Purple is having a resurgence of interest in the world of interiors, especially for autumn and winter living. Long associated with power, wealth and luxury, this most debated of colours (some people love it, some people hate it) is reasserting its presence, particularly in deep and earth tones. In fact, paint company Little Greene has recently announced its Colour of the Year for 2026 as a ‘regal and reassuring’ plummy aubergine called Adventurer.
‘There’s a slight fear associated with purple,’ says Creative Director Amy Stoddart of London-based Amy Stoddart Studio, ‘but in the last year I've noticed that people are feeling more comfortable with it.’ One of Amy’s recent projects involved colour drenching a cinema room in an opulent purple (shown later). ‘It was a brave choice, but it has been so rewarding. Just like a giant hug.’
Amy believes the popularity of burgundy reds opened the gate to purples being more appreciated and in vogue. ‘They feel very cocooning because of the richness and depth of the colour,’ adds Amy.
Thinking that purple tones for autumn and winter may be for you? Read on to find out more about the purple palette, how to use it and why Linwood’s expertise in curating these colours can help you create rooms that are satisfying and comfortable every day of the year.
The Emotional Power of Purple in Interior Design
In colour psychology, all colours evoke an emotional response. The feelings most associated with the panoply of purples – from lilac to violet and from pinot to aubergine – vary from calm and creative to potent and enigmatic.
‘It’s a difficult colour for some people, because they think of the mauves and lilacs of yesteryears, but purple is a lot more elegant these days,’ says Emma Goodsell, owner of Rectory Interiors in East Sussex. At the lighter, whiter end of the scale, whimsical lilac and dusky lavender are experienced as easy to live with and serene; while the warm autumn purples, including plum and damson, are synonymous with dynamism and energy.
Of course, the fabric type that you use will also shift how purple reads in a space. Linwood’s Sienna, a bouclé fabric collection that is inviting and touchable, has a lovely looped quality and holds mid-tone Heather (shown) beautifully. Not too masculine and not too feminine, this colourway combines perfectly with stone, taupe and beige, making a bedroom a place of solace.
In colour science, purple is known as a secondary colour made by mixing proportions of the primaries red and blue, so when considering what’s right for your interior, look carefully at the undertones in a fabric, wallpaper or paint. Blue-based or bluer purples are experienced as cool and elegant, while red-based tones are cosier and immersive. It's worth considering the size and aspect of your space too, so that you pick purples that appear inherently right with the light levels. Don’t be afraid to experiment: a small room with poor light can totally take a high-powered purple. ‘If the room is dark, go for dark,’ says Emma Goodsell.
Understanding the Purple Spectrum: From Soft to Saturated
Decoding the best shades right for you and your property is the start of your journey into the world of purple. The architectural bones of your home will aid you in your decisions. From new builds that need a healthy injection of character to period homes that carry a history that you want to match, choose a purple that is at ease with your surroundings or aims to challenge them. Look too to your exterior for inspiration. Be it town or country, the view to the garden or a vista to a wider landscape and you’ll find purple references in each of the seasons - whether that be in skies, leaves or flowers. Many of its names are derived from plants – think lilac, lavender, blackberry, plum, damson and aubergine.
‘Purple is a beautiful seasonal colour,’ says Emma Goodsell. ‘My clients are looking for the earthy purples that are prevalent in nature, especially in the autumn months. You can team them with pine greens and mulberry reds that are also naturally occurring at that time.’
The lighter and more dusky hues in semi-plain weaves, like Westray Lavender (shown), also work hard during the cooler months thanks to their textured geometric designs, especially when used in rooms with timber floors or as upholstery on wooden legged sofas and armchairs. Lavender and lilac can be a little too nostalgic for some, so if that’s the case make it the accent rather than the definer and mix in neutral tones like warm grey and warm taupe that have a purple undertone.
How Texture Transforms Purple Interiors
Textured fabrics create depth and luxury and particularly favour purple. ‘Boucles work well with purple,’ confirms Amy Stoddart. ‘A mohair adds lots of depth. Velvets too. There’s a richness to a purple velvet that makes a room feel sumptuous.’ A view also held by Emma Goodsell: ‘Purple lends itself to velvet 100%,’ she says. ‘The deeper tones work beautifully on luxurious fabrics. Alternatively, soft purples on a linen base are lighter and move more.’
