With a lush and regal quality, purple is a mixture of blue's calmness and red's energy. Purple is associated with royalty, wealth and extravagance, also presenting meanings of creativity, wisdom, mystery, peace and magic. It is a colour with a richness and quality that demands respect.

Lighter purples like lilacs, which are a closer shade to pink, are soothing and don't look feminine. Instead, lilac adds a whimsical touch to spaces while lavender, considered a "grown-up" pink, represents beauty and femininity. Light purples generally feel fresh and clean, softening large, masculine pieces.

Custom design purple wool and art silk rug

Deeper purples suggest riches and royalty. They imply grandeur and strike a serious, formal note. These tones suggest sophisticated glamour and are best used boldly. Style a deep purple area rug with dark, brown furniture for a luxuriously dramatic look.

If you want to try a complementary colour scheme, try purple and gold. These colours create Old World sophistication but in their purest forms can be too intense, so try more muted hues. For a semi complementary palette, use purple with green and orange.

Modi Grey Purple rug

Pairing with green makes purple really pop, but repeat the purple somewhere else in the room to make an eclectic statement, rather than just being eccentric. Deep purple with red and orange creates high drama. The orange accents will balance out the deep purple, making the room feel warm and inviting.

Another colour scheme that always works is the monochromatic one, which uses tints and shades of the same colour, staying within the same column on the colour wheel. If that's too purple for your liking, go with an analogous palette instead.

Custom design classic floral rug

An analogous colour scheme is easy on the eyes because they're next to each other other on the colour wheel. In this case, it's purple and pink –think blue-purple and purple-red. Try this palette with crisp white, which creates a space that is airy and inviting all at once. One colour should stand out while the other two play supporting roles. This trick actually makes all three of the colours command equal attention because they are featured in different amounts.

Soft lilacs and creams in the floral Petals Mauve rug
Purple is a lush colour associated with nobility and creates an impression of luxury. There are many ways to style purple, whether that be with white for a clean, fresh look or dark wood for a dramatic feel. To see our purple designer rugs, click here.