Colour Stories: Purple

The first purple dye, known as Tyrian purple, dates back to the fifteenth century BC and was made, rather unpromisingly, from the mucus of sea snails that inhabited the Eastern Mediterranean! Given that 250,000 snails were needed to make a single ounce of dye, it was eye-wateringly expensive and literally worth its weight in gold. No wonder then that Julius Caesar got a taste for it and decreed that no one else was allowed to wear it but him.

Purple’s popularity amongst the elite continued in succeeding centuries. Elizabeth I wore the colour to her coronation banquet in 1559 and when she died 44 years later, her coffin was draped in purple velvet. It was Queen Victoria’s favourite colour - a fact that is supposed to have led chocolate makers Cadbury’s to adopt it for their branding - and the British royal family still use it as the ceremonial colour on special occasions.

Fortunately for those of us with more limited means (as well as the population of sea snails), a way of creating purple (or mauve) synthetically was discovered by the chemist William Perkin in 1856. This led to the colour’s much wider use. Famously it was adopted by the suffragettes; the purple symbolising loyalty and dignity alongside white (purity) and green (hope).

It is said that if we surround ourselves with too much purple or the wrong tone, we can become too introspective and lose touch with reality! The colour is then perhaps at its best when used as an accent or in rooms where drama and intimacy are required. There’s no doubt that the right tone communicates luxury and exclusivity - think of the retail brands Liberty and Asprey - and purple is perfect for creating an opulent, enveloping look.

As part of its new Colour by Nature collection, paint brand Farrow & Ball has launched the colour ‘Imperial Purple’ recommending its use in dining rooms and elsewhere where an injection of richness is desired. Purple certainly does come into its own in candlelight and when teamed with materials that sparkle, so perfect for an intimate dining space.