Decorating with Purples and Pinks

Purples lean to either warm reds or cool blues. In this modern living room, a cool, whispery purple (Benjamin Moore #2114-50 Victorian Mauve) strikes a balance between drama and delicacy. The shade harmonizes easily with raw-wood furniture and animal prints.

Using a color scheme from nature is always a sure bet. The purple and green of lilac plants inspired this bedroom's colors. Delicate tints like this lilac (Benjamin Moore #1381 Easter Ribbon) take on many of the serene qualities of blues and work great in a bedroom.

Dark purple (Benjamin Moore #AF-635 Bonne Nuit) lends a sophisticated vibe to this Chicago bedroom. To balance the deep purple, a divider wall was painted a golden tan (Benjamin Moore #1069 Twilight Gold). Yellow-gold tones are complementary to purple, across the color wheel. The combination offers an exotic backdrop for the homeowners' collection of African art and patterns.

Soft, romantic and cozy, pink is a great choice for bedrooms. In this Michigan bedroom, a happy pink (Benjamin Moore #1331 Ballet Slippers) harmonizes with pink floral patterns in the rug, bedding and lampshade.

While pink isn't often used in main living spaces, this alluring living room shows how a soft pink can add intimacy to a sophisticated, off-white space. In a more public space, use pink in limited amounts. Here, pink elements could be easily changed out for another accent color if the homeowner tires of the color.

Pinks conjure thoughts of sweet tastes and sweet scents. Maybe that's why a terra-cotta pink focal point wall works so well in this Wisconsin dining room. As the background color for a metallic life-size tree print wallpaper (Woods in Gold/Terra-Cotta, Cole and Son Collection), the color brings to life the gilt mirror, branch chandelier and creamy chairs. Complementary green on the chair upholstery adds a pretty touch.

See a color you like? Most home improvement stores are happy to mix colors if you show them a picture or a fabric sample you're trying to match. They're also usually able to match discontinued colors. Remember that colors can look different depending on factors such as light and the size of your room-plus colors can look different on a computer screen or a printed sample. Always buy a small container first and try the shade out before painting the entire room. Get more color inspiration by browsing any of our slideshows below.