Purple may not be your first choice when choosing bedroom colors, but that’s no reason to veto it if your teen is a purple-maniac. Work with your teenager to find ways to incorporate purple accessories, paints or accents in a color scheme and bedroom style that’s acceptable to both of you.
Lavender and Lace
Paler shades of purple conjure visions of romantic heroines. Lavender walls create an ideal background for accents in violet, grape or hyacinth. Add to the feminine mood of the room with custom borders created with stencils made of lace panels. Floral print linens and accessories–think pansies, lilacs and violets–add depth to the color scheme without letting purple overtake the room. Be sure to build in extra seating space for when friends visit–a window seat or daybed works very well with the feminine style you’ve established. Finish up the design with lacy white eyelet curtains edged in lavender lace and held back with matching tiebacks.
Dramatic Diva Digs
If your teen princess loves her drama, choose a shade of purple that pops–then power it up by pairing it with high-energy contrast colors like lemon yellow, neon green and bright turquoise. Paint three walls neutral gray and turn the fourth wall into an accent by painting it in a bold purple–eggplant or grape, for example. Add graphical interest by blocking out asymmetrical squares, rectangles or stripes in one or two bright colors, and use them as frames for posters or a cork board. Choose contemporary bedroom furniture in glossy black. It will suit the splashy mood of this room and won’t be out of place in a more-adult room a few years down the line. Complete the accessories with bright pink, purple or yellow floor pillows or beanbag chairs.
Suave Sophistication
Cater to the tastes of a cosmopolitan teen with a low-key purple, like wine or mulberry, on the walls. Pale yellow molding and caramel chair rails add depth to the color scheme and provide accent colors to pick up in the bed linens and window treatment. A built-in storage wall, complete with desk and basket cubbies, offers another place to use accent colors while staying in tune with the sleek, European style of the color scheme. A platform bed with attached “floating” bedside tables is an ideal finishing touch for a room that will stay in style long past the teen years.
One for the Boys
Purple doesn’t have to be feminine. Pair it with navy, red or black for a junior version of a man cave. Three brick-red walls create a natural foil for a fourth wall papered with a pin-striped design that picks up brick red, purple and blue. Position the bed on the accent wall; use the solid walls as a background for a collection of team jerseys or gaming memorabilia that highlights the color purple. Keep the furnishings simple. A platform bed with built-in storage, a desk and bookshelves fit the no-frills theme. Finish it off with a simple comforter and plain curtains that pick up the purple in a subtle pinstripe or fleck print.
Photo Credit
- bedroom image by Gina Smith from Fotolia.com
