Exploring the therapeutic power of purple

Lights, darks and all the shades in between… Discover different pairings of colours with purple.

What is the mood of your room? What impact do you want to create? These are important considerations when choosing colours, says Joanne Thomas, Head of Content at Coloro, when she spoke to Elle Decor.

Deeper, darker purples can allude to opulence, making them a perfect fit for secluded, cosy spaces. Introducing a combination with layered, tinted darks of teals, deep browns and forest greens creates a safe, inviting space that feels timeless and mysterious.

Lilac is the perfect pastel to use in digital spaces. A blend of red and blue, it is gender-inclusive and links with ultraviolet lights, which are used to aid meditation. It is an unthreatening and therapeutic shade that provides an alternative to the screaming bright colours that can evoke sensory overload.

Softer lilac and lavender hues can pair beautifully with other candy pastels, a trend we saw upticking at Milan Design Week 2022. When teamed with other harmonious tints of blues, peaches, mints and softer industrial greys, purple can have a soothing effect and offer intriguing and playful combinations.

This is especially evident when it is paired with soft oranges and used in tactile ways, whether it be tightly curated finishes or juxtaposing powdery matte and mirror shine, sheer and opaque qualities. This story is ideal to evolve digital industrial narratives in a softer, more futuristic direction.

Finally, supercharge colour by pairing purples, whether they are softer or more vibrant, with a tropical palette of juicy pinks, oranges and yellows brought together with unexpected juxtapositions, prints, pattern and styling. This makes purple feel vivacious, saturated and playful.
 
For more colour forecasting, WGSN subscribers can check out our reports on Colour Evolution S/S 24 (Fashion), Beauty Colour Forecast S/S 24 (Beauty), Milan Design Week 2022: Colour, Material & Finish (Interiors) and Consumer Tech Colour Forecast 2024 (Consumer Tech).

Or, check out our blog on the appeal of purple in our increasingly digital future and the post-lockdown world.