Violet (purple) tends to be a color people either love or hate. In recent times many young ladies have told me purple is their favorite color. When questioned you quickly find out it is usually the lighter tints of violet they prefer. However in this bedroom design I have developed a funky color scheme using violet, red violet, tawny dark yellow brown, silver and grey with touches of yellow and white.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Deep purple can appear dark and dull however when used with white and yellow (its contrasting color) it comes into its own. Light violet has been a popular color for bedrooms in the past. Perkin’s mauve the first synthetic dye (which became the in color of the Victorian era) was discovered by chance in 1856. William Perkin an assistant at the Royal College of Chemistry was working on synthesizing quinine. He patented and then produced the first synthetic dye a rich purple he called mauveine in 1857. So really purple can be considered the leader of synthetic colors.

Purple is a color synonymous with sensuality making it a great fit for a bedroom. Historically purple was a rare color and considered the color of royalty. Purple is also ecclesiastical expressing the mystery of the Lord’s passion. It was a popular color in the 1930s, 1950s and 1960s. Most of the purples represented in nature are flowers which lend their names to many purple hues; lavender, violet and, lilac. The purple palette consists of light lilac, bluish pinks, deep purple, lavenders, cool blue violets, reddish mauve and shades of bluish rose and red violet magenta.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

A purple color scheme needs to be handled with care. Mishandled they can be unsettling yet handled well they can have a richness, sense of luxury or heavenly delicacy. If a bedroom is also to be used as a study violet could be a problem as it can disturb the eye focus.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

In the schemes I have created for the concept boards in this blog I have selected fabrics and items to create textural variation for example velvet chairs, drape fabric and cushions, fluffy throw rugs and smooth shiny vases. They work well with the shiny mirrored set of drawers. I have created a sample board without the addition of yellow to show how flat and dull the room would be without the addition of this color. However too much yellow is not recommended for a bedroom as it can be over stimulating; therefore making it unsuitable for a place of rest.

The beauty of a bedroom created using deep purples; it is more likely to appeal to both men and women. Delicate violet colored bedrooms can appear too delicate and feminine. The star of the show in the bedroom featured above is the magnificent purple wardrobe which started me on the journey of creating a funky purple bedroom retreat.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online