Paint colors for your home, inside and out
Purple · Bedroom · colors from 3 paintings
The best purple for a bedroom depends on how dark you want the room to feel. This page shows three purples, from a soft blue-violet to a very dark violet, each measured from a painting. It also shows two companion colors to pair with them.
Quick answer
Use the blue-violet (LRV 22) on all four walls for a calm room, the deeper violet (LRV 14) on a bed wall or furniture, and the very dark violet (LRV 4) in textiles or on one accent wall.
A mid-tone with a cool blue undertone and an LRV of 22, it suits all four walls of a calm bedroom. Measured from Claude Monet's "Branch of the Seine near Giverny (Mist)".
From Branch of the Seine near Giverny (Mist), Claude Monet
Deep, with a violet undertone and an LRV of 14, it works on a bed wall, a dresser or an upholstered headboard. Measured from Mary Cassatt's "The Child's Bath".
From The Child's Bath, Mary Cassatt
At LRV 4 it reads very dark, so use it for curtains, a duvet or one small accent wall. Measured from Pierre-Auguste Renoir's "Two Sisters (On the Terrace)".
From Two Sisters (On the Terrace), Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Light, with a cool blue undertone and an LRV of 64, it bounces light and works as a wall color or a soft partner for the darker purples. Measured from Monet's "Branch of the Seine near Giverny (Mist)".
From Branch of the Seine near Giverny (Mist), Claude Monet
A mid-tone with a green undertone and an LRV of 27, it adds contrast to purple on an armchair, bench or cabinet. Measured from Renoir's "Two Sisters (On the Terrace)".
From Two Sisters (On the Terrace), Pierre-Auguste Renoir
The same paint reads differently in cool north light, warm south sun and under evening lamps. Find the column closest to your room.
| Color | Neutral daylight | North light | South light | Evening lamps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pale Mist Lavender | ||||
| Soft Olive Green |
Pick which color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and trim follow your choice.
The framed picture on the wall is Branch of the Seine near Giverny (Mist).
Start with how dark you want the room to feel. The three purples here sit at LRV 22, 14 and 4, so none of them bounces much light. Misty Blue-Violet (#7C809B, LRV 22) is the lightest and leans blue. Dusky Hyacinth (#6A647E, LRV 14) has a violet undertone and feels deeper. Midnight Violet (#343757, LRV 4) is very dark.
For a calm, soft look on four walls, choose the first. For a snug room with one wall in color behind the bed, choose the second. Use the third on a single wall or in textiles. Anything below about LRV 20 reads very dark, and a whole room in it will feel enclosed.
If you want a light purple wall, the companion Pale Mist Lavender (#CFD0E7, LRV 64) is the one that reads light and bounces light.
Pale Mist Lavender (#CFD0E7) works as a wall color or as a soft partner for the darker purples. It comes from the same Monet painting as Misty Blue-Violet, so the two share a cool blue undertone. Put it on the walls and use Dusky Hyacinth on main furniture, such as an upholstered bed or a dresser.
Soft Olive Green (#8E9163, LRV 27) is the bold piece. Try it on an armchair, a bench or one cabinet. Its green undertone sits opposite the violet, so it adds contrast without shouting. Keep Midnight Violet for textiles: curtains, a throw or a duvet.
For trim and ceiling, a soft white keeps the room bright. Test it next to the lavender, because cool purples can make some whites look gray. For floors and wood, a warm mid-brown, close to #8B6B4A, balances the cool walls. A rug in a warm neutral does the same job over pale or gray flooring.
Purple shifts more than most colors. The cool blue undertone in Misty Blue-Violet and Pale Mist Lavender looks bluer and grayer in north-facing rooms, where daylight is cooler. In south-facing rooms the same colors look softer and a little warmer.
Dusky Hyacinth has a violet undertone, so it keeps its purple character in more kinds of light. At LRV 14 it absorbs most of the light that reaches it, so a room with one small window will feel dim and snug. That suits a bedroom you mostly use at night. Midnight Violet, at LRV 4, can look almost navy or black in low light.
Check your bulbs too. Warm bulbs pull blue-violet toward plum, and cool bulbs make it look crisper and bluer. Choose the bulbs you will actually use before you judge the color.
Paint a sample board about two feet square with two coats, and let it dry fully. Wet paint looks different from dry paint. Tape the board to the wall you plan to paint, then move it to a second wall.
Look at it in morning light, at midday and in the evening with your bedroom lamps on. Hold it beside your trim color, bedding and floor. These are the closest matches we measured: Sherwin-Williams SW 6543 Soulful Blue and Behr 670F-5 Gothic Amethyst for the lightest purple, Sherwin-Williams SW 6551 Purple Passage and Behr PPU16-18 Hyacinth Arbor for the middle one, and Sherwin-Williams SW 6545 Majestic Purple and Behr BXC-51 Deep Mulberry for the darkest.
Screens change colors, so treat the hex values as a guide and judge the real chip or sample pot. Live with the board for a few days before you buy gallons.
For a calm room, start with Misty Blue-Violet (#7C809B, LRV 22). Its closest matches include Behr 670F-5 Gothic Amethyst and Valspar 4001-6B Rapture. For a deeper room, try Dusky Hyacinth (#6A647E, LRV 14).
Pale Mist Lavender on the walls, Dusky Hyacinth on main furniture and Midnight Violet in textiles. Add Soft Olive Green on one bold piece such as an armchair, and a warm wood tone for balance.
Yes, but choose the shade with care. Pale Mist Lavender (LRV 64) reads light and bounces light. Darker violets at LRV 14 or 4 make a small room feel cozy and enclosed, so use them on one wall.
A soft white is a safe choice for both. Test it next to your purple, because cool purples can make some whites look gray. Hold the sample against the wall in daylight and lamplight.
Choose light, around LRV 60 or higher, for a bright, airy room. Choose mid to dark, below about LRV 25, for a quiet, enclosed feel. Very dark shades below LRV 20 work best on one wall or in fabric.
A card with every color on this page, its LRV and the paintings it comes from. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
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Painting images: The Art Institute of Chicago, public domain (CC0). Colors measured by Light & Pigment. Paint names belong to their brands and matches are approximate. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.
