Lavender is a light purple shade that is soft, calming and feminine. It’s a popular color for painting bedroom walls, and it’s often used in floral arrangements and other home decor. When decorating with lavender, it’s important to choose coordinating colors that enhance its beautiful hue. So what are the best color matches for lavender? Here’s an overview of the top color pairings.
Cool Colors That Complement Lavender
Lavender looks gorgeous paired with other cool-toned hues in the blue, green and purple color families. These cool complements create a relaxed and tranquil vibe.
Light Blue
A light sky blue is one of the most popular colors to match with lavender. The two pastel shades evoke thoughts of beautiful blue skies and gentle spring flowers. Light blue has a crisp, clean feeling that lifts the mood. Pair it with lavender bedding, throw pillows, artwork or accessories for a refreshing look.
Periwinkle
Slightly deeper than lavender, periwinkle blue makes an elegant pairing. Periwinkle has hints of blue-violet that coordinate seamlessly with light purple. Use these hues together when painting walls or select periwinkle blooms for floral centerpieces on a lavender tablecloth. The combination is ideal for cottage-style and romantic decors.
Seafoam Green
With its misty, watercolor look, seafoam green blends beautifully with soft lavender tones. Seafoam is a pale green with gray-blue undertones that connect it to the lavender palette. Use seafoam and lavender together in a bedroom or bath for a relaxing spa-like atmosphere. Try painted furniture, throw pillows, towels and artwork in this charming color scheme.
Lilac
For a monochromatic look, pair lavender with a deeper shade of lilac purple. Lilac offers greater contrast when combined with pale lavender walls or soft furnishings. Together these purple shades create a luxurious, romantic ambiance with a modern feel. Add white and gray accents for a stunning bedroom or living room color palette.
Pale Gray
If you want to tone down the dominance of lavender in a room, pale gray is an excellent choice. Light gray has a muted, hazy quality that allows lavender hues to take center stage. It provides subtle contrast while remaining within the same cool color family. Use pale gray with lavender in a living room, bedroom or kitchen for a relaxed contemporary style.
Warm Colors That Complement Lavender
In addition to cool tones, earthy neutrals and warm shades of pink, peach and yellow can make attractive partners for lavender. These warmer complements add a touch of vibrancy and sunlight.
Buttercream
For a cheerful cottage look, pair airy lavender decor with buttercream yellow accents. Also known as ivory or parchment, buttercream is a pale, warm yellow that contrasts beautifully with lavender. Use it in small home decor touches like throw pillows, lamps, rugs and curtains paired with a lavender color scheme.
Peach
Pretty peach injects a lively, feminine energy when combined with purple lavender hues. Peach ranges from muted apricot tones to vivid salmon pinks. A peach tablecloth or area rug would pop nicely against lavender walls or sofa cushions for bright summery style. Peach blossom floral arrangements also coordinate splendidly with the lavender palette.
Mint Green
Mint green combines the vibrancy of green with a cool blue undertone that pairs gorgeously with lavender. Use mint green and lavender together for table decor, kitchen accessories, painted furniture or accent walls. Mint looks beautiful alongside white and metallics too for a fresh modern lavender color scheme.
Coral
Vibrant coral adds a tropical punch when blended with relaxed lavender tones. Since coral has orange undertones, it provides a lively complement to cool-toned lavender. Use coral artwork, throw pillows or area rugs to wake up a lavender living room or bedroom. For table decor, combine coral napkins or flowers with lavender table linens.
Blush Pink
Pretty blush pink makes a darling partner for lavender. As a soft rosy shade, blush pink provides a warm, feminine balance to calm lavender. Use blush pink bedding, drapes, chairs or decorative accents as part of a romantic bedroom or living area color scheme. Blush pink roses or ranunculuses also look beautiful in lavender floral arrangements.
Neutrals That Work with Lavender
Neutral shades provide an easy complement to any color scheme since they are so versatile. Here are some top neutral choices for pairing with lavender:
Crisp White
Clean white is ideal for creating a light, airy look alongside lavender. White walls, trim, furniture and decor items allow the beauty of lavender to take center stage while providing contrast. A white and lavender color scheme exudes charm and sophistication.
Dove Gray
For a more muted, elegant look, bring in dove gray elements like linens, painted furniture, area rugs and artwork. Dove gray has a warmer tone than pale gray that contrasts lavender while remaining neutral. The pairing creates an upscale modern or transitional aesthetic.
Eggshell Cream
Slightly warmer than white, eggshell or ivory has a vintage softness that suits a cottage-style lavender color palette. Use eggshell in furniture, lamp shades, decorative accents, fabrics and art for an understated complement to lavender.
Natural Wood Tones
Natural wood finishes lend a casual elegance to any color scheme. The warm honey and caramel tones of oak, maple, alder and birch woods coordinate beautifully with lavender. Incorporate wood furniture, shelves, flooring and accents for organic texture.
