What colour (or shade) to go with horrible purple carpet?

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

As title says, our stairs and hallway have a horrible dark purple carpet (not chosen by us). Walls have a white dado rail, mid purple underneath and a black currant yogurt colour on top. I really hate the colour purple generally. We are planning on repainting in a mth or so. Dado has to stay sadly (not an original feature, hangover from 1980s trend I think) and woodwork etc will all be repainted white for ease. What would you go for on walls? I debated a light grey but maybe too cold. It's a fairly light stairwell but for dark upstairs hallway. Would you do two different shades on top and bottom?

[FrozenNotCold]

I think a light grey could work. Some have purplish hues which could work very well for you and might warm the colour up a little.

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

I think that's one thing putting me off a grey is the fact it looks a bit purple against the carpet..if that makes sense? As I hate purple. But then a brown shaded white would look awful wouldnt it?

[Rupster]

I'd go with white or cream.

[Flashinthepan]

Is there absolutely no chance of changing the carpet soonish, then you could paint whatever colour you want, even if it clashes now, and then choose a carpet to go with the paint when you can?

[Flashinthepan]

Or pull the carpet up and have bare floors until you can recarpet, if the paint colour you would choose would really be unbearable with the purple carpet?

[LexieLulu]

I'd change the carpet if I hated it that bad

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

We really can't afford to replace it. I've debated pulling it up but we've 3 under 5 and it'd be a nightmare with them slipping on it I thinj

[LondonHuffyPuffy]

Why does the dado rail have to stay? When I moved into my flat the woman who owned it before us had put up a faux dado rail around the whole flat, even in the wardrobes

We just ripped it all off.

I would re-paint everywhere white until such time as you can replace the carpet.

[PavlovianLunge]

There's a bar/restaurant in King's Cross called Plum & Spilt Milk, which is named after the colours of the Flying Scotsman restaurant car. To be honest, the spilt milk looks more like a grey putty colour to me, but they work well together.

[absolutelynotfabulous]

I've got a purple carpet so kind of feel your pain! I agree that grey looks best with it. I have a colour called Perfectly Taupe that is a grey with lilacy, browny tones. It kind of neutralises the purple, if that makes sense. I think a contrasting colour like white would only make the purple look even purpler!

I have lots of silver too. Looks nice with purple I think so anyway.

[Flashinthepan]

Ah ok. We just had ours done for £280 including underlay and wool carpet but of course that might still be too much and therefore doesn't help!

The other colour you could go with, even though I know you'll still hate the purple, is make it a bit opulent and go for a goldy colour. I'm not talking sparkly/shiny gold of course. Or would wall paper be an option instead of paint, then you could possibly get something white with a grey or silvery pattern through it, to draw attention away from the carpet/brighten the upstairs etc.

[Serin]

We have a grey and beige/cream tartan carpet, dark taupe walls, white paintwork in our bedroom and have livened things up with a few heather/purple touches. It's sort of Scottish and works.

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

Some great ideas thanks. I think taking the dado rail off would open a whole can of worms. Both sides of it are painted lining paper so there would be a gap where it's been. And god knows what the plaster would be like under there! I'm thinking perfectly taupe or similar with a white might work well for now and will hopefully complement whatever carpet we can afford in a year or so

[Rupster]

Some inspiration from Pinterest ...

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

Ooh thanks, I like the middle picture. Our stairs need painting actually so might be worth thinking about

[Rupster]

I think if you go for light colours (like white, cream, grey or greige), you won't go far wrong.

[downwardfacingdog]

Grey. And if you can't remove the dado, paint it the same colour as the wall to minimise it's impact.

[ChishandFips33]

What downward said - paint above, below and the dado all the same colour - maybe a warm/deep grey if the carpet is a deep purple

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

Good idea re dado rail and similar colours. I was thinking today that all white would be good but will that make it seem more purple?! I worry grey might be cold? Or can you get a warm grey?!

[Rupster]

There's only one way to know for sure whether it looks OK and that's to buy a full tin of the paint and paint and large area of the wall.

Tester pots help, but you never know for sure until you paint it for real.