Color Review for African Violet

The Rugh Design Color Wheel

Even though we have completed the Color Wheel, that doesn’t mean I’m gonna stop highlighting colors! There are so many other colors that I haven’t written about that deserve some time in the spotlight. I hope to spotlight at least 1 Sherwin-Williams color each month. So reach out and let me know which color you want to see next! For now keep reading this post for my African Violet review!

If you would like to view my past posts on the Color Wheel Featured Colors and reviews you can go HERE. But also be sure to check out the Color Wheel complete with my hand-picked color schemes for the entire Sherwin-Williams color deck! There are over 1700 colors and each color has 4 schemes for you to explore using in your space.

African Violet SW 6982 Review

This month I’m going way out of my comfort zone and featuring a super fun and bright color: African Violet. I would categorize African Violet as a saturated warmer violet color with a tiny bit more red to it’s undertone versus blue. It’s bold and has an air of sophistication to it, royalty even. Purple is not necessarily the neutral that you want to paint your whole house, but there are several places where this exuberant color can light up a whole room.

Last year’s Pantone Color of the Year was Ultra Violet, so using purple in fashion and interiors is not a new thing. In fact, maximalism is currently the new trend for interior design, so add some purple to your patterns and join the tribe of bold homeowners adding flare and excitement in their spaces.

Not sure how to incorporate African Violet or other violets into your home? Since African Violet is more saturated and bright than just a neutral all-over color, use it sparingly and purposefully. Consider an accent wall or if you do take the plunge and paint an entire room, use neutrals (grays, blacks and whites) to tone down the bright and add some balance.

For convenience here are my hand picked color schemes for African Violet. Be sure to visit the African Violet color scheme page and leave a question or a comment!

Now that you have a basis for African Violet and have seen my color schemes, check out my Pinterest gallery for some inspiration. See below and let me know which one you like the most. If you have your own pictures, send them to me and I will post them!

Please note that it was hard to find inspiration pictures of spaces painted African Violet. So some if not most of these pins and pictures in this post may not actually be African Violet. I have done my best to clarify that where possible.

https://www.pinterest.com/lauraerugh/african-violet/

Where to use African Violet SW 6982

If you want to get wild with color then African Violet is a great color to get started with. Paint your entire room African Violet! Or pair it with a black or white accent wall! Your options are endless really, so have fun! But for a more realistic look at how to incorporate African Violet (or any dark purple) in your space keep reading.

African Violet in Dining Rooms

With the right color scheme using African Violet to help create an elegant dining room is possible. Remember, when talking about the color in your space you are not limited to paint color. For your space you may elect to choose one to two paint colors and fill out the color scheme with colors provided by your accessories, rugs or furniture.

The inspiration picture above uses modern elements (brass light fixture) along with black and white to neutralize the boldness of the purple. I love how the trim is painted purple as well to keep the look seamless. It’s hard to tell if this is just an accent wall or a whole room painted violet, however, the neutrals make it possible to get away with either option.

African Violet on Furniture

Speaking of using color with the other elements in your space to compliment your paint choices, one place that I love to have fun with color is with painted furniture. Using African Violet on your furniture is a perfect way to add color without painting all of your walls purple.

To make the best use of African Violet as your furniture color I recommend a soft neutral on the walls, maybe even white or a soft gray (consider using Alabaster or Agreeable Gray as your soft neutral, white or soft gray). Adding a lacquer finish not only adds sheen, It creates an old world appeal. A great way to add more detail is with a unique drawer pull or knob!

African Violet in Bathrooms

Another way to have fun with African Violet is in bathrooms. If you read my blogs, you know that I mention that I love doing something different in powder bathrooms, but full bathrooms can handle brighter colors too if done in the right way. Similar to the dining room pictured above, using more neutrals to tone down the brightness a bit is key to keeping the purple from feeling too juvenile.

For your neutral color consider using Worldly Gray, Accessible Beige or Eider White to help tone down the brightness of African Violet. These colors have a gray or greige undertone and therefore will cause African Violet to neutralize and look great!

African Violet in Kitchens

African Violet in a kitchen. This is a hard one. Maybe my best suggestion would be to go out and buy some real african violets and have them on display right next to your matte black oven and dishwasher. I hear that in the right condition African Violets look glorious all year! Ha!

But if you must use African Violet in your kitchen then consider hints of it throughout the kitchen. Try a neutral color scheme using Amazing Gray as your overall wall color and Extra White for your kitchen cabinets, black appliances and then sprinkle in your African Violet with pull knobs, hand towels and other expressive accessories throughout your kitchen. The super fun Kitchen Aid mixer above would be a perfect touch!

African Violet on Exteriors

Similar to interiors, using African Violet on exteriors can look exquisite if done the right way. But be careful, as with any deep color, African Violet can quickly overwhelm your exterior. The key is to use African Violet sparingly. Instead of painting your entire exterior African Violet, consider beginning with the shutters, trim or front door. In fact I wrote a post awhile back on exterior door colors. While I didn’t actually include purple in my “top 7” list, I do love how alive a purple front door looks, especially with a neutral exterior.

If you are looking for a colorful exterior, add in some bright yellow accents (the complement to purple) for a super unique look. The bright yellow accents will actually tone down the African Violet and help it to not feel as daunting as you pull into your driveway. You will be proud of your fun and unique exterior!

Wrapping up

In conclusion, go get African Violet and put it somewhere on or in your home! If you are considering African Violet, the best way to find out if it is right for your space, is to grab a Peel & Stick Paint Sample and test it out. Our paint samples are handed painted with 2 coats of the real Sherwin-Williams color and are perfect for sampling color before you take the dive into gallons of paint. Our Peel and Stick Paint Samples make it easy to have confidence in your paint color choice and will save you time, effort and money while testing colors in your space. Get started now with African Violet!

If you are still having trouble deciding, contact me for a Color Consult to nail down the best color for your interior or exterior. I have a passion for color and love being able to help clients find the right color to make their home beautiful!

Leave me a comment if you have African Violet or would like to try it. I would love to hear from you! Also, stay tuned for the next featured color from the Color Wheel.

Hire me! Follow me!

If you are need of some color help check out my Interior and Exterior Color Consultation packages. I also have many different eDesign packages for all your interior needs. And for those DIYers check out my eBook on how to select paint colors for your home.