Creative and Independent Purple
Purple has a history of being a complex color, holding many different meanings. A combination of the calming effects of blue and the intensity of red, purple can bring about a variety of feelings and effects on the viewer. Creative, mysterious, and regal, purple is a color you’ll want to feature in your home decor (especially since it is the Pantone Color of the Year 2022)!
Color Meaning and Symbolism
Purple is the color of wealth, royalty, and luxury. It is known to foster creativity, promote focus and introspection, and it has a calming effect. Purple is also seen as a color that symbolizes bravery and independence. In lighter shades, purple is a romantic color as well. However, like all colors, purple carries some negative meanings. In some cases it symbolizes sadness, particularly in some European cultures where the color is connected to mourning. Purple can also be viewed as arrogant, emotional, and childish, particularly when used in excess.
History of Purple
Purple has a long connection to the upper class and royalty. Purple dye was first made from sea snails in the Mediterranean. Since it took so many snails to produce even a small amount of dye, the color became valuable and reserved for the elite who could afford it. In some societies, wearing the color was even protected by law - you couldn’t be seen wearing the same shade of purple as the elite. In 1856, the color became more popular when a synthetic version of the dye was accidentally created by chemist William Henry Perkins. This shade of purple would later be referred to as mauve.
From there, purple took off throughout culture. Purple has often been associated with change throughout history and was the color of many movements, most famously the Women’s Suffrage Movement. In popular culture, purple has made many appearances as well. It has made its way into many famous songs including Purple Rain by Prince (who was also known to wear the color frequently). The color has also been a staple color for many well known movie characters including Ursual from Disney’s The Little Mermaid and Willy Wonka from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory to name a few.
Designing with Purple
As mentioned above, the color Very Pri Purple is Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2022 (not to mention another shade of purple was featured in 2018). With purple’s rise in popularity, now is a great time to consider ways you can incorporate it into your home decor! Depending on the shade you choose, purple can have many uses in interior design. Consider using bold deep purples as a statement color in your home through your furniture choices in your living room or as a pop of color in your pillows or curtains. Lighter shades of purple help with relaxation and are great for bedroom spaces. Since purple has both warm and cool tones and there are a variety of shades, this color can be paired with a variety of other colors around your home, making purple a great color choice for any space.
Looking to start incorporating purple into your daily life through customizable decor? Check out the variety of patterns in purple available through Domanda Design. Our products are made-to-order, allowing you to select a style and pattern that best matches your personal style. The possibilities are endless!
This blog post was written by Emma Becker.
