Purple Paint & Colour Ideas

Purple is a colour we’ve yet to talk about on the podcast. It’s somewhat of a polarizing shade, you either love it or hate it.

But one thing’s for sure, purple has an incredible history. Shades of purple have long been associated with royalty and great wealth, and they continue to be today. Shades of purple have even been known to have healing properties.

Fun fact: Steph’s teenage bedroom was a combination of hot pink and lilac, Sugared Lilac to be precise.

Berry tones are incredible statement colours. Decadent Damson is a purple paint with a lot of depth and drama. Or there’s Acai Berry, a smoky purple paint that creates a captivating, creative space.

Both of these purple paint colours are available in the Dulux Simply Refresh Feature Wall collection. If you’re yet to discover Simply Refresh, this is Dulux’ new range of premium one-coat paint that makes it easier and quicker than ever to transform your space with colour!

Or there are softer, more easy-going purple paint colours, such as Prom Queen. A sugary sweet lilac that’s perfect for a playful colour scheme. Chic Lilac is also a favourite of ours with it’s slightly greyed-off character, making it a great tone for layering with darker shades of purple.

The key to using violet paint is choosing a toned-down shade and layering it with different colours. Blue-violet shades are not only gorgeous colours, they’re quite clever in the sense that they look different in different lights. For example, we love Blue Incense and Lavendar Quartz, which sit in the middle of blue and violet. We think it could be the ‘new pink’ to give your front door some much needed kerb appeal.

Purple sits opposite yellow and green on the colour wheel, which means they work really well together. These contrasting or complementary colours enhance one another, making the other colour feel more vivid, so you can create a striking colour scheme.

Marianne suggests pairing purple paint colours with mustard yellows or greens such as Overtly Olive, a beautiful nature-inspired green.

Dr Dulux aka Marianne solves not one, not two, but three decorating dilemmas in this series opener. Here’s a quick glance at her top tips…

Sophie from Reading asks Dr Dulux: “I want to decorate a beautiful new bedroom for my daughter… she is intent on having a frozen theme. How can I have a fun, but tasteful bedroom for her that pleases me, too?”

For a Frozen bedroom theme, Dr Dulux suggests painting your walls in a soft blue, like Mineral Mist or a grey with a hint of blue, like Frosted Steel. Then using a stencil to paint snowflakes around the bedroom to create a winter wonderland.

Decorating your child’s bedroom can be tricky, especially if they’re asking for a theme. Trends and interests change quickly, so it can be hard to keep up. However, using simple design ideas like this will make it easier for you switch later down the line. 

Chris from Harpenden asks Dr Dulux: “I would like to replace my UPVC front door, but I can't afford to do it just yet. Is there a paint that I can use to make it okay for now?”

There are four key steps to painting a uPVC door and two fantastic paints you should use, according to Dr Dulux:

• Clean the door – wipe the door down and make sure all the muck is off
• Sand the door – give it a light sand and dust it off with a brush
• Apply Dulux Primer to ensure your colour adheres to the door and you get the best possible result
• Add your colour – apply a few coats of Dulux Weatheshield Quick Dry Satin and leave to dry for a couple of hours. Why not try a beautiful violet paint like Lavender Quartz? 

Get a step-by-step guide to painting a uPVC door, here.

Dr Dulux: how to refresh outdoor furniture

Jason from Coventry asks Dr Dulux: “I've built myself an outdoor bar and kitchen area and it needs painting. Can you help advise what I can use and how I can decorate it to compliment the rest of my garden?”

Steer clear of white paint in your garden as it easily shows dirt. Instead, go for layers of green paint. They’ll blend well with your garden and make your outdoor space appear bigger.

For a masonry finish, choose Dulux Weathershield Smooth Masonry Paint that now comes with a lifetime guarantee. Try it in a deep shade of green like Guild Green.

For your woodwork, choose Cuprinol Garden Shades that comes with a 6 year weatherproof guarantee. There are lots of colours available, including Old English Green.