When looking to use purple in your home begin by looking to the softer shades in the purple spectrum. Indeed Crown has a fabulous range of lavender and pastel shades. These shades that are close to blue in tone such as Platinum or Elegant Cool are a great way to gradually introduce purple to your home. By using these shades in areas such as bathrooms and playrooms they can help lift the room and introduce more light.

These shades along with lavender and lilac colours are also perfect for children’s nurseries, conservatories or bedrooms. Look to Simple Lilac and Soft Lavender from Crown Paints to add a touch of purple to your home. They have a romantic aspect to them and are perfect for adding a touch of sparkle to your bedroom. Use these shades in an overall romantic design scheme with sweeping curtains and plenty of lace and cushions.

If you want to be bold in your use of purple then lean towards the fuller shades of purple. Purple is the sign of royalty. In ancient times purple was the rarest colour to find so only the elite could afford to embellish their homes in this colour. Give your chosen purple shade a pride of place by painting a feature wall using your chosen shade. Show stopping colours like Elegant Shade, Strong Passion and Aubergine Fresh will give the dramatic effect you are looking for.

The deeper shades of purple also look great in the bedroom as a passionate alternative to red. Why not use your chosen shade as a substitute for a headboard, simply paint the entire wall that your bed rests against with the paint. Add details with stencils using a lighter shade of purple or matt silver emulsion. Paint the rest of the room in a lighter almost cream lilac or purple. To make your central wall really stands out choose a fawn shade of paint like White Suede or Flawless Fawn.

When it comes to adding the final touches to a room both yellow and green work the best alongside purple. The contrast between the colours is quite striking and should therefore be used in muted form in your home. Look for accessories that have a delicate suggestion of yellows or greens. Use soft furnishing with these colours to complete your design scheme. Don’t be afraid to incorporate patterns into your room either but stick to purple as your guide.

Finally look for accessories in the various shades of purple. This can be a great opportunity to introduce texture into the room. Heavy curtains when used in unusual material such as suede or velvet make a strong statement in a room. Think about sanding and painting an old chair or coffee table with your favourite purple shade to give it a new lease of life. To finish, purple lends itself best to nature at times and there are stunning flowers such as tulips that are bursting with purple tones. Decorate your room with flowers real or artificial where possible.

Happy Decorating,

Neville