Look also to purple patterns that can act as a springboard for a design story. Florals, geometrics and stripes add alchemy and variety. Interior designer Nicola Harding created a jewel box of a powder room at Wow!House 2025 with walls and ceiling immersed in rich coloured pattern and gemstone colours. ‘For a powder room, you have the freedom to be more dramatic,’ says Nicola. ‘It’s a space where you’re likely to be alone, so it can be an escape – somewhere that offers a moment of respite and contemplation. We wanted to create an intoxicating atmosphere, rich with colour and texture.’
Premium purple patterned fabrics and wallpapers are designed to balance light and dark tones in a room. The colours have been painstakingly chosen by expert colourists, whose raison d’etre is getting colour combinations just right. Hinako Prune from Linwood’s Maru collection is a perfect example (shown). This decorative block print style design takes inspiration from traditional Asian folk art and features stylised florals. In multi-colours featuring red purple through to blush pink, this 100% linen fabric is a powerhouse design for curtains, upholstery and soft furnishings. Use it as your starting point to then tease out a narrative in other parts of the room in paint colours, rugs, lampshades and lamp bases. A happy complement to Hinako Prune is the plain linen, Elba Blush or for something more formal the velvet, Omega Crimson. Other combinations that work are purple and navy blue and purple and jade.
Creating Warmth with Deep Purple Tones
It goes without saying that colour depth and tactility create heartening interiors during autumn and winter. Dark autumn purple colourways when married with woven fabrics can quickly turn a piece of furniture from unenticing to enveloping.
Many designers head to quality wools that feel spot on for the months when we spend more time indoors. Lana Plum (shown) is a 70% recycled wool that’s made for upholstery and curtains. Not only is this fruity purple weave deeply satisfying, physically warm and cocooning, it’s pretty practical, taking everyday use well and disguising wear and tear.
In the cinema room that Amy Stoddart designed, she looked to Omega velvet in Deep Purple as every detail in the room was designed to help the clients unwind. ‘We commissioned a deep purple velvet, wall-to-wall bespoke sofa which anchors the room. Built precisely to fit the space, it wraps around the perimeter in a seamless, millimetre-perfect installation. Plush and generously cushioned, it invites you to sink in and stay awhile,’ she says. Walls were wrapped in a textured wallpaper, taking the colour up the awkward junctions of the slanted ceilings of the eaves’.
Balance is key, warn the designers. ‘I wouldn’t use a plain purple on a three piece suite, but I would use it on one piece – a sofa, a wing chair or at the window,’ says Emma Goodsell, and it works beautifully alongside natural woods and ambient lighting.’ Style note: Always use a warm toned bulb to enhance purple’s richness. Piles of plaid or stripe wool cushions would support the story.
Amy Stoddart agrees, suggesting an aubergine velvet headboard offset with creamy toned backdrop and linens as a muted use of the colour for a bedroom, alongside brass elements.
How to Use Purple All Year Round
You can bridge the seasons from autumn and winter to spring and summer with cooler undertones and characterful patterns, such as The Wave Mauve, which depicts a stylised seascape on a crisp white ground. Even though it's a velvet, it feels light and uplifting.
‘Transitioning into spring and summer is easily done by swapping out cushions or adding in homemade fabric throws. It's a cheap way to brighten the mood for the lighter months,’ says Emma Goodsell. Reframe your spaces by also introducing the lighter fabrics: voiles at the windows or linen/cotton mix cushions in greying purples like the Torosay Lavender Grey from the Arcadia collection. Trims too can play their part, making your soft furnishings the ultimate bespoke expression. Play with brush trims on cushions, bobble trims on the leading edge of a curtain or tape trims down the middle of Roman blind.
Jewel purples, like amethyst, pair beautifully with colour pop yellows like ochre, gold and tobacco. As well as glam oranges, suggests Amy Stoddart, who is currently working on a pre-dinner bar area with a private members club vibe that introduces purple with oranges. ‘It’s a bold choice but done in the right way can be really special. It's dark, cosy, rich… A wow room,’ she says.
Why Purple Fabrics Work So Beautifully at Linwood
We hope you’ve enjoyed this journey through the world of purple and its emotional and atmospheric qualities in interior design. Purple’s spectrum, from soft to saturated, feels new, now and forever. Head over to the website and search by Purple Fabric to find the best purples in velvets, linens and wools in plains and patterns that will take your curtains and blinds, upholstery and cushions to the next level.