Metallics
For contemporary glamour, metallics like pewter, silver, gold and copper pair gorgeously with light purple lavender. Metallic accents in home decor, wall art, throws, cushions and tabletop pieces catch the light for a glamorous effect against lavender backdrops.
Creating Color Harmony with Lavender
When combining colors with lavender, it helps to keep some color theory basics in mind:
Analogous Colors
Analogous colors are located right next to each other on the color wheel, like lavender with blue-violet and blue-green. This creates easy harmony in a scheme.
Complementary Colors
Complementary colors are opposite each other on the wheel, like lavender and yellow-orange. They create high contrast for vibrancy.
Split Complementary Colors
This uses a color plus the two on either side of its complement, like lavender, yellow-orange and red-violet. It offers contrast with less dominance.
Triadic Colors
Triadic colors are evenly spaced around the color wheel, like lavender, chartreuse and tomato red. The contrast brings excitement.
Tetradic / Double Complementary Colors
Pick two complementary pairs, like lavender with yellow-orange and blue-green with red-orange. This creates a vibrant, complex scheme.
Tips for Decorating with Lavender
Here are some top tips for creating stylish, cohesive rooms with lavender:
– Use lavender as a primary wall color or accent wall to establish it as a key hue
– Select 2-3 coordinating colors to complement lavender for balance
– Add plenty of white or neutral shades for a light, airy feel
– Incorporate natural materials like wood, rattan, linen and cotton for texture
– Use lavender in large statement pieces like sofas, headboards or area rugs
– Add lavender touches in artwork, pillows, vases, lamps, curtains and other decor
– Combine glossy and matte surfaces and metallics for visual interest
– Display fresh flowers in complementary colors for pops of vibrancy
– Limit lavender use in kitchens and baths to accent touches to avoid overwhelming
10 Room Ideas with Lavender Color Schemes
Here are 10 stylish ways to use soothing lavender throughout your home:
1. Lavender and Seafoam Green Bedroom
– Lavender walls
– Seafoam bedding and curtains
– Natural wood nightstands
– White and silver accents
2. Lavender and Periwinkle Blue Bathroom
– Periwinkle walls
– Lavender shower curtain and bath mats
– White cabinets and tiles
– Periwinkle, white and silver decor
3. Lavender and Blush Pink Dining Room
– Blush pink dining chairs
– Lavender table runner
– Eggshell walls
– Pink and white floral centerpiece
– Candlesticks and decor in mixed metals
4. Lavender and Buttercream Kitchen
– Buttercream cabinets
– Lavender kitchen towels and appliance accents
– Gray quartz countertops
– White subway tile backsplash
– Bronze and copper metallic pendants and fixtures
5. Lavender and Lilac Purple Office
– Lavender accent wall
– Lilac desk chair
– White desk and shelving
– Silver table lamps and desk accessories
6. Lavender and Peach Living Room
– Peach sofa and armchairs
– Lavender curtains and pillows
– Creamy ivory walls and rug
– Rattan side tables
– Peach blossom floral arrangement
7. Lavender and Mint Green Patio
– Lavender cushions and pillows
– Mint bistro chairs and side tables
– White trim and furnishings
– Mint and lavender flowering plants
8. Lavender and Coral Kids’ Room
– Lavender walls and bedding
– Coral art and accessories
– White furniture and shelving
– Lavender and coral patterned rug
9. Lavender and Light Blue Guest Room
– Light blue walls
– Lavender bedding and curtains
– White nightstands and lamps
– Silver and glass decor accents
10. Lavender and Gray Transitional Living Room
– Gray walls and sofa
– Lavender curtains and throw pillows
– Cream rug and side chairs
– Chrome and glass coffee table
– Abstract art with gray, lavender and cream
Choosing Paint Colors with Lavender
When selecting paint colors to use with lavender:
– Light blues, grays and greens work well in cooler schemes
– Peach, yellow and pink create warmth when paired with lavender
– Tint lighter purple shades like lilac or periwinkle with white for airy accent walls
– Deepen lavender with gray undertones for dramatic feature walls
– For cabinets and furniture, use ivory, cream or gray tones as neutral bases
– Add a hint of lavender to your trim or ceiling color for a subtle touch of contrast
Conclusion
With its delicate beauty and soft feminine aura, lavender creates stunning color schemes for every room when thoughtfully combined with complementary or contrasting hues. Cool tones like periwinkle, lilac and seafoam green play up lavender’s relaxed vibe and pretty pastel look. For more excitement, warmer complements like peach, coral and buttercream add vibrant pops. Crisp whites, elegant grays and natural wood tones provide versatile neutral backdrops. With so many pleasing color combinations, lavender can transform your home into a personalized sanctuary that soothes the senses. Trust your instincts and have fun finding your own perfect color matches with lovely lavender.
