21 Reasons to Decorate With Purple

Whatever shade you choose — lilac, plum, mauve or aubergine — purple makes a statement

Helen Mirren caused a stir in the media recently when she had the chutzpah to ride the New York subway, sitting next to — shock, horror — a real person. But what also got people going was that she was wearing — wait for it — purple gloves. If she had been wearing black, green or even orange gloves, her handwear would hardly have warranted a mention, but purple, and it’s a headline.

You see, purple can be a quirky color. It’s not always easy to get right (Mirren did), and it’s a color that people tend to either love or find repellent. I’m definitely in the former camp, but I’ve been a bit scared to use it ever since painting my bedroom a pretty shade of lavender, only for a friend to remark some time later, “Yuck, who would ever choose that color paint?” But as these photos show (not one a child’s bedroom), purple in all its hues — whether a little bit or a lot is used — can be lovely and even sophisticated.