Purple is one of the trickier colours to live with, mate, because it can tip moody and overpowering fast. The trick is to surround it with tones that calm it down or play off its undertones rather than fight them.
Go for warm golden yellow to bring out its richness. Purple and gold are old friends — think regal, think candlelight. A light golden yellow like Dulux Pharaohs Gold 2 (LRV 67.1) does the job beautifully on woodwork, a chimney breast detail, or soft furnishings — no metallic sheen, just honeyed warmth. And because yellow sits opposite violet on the wheel, the pairing has genuine energy: it stops the purple feeling cold and clinical, and the contrast in lightness keeps the room from going dark and cave-like.
Use a greyed green to ground it. Green sits opposite-ish to purple on the wheel, so a muted, earthy green reads as a sophisticated complement rather than a clash. Mylands Artichoke BH.13 (LRV 27.6) is a cracking choice here — it's deep and a touch olive, so it holds its own against purple without competing. Lovely on a lower wall, joinery, or for tying in a velvet sofa.
Lift it with a softer grey-green. If you want to take the drama down a notch, a lighter grey-green is your answer. Paint & Paper Library Slate IV (LRV 67.5) is light enough to balance a dark purple, and its warm, olive-leaning character keeps the scheme feeling settled rather than icy. Brilliant for ceilings, trim, or a connecting space.
The "but what about" question: don't overdo white with purple. A crisp brilliant white makes purple look harsh and dated — that early-2000s feature-wall trap. Reach for a soft warm off-white or one of the tones above instead.
Practical advice: identify whether your purple leans warm (red-violet) or cool (blue-violet) first, because that decides your direction. Warm purples love the golden yellow and olive; cooler blue-violets take the softer grey-greens and deeper anchors better. Always test big boards against the actual wall and look at them morning and evening — purple shifts more than almost any other colour under changing light.