on the 4-primary color wheel, and lime green is the only warm color in this chart.  You could warm up the entire color combination by painting an accent wall in lime green (rather than in plum).

Best wall colors: White, pale pistachio.
Best wood stains: Limed oak, birch, natural maple.

Lavender & Linen

Unbleached linen + white + berry + French lavender + deep purple

↑   Nothing says "bed & breakfast in Provence" like this interior color scheme! Whether you want a purple bedroom or just some 'French' home decorating colors, this is a very robust color combination that can't really go wrong - as long as you use warm  neutrals with your lavender hues, like milky whites (as opposed to bleachy-bluish ones), as well as raw linen, hessian, or burlap.

Best wall colors: Creamy white, écru, pale rosy lavender.
Best wood stain: Walnut.

Retro Cottage

Olive green + pale gold + pomegranate red + putty + plum + duck-egg blue

↑   Purple is often seen as a 'luxury' color, but in combination with dusty olive green and soft duck-egg blue it takes on a different character altogether.  To warm up interior color combinations like this one, just increase the amount of warm red (add brick red, red ocher or burnt orange) as well as olive green.

Best wall colors: Cream, pale duck-egg blue, light putty gray.
Best wood stains: Teak, oiled oak.

A Glass Of Bordeaux

Dusty turquoise + bordeaux + grey rose + buttermilk + charcoal + teal

↑   This wine  color scheme has a wintry feel to it.  Both the bordeaux and grey rose hover between warm and cool; teal and its lighter sibling, dusty turquoise, are 'cool greens'. (Charcoal and buttermilk are very even-tempered neutrals).

To warm up interior color combinations like this one, use accents (e.g. wall art, cushions) in burnt orange or rust. This will shift the feel of the entire color scheme from cool(ish) to warm:

Best wall color: Chalky white.
Best wood stains: Dark Mahogany, antique oak.

Magenta Meets Mid-Century

Interior color combinations that involve magenta (or fuchsia, or cerise) are always in danger of looking garish.

Charcoal + ice blue + mustard + magenta + bright olive

One way to avoid a 'vulgar' look is to combine a vivid, 'hot' purple with equally upbeat but slightly less saturate colors.  Here, I've added magenta to a midcentury palette (would make a lovely room color scheme for a retro home:)

Best wall colors: Palest mustard, white, or a very light grey.
Best wood stains: Teak, oiled oak.

Lilac Posy

Lilac, that messenger of spring, makes great wedding color combinations with white and fresh greens. But if you group a deeper shade of lilac with light & dark greens in both yellow and blue hues, it integrates very well into everyday life, too.

Lilac + yellow-greens + blue-greens

Best wall colors: Pale sage, ivory, white.
Best wood stains: Rustic oak, antique cedar.

Lakeside Picnic

Misty sky blue + rose madder + bright olive green + burnt orange + dusty plum

↑   This 'happy' room color scheme looks great against a backdrop of light neutrals, natural wood colors or leafy greens, and makes lovely decorating for a balcony, veranda, deck, or interior courtyard, too.

Best wall colors: Chalky white, pale grey, misty sky blue.
Best wood stains: Oiled oak, teak, vintage pine.

More Interior Color Combinations With Purple
On These Pages:
(Click A Pic)

Yellow

Pink

Blue

Green

Brown

Neutrals

'Hip Hotel'

More Information About Using Color:

Illustrated Color Terms

Warm & Cool Colors

4-Primary Color Wheel

Complementary Colors

And here's yet more inspiration for creating your own interior color combinations: