From Royal to Ruffles: Decorating with Purple

A few years back, I went through a serious aubergine phase. Well, it was more like a "want for aubergine" phase, as my then-boyfriend (now husband) flat-out rejected all of my suggestions regarding the color.

But it left me wanting. I've accepted that I'll never live in a purple room myself, but that doesn't mean I can't look. So look I've done, and I've found these great spaces:

Kit Pollard

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Purple is a fantastic accent color in the garden, thanks to its great contrast with green. I love this wild space - it looks uncontrolled, but not unmanageable.

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This is another great example of using purple - this time, a lighter lavender shade - with white in a girl's room. It's a perfect match for flowery accessories, but the white furniture keeps the whole room down to earth and provides a functional base for when the little girl wants to grow up. A teenager might change out these linens for a more sophisticated pattern in blues or greens and voila - a grown-up room without much work.

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Purple is a fantastic choice for a little girl's bedroom. It's just as feminine as pink, but not quite as over-the-top. I love the way the small accents here give the whole room personality.

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This room, like the room above, uses blue-purple to great advantage in a traditional living room. It's the perfect color here, really, as it gives the space a feminine air without getting prissy.

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Purple, more than many other colors, has a lot of different personalities. If the above shades are bold and strong, this wall, with it's near-cornflower hue, is much softer. The room - and wall - are no shrinking violets, though. This room might look more appropriate for tea than cocktails, but that would be one great cup of tea.

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This rug gives me hope for purple in my own house. I love the pattern, and I think this is just the right amount of purple to inject in an otherwise neutral room to keep things interesting.

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And here is just one more example of the purple-and-white palette, this time in the living room. I love this bright shade of the color - it's full of youthful energy - and I think the bold color is a perfect match for the rounded lines of the furniture.

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This is another great example of the purple-and-white combination, but this time it's just one simple accent wall that's painted. I always think of purple in the dining room or in a formal sitting area, but it's great in the kitchen, too, giving a functional area sophisticated flair.

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Talk about regal. I love this bold use of color, but I also love the way the white furniture and accessories give the room a modern edge. It's a great marriage of traditional and current.