The perspective of using purple paint anywhere in your house is a perplexing one, particularly if you pick a paint that’s permanent. Painting your pad in palettes of purple has pros and cons, which we will peruse presently.
Pros for the Purple
If you are considering purple for your home, it could be for one of several reasons, from the royal to the ridiculous. Purple is a color of luxury, and, in ancient times, was very expensive to produce because it occurred so rarely in nature. According to sources, the source of purple was a sea snail, and the color actually improved with time and age. Maybe the effects will be similar for you and your home!
Another great reason to pick purple is if you live in a tropical location where the brightness of the flora and fauna make a perfect complement. Opposite to purple on the color wheel is the color yellow, the color of sunshine and flowers, so you’ll have some great decorating options for accents and “pops” of color that designers and decorators are always talking about. If a royal reason is not your motivation, perhaps the ridiculous is: the Easter bunny is your favorite fictional character and purple all around you will remind you of Easter and your favorite new bonnet!
Whatever your reasons for using purple paint anywhere in your house, be sure to choose several different shades of purple, each being two shades different than the next one. Also, very importantly, choose either all “warm” or all “cool” tones, but not a mix of both. Warm tones will coordinate perfectly with other warm tones, but they won’t coordinate with cool tones. Like a wardrobe for your home, the right palette of purple tones will look wonderful and give you endless options for mixing and matching decor.
Light and shadow will also play with the shades you choose, so you will perceive many different shades, but you will want to have lighter shades in some spaces and darker shades in others. For example, a long narrow hallway needs a light color on the walls, but the ends of the hall could easily be “shortened” with a much darker shade, especially if there is a window in one end. Paint the frame and sill of the window a pretty shade of yellow to bring in the sunshine and lighten up the hallway. A small space will feel even smaller with a dark shade of purple. Try eggplant purple for a cozy guest room that will encourage a restful sleep. Keep the yellow accents to a minimum, and try various lighter shades of purple for a “layering” effect.
The Cons for Purple
Although we have to look at the cons of using purple paint, I must admit a bias for the color. But in the interest of a balanced perspective on purple, we will discuss the downside, such as it is. Because purple rarely appears in nature, some might think it appears artificial or “forced”. If your friends don’t like the shades, get new friends! Having said that, I must confess to witnessing an example of purple overkill in my own ex-sister-in-law’s studio apartment! She had every wall painted in one of three shades of purple. All right, I’ll admit it, you can overdo purple.
There, I said it. There’s a downside.
This article is about using purple paint “anywhere” in your house — not EVERYwhere! Another downside to using purple anywhere, is that you’re not old yet. Seems that, according to the book, “When I am an Old Woman, I Will Wear Purple”, you have to be old to wear purple.
So, don’t dress your house in purple unless you feel a certain age. I think 25 oughta do it– don’t all teenagers think that’s “old”? Whether you choose a warm lavender purple or a cool eggplant purple, pick the shades that express your personality and display your lifestyle at their finest. Have fun using purple paint anywhere in your home!
