a modern purple palette

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

I was flipping through the Benjamin Moore Affinity paint deck the other day and stumbled across a palette of four colors that made me surprisingly happy. Why surprisingly? Because three of the colors were shades of purple (not one of my favorite colors normally).  The fun feature of the BM Affinity paint deck is that you can pick any 3 colors at random and they will all work together! They might not be your favorite combination, but the tones and shades of the 144 colors have been carefully selected to coordinate (these colors are available in the Aura paint base).  Check out the palette at your local Benjamin Moore store to see for yourself (Hirshfield’s in the Twin Cities carries Benjamin Moore).

But what makes this palette different than the purples I’m used to seeing is they all have a more complex grey or brown undertone.  This is what makes them modern and appealing to me. Anchored by a lovely coffee brown (the “barrista” must have put a lot of milk in that espresso!) this palette could work easily in a living room or bedroom for a warm and luxurious vibe.

The key to a palette like this is to mix in metallic accessories for shimmer, add velvets and silks for a variety of sheens and textures, and ground it with dark wood floors. How about a distressed oak floor covered in textured wool rugs?  I realize that this might not be easy for you to visualize (I can see it clear as day in my head), so I whipped up this room concept to show you how you could pull together the colors, textures and furnishings for a living room.

What do you think?  Would you enjoy hanging out in this room? I think the transitional style of this room would work well in both a suburban home and an urban condo. The furnishings have clean lines that reference traditional forms. A Hollywood Regency sideboard with midcentury lamps adds an unexpected touch, and the silk curtains sweeping across the floor like a ballgown add a bit of glamour.  The light finish on the sideboard balances the darker colors and finishes throughout the room. The ceiling fixture adds a playful modern silhouette that keeps them guessing.  Hang it over a reading area off the main seating area rather than centered over it so that both the light and the reading area are highlighted.

Since there are so many shades of purple out there to play with, I’ve also pulled together 3 inspiration boards featuring lavender, violet and deep purple rooms to inspire you.  Check back tomorrow for the first board!

Tags: Affinity, Aura, Benjamin Moore, fabric, Hirshfield's, interior design, living room, metallic, paint, purple, twin cities
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