Is purple paint too little-girly?

[Pythone]

I'm repainting the hall and stairway, and cannot decide on a colour! Ideally I want a warm neutral that's between purple, brown and grey - not sure what that colour is called. I've tried searching for "heather" but that's very purple. I have tried loads but they are all too dark/too brown/too grey etc. My two favourites are both purples. Do you think that would look ok, or is it too "princessy"? These are the colours I've sampled:

Dulux Dusted Fondant - my favourite, but also the most purple
Dulux Malt Chocolate - too brown
Dulux Soft Truffle - too dark and too brown
Hemsley Lopen Fallow - not pleasant; dirty beige
Crown Mackintosh - too dark
Crown Hat Rack - too brown
Crown Silver Spoon - ok, but perhaps too cool? Looks purple-grey on the wall

Any opinions or suggestions very welcome!

Mauve?

Dulux heather climb

We had a heather in our dining room and it was exactly what you want. It had brown and grey tones in it. I think it was Dulux.

I think Elephants Breath by F and B is a colour you can live with in those areas. Mauve is girly and a bit odd in my view. Hardly a classic colour and makes accessories difficult.

Is that colour aubergine?

Thanks everyone!

Heather Climb looks lovely but dark.

I am going to get a sample of Elephant's Breath!

Thanks for your opinion on mauve, BubblesBuddy - that's what I thought originally, but now I'm so fed up of trying out different ones that I was prepared to just have it anyway! Hopefully Elephant's Breath will work!

I love the colour aubergine but I would consider that to be very dark purple.

Also look at farrow and balls 'Calluna'.... it's like a heathery grey. Love it!

What you've described doesn't sound too sugary or girly at all, just a case of finding what you want, but getting one mixed might be the way to go.
B&Q Valspar does a paint mixing service and I think some homebases have a dulux mixing station.

We've lived with dusted fondant for 5 years now and it still makes me happy! We mix it with Almost Oyster though, I think it might be dark if you did a whole hallway in it unless you have lots of windows.

The Silver Spoon sounds nice.

My dining room is 'dusted damson' which is similar to what you describe and definitely not girly.

Thanks, I'll pick up some Calluna too!

I hadn't thought about having one mixed! I'll look into it. Our local shop is a Homebase so I'll investigate.

I used Almost Oyster in my last place and it was really nice - hadn't considered combining two. Do you do it yourself or have it mixed for you? The hallway is dark at the top-of-the-stairs end and light at the bottom!

We've just finished painting over a load of walls that appear to have been painted dusted damson, given the tins we were left in the shed. It would match your description for sure. It was far too dark for where it has been used but any dark colour would have been, if that makes sense!

Ah sorry I meant we had some walls dusted fondant and some almost oyster. Maybe a bit dated these days. Very dark room with a small window though.

F&B Peignoir might fit the bill. It is often described as a pink but it really isn’t imho - more of a lilac taupe.

We have Calluna, actually a copy of it mixed by the local decorating shop. It's a magic mix of grey and lillac. Pretty and soft and changes with the light in each of the rooms. An excellent colour.

Fired Earth do a grey that has lilac undertones called Little Owl. DD has it in her bedroom and it changes colour according to what else you have in the room.

Hah, I came on to say calluna too! I've had it in my bedroom in two very different houses, gorgeous in both, and incredibly changing in different lights- so paint it on a big bit of card and try it in several spots as it will look different.

Elephants Breath is a very warm grey/taupe but not mauve. It is easy on the eye in any setting. Calluna would work if you still like the mauve idea. An aubergine colour would be a bit claustrophobic in my view.

Dove tale by F&B may also be worth a try

Thanks for all the suggestions! I got samples of F&B Elephant's Breath and Calluna, but they are both so dark on the wall! And Elephant's Breath sadly came out as a sort of murky brown.

Think I might have to go for a different colour altogether...

I've attached two pictures - one with the light on and one without - the two F&B paints are one on top of the other, and the rectangular one on the left is Dulux Dusted Fondant. The other patches are the covered-over paint sample graveyard!

What way does your room face? Elephant's Breath can vary wildly according to the ambient light - it's only purpleish on certain aspects.

I think the colour you love is fine, as long as it's paired with something like a grey that is a bit more masculine, and not loads of silver accessories and clear beads. You can make even pink look quite neutral and non-girly if you pair it right.

Sitting at the moment next to my dusted fondant wall, I'd have guessed it was the lower of the F&B ones! The F&B both look a lot lighter to me than the dusted fondant rectangle and neither looks murky brown. It's bizarre. I guess it depends on your screen as well as your wall.

DH has banned me from tester pots, so I am having to live vicariously through yours.

I did the lower part of my hall, below dado, purple and I love it.

You have to bear in mind they will look dark as test patches, against a white or off-white wall. Once the whole wall is done (in any 'colour'), the effect lessens and won't seem dark at all. You have to be brave! I think the calluna looks nice in that light but maybe the fondant is more what you had described you were after.

But the fondant is quite pinky