How to Decorate a Room With Red, Brown & Purple

Decide on the intensity of your color scheme. Deep burgundy, royal purple and chocolate brown bring calming influence to a room, while lavender, fire-engine red and taupe give a lighter, airier feel.

Choose a color and design for walls. A single wall painted in a deep red or soft purple can work as an immediate focal point. Neutral hues like taupe or pastel purple will allow you to create a focus on the furniture and accents in the room. Wallpaper patterned in a bold geometric pattern can also make a strong statement in a room. Find a paper that incorporates some of the colors of your scheme.

Decorate with the basics. Figure out what essential furniture pieces you need for each room. Pick out wooden furniture pieces that match the same hue of brown in your color scheme. Use the red and purple in the upholstery of sofas and chairs.

Play with patterns and textures. A red-and-brown-flowered rug can complement a violet-hued sofa. A chunky burgundy cable-knit afghan can add a traditional and warm touch draped over a chair. Use different patterns and textures to create diversity as you stay within your three-color scheme.

Add accents with trendy accessories and bold artwork. Gold, rose gold or copper add glow and creates a deeper feeling of warmth when used with this color scheme. Cool metallic colors like silver, pewter or dark bronze suggest a more refined look. Pick accessories like figurines, vessels, frames, clocks or lamps that contains these hues to finish off your decorating.

Add lighting. Indirect lighting with halogen bulbs contributes to a comfortable look, while overhead fixtures with fluorescent bulbs cast a brighter, more austere look. Choose fixtures that have eye-catching accents to make them stand out in your decor. Plan to have enough lighting to successfully light up a room with a soft glow.