Colour Watch: Aubergine

Purple is one of those colours that’s notoriously difficult to get right in the home.  Paint your walls with a deep, dark purple and the room can feel dreary and gothic.  Select a bright, vibrant hue and it might evoke images of those New Age book covers.  On the other hand, soft lavender tones are too overused, and reminiscent of country-style weddings.

So, how do you get it right? What’s a person to do if they love purple and wants to incorporate it into their décor?  We recommend you go for aubergine; it’s a lovely, warm shade that’s easy to work with.  Below, we’ll discuss our favourite ways to use aubergine in your home.

Four ways to use aubergine purple in your home:

Theme 1: “Luxury boudoir” themed room

A rich plummy, aubergine shade is warm and inviting, plus it communicates wealth and opulence – the perfect feeling for a “luxury boudoir” vibe.  Select plush textures for your bed, such as a cozy faux fur or velvet throw to add a little grandeur to the room.  Here’s plenty of inspiration to get you started:

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4 – 6, 7, 8, 9.

Image number six is our favourite here at FADs – we love the rich aubergine purple wall mixed with the muted metallic tones. The gorgeous chandelier-style light fitting is a real show-stopper too!

Theme 2: Kitchen chic

Purple is not a shade you’d automatically attribute to the kitchen, but as the images below show, the colour works perfectly! By opting for purple worktops and counters instead of walls, the kitchens remain bright and light; dark purple walls would feel too overbearing in most family kitchens. Further, the aubergine colour works with a number of styles of kitchen – from farmhouse to contemporary and modern.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Picture number five is our favourite: we love the clashing teal AGA cooker, white walls and wooden tones. The multicoloured tiles tie everything together perfectly.

Theme 3: Aubergine purple as an accent colour in a neutral room

To create an elegant and striking living room, start with a base palette of light browns and neutral cream colours, then pair with dark, rich aubergine purple as your accent colour.  The key to this theme is amazing lighting to keep the room feeling light and breezy.   Take cues from these photos below:

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

We love the aubergine sofas in the montage above, they make a real statement!  If you’re looking for something similar to add a pop of purple to your living room, you’ll be pleased to know that we have plenty of options for you on our main site:

From left to right:  Flippa Sofa,  Zoe Corner Sofa,  Lilly 3 Seater

From left to right:  Flippa Armchair, Lilly Armchair,  Nargi Armchair

Theme 4: Bright, cheerful and eclectic

Create a vibrant space by pairing aubergine purple with a mismatch of other cheerful and happy shades.   Be brave and select bright fabrics, patterned wallpapers and fun prints.  Finally, spray paint old pieces of furniture with bold colours to give them a new lease of life.  The colourful, clashing colour scheme is set to be a huge trend in spring 2015, as we saw recently at London Fashion Week – check out our guide to making its key trends work in your home.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

What do you think of aubergine in the home? Share your thoughts below!