This Moody Color Is Having A Major Design Moment, And You Can Use It In Every Single Room

TL;DR

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House Beautiful reports that plum is gaining ground in home interiors, citing Havenly data showing more orders for purple and plum furniture and more sourcing of plum and jewel-toned decor. Designers say the shade can work in rooms large or small, but the report does not establish how widely the trend extends across the industry or whether it will continue into 2027.

Plum is gaining traction in home interiors, according to a House Beautiful report that cites rising furniture orders and decor sourcing at Havenly and its affiliated brands. The report presents the deep purple shade as a prominent design choice for 2026, while designers describe ways to use it in anything from small accents to fully painted rooms.

Havenly Chief Commercial Officer Lee Anne Blake said orders for purple and plum furniture at Interior Define grew in each quarter from Q3 2025 through Q3 2026, amounting to a 34 percent relative increase. She also said Havenly designers sourced 53 percent more plum and jewel-toned decor year over year. The report does not provide the underlying order totals or explain the comparison period for the year-over-year figure.

Blake said customers shopping across Havenly’s brands are requesting white, cream and beige pieces less often, as interest shifts toward color and moodier interiors. She connects plum’s appeal to its warm brown and red undertones, which can make it feel more grounded than a brighter purple. Her comments describe the company’s customer activity, rather than a measurement of the entire home-design market.

Designers interviewed by House Beautiful recommend choosing a complex plum rather than a bright, blue-toned or grape-like purple. Suggested entry points include flowers, pillows, rugs, artwork and an upholstered chair; those willing to make a larger commitment could try paint, wallpaper or a sofa. The report also advises coordinating plum with other colors, materials and metals so it feels connected to the room rather than isolated.

Plum Offers a Flexible Color Shift

The reported numbers point to a change in the preferences observed by one design company: customers appear to be showing more interest in saturated color and less interest in pale neutrals. For readers considering a room update, plum offers a way to test that shift without replacing a full set of furnishings. A small accessory can introduce the shade, while paint or upholstery makes it a more prominent part of the room.

That flexibility matters because a trend can be easier to adopt when it does not require a complete redesign. The designers’ suggestions range from fresh flowers, which can be removed or replaced, to color-drenching a powder room or library. Their guidance is advice, not a guarantee that plum will suit every home: lighting, existing finishes and personal taste can affect how the color reads.

The report’s broader prediction—that purple will remain a dominant force in 2027—should be read as a forecast from the article, not as a confirmed outcome. The available figures support increased activity at the named companies during the periods described, but do not establish a market-wide shift or how long it will last.

How Designers Suggest Using Plum

The House Beautiful report frames plum as a deeper, more muted alternative to brighter purples. Designer Isabel Clune recommends shades with brown, red or gray undertones, and pairing them with materials such as aged brass, stone, rich wood, patterned textiles or handmade tile. The aim is to give the color depth and connect it to the rest of the room.

For a lower-commitment trial, Marshalls and T.J. Maxx home expert Taniya Nayak suggests arranging plum or berry-colored dahlias in a glass vase. A temporary accent can help homeowners see how a shade interacts with their space’s light and existing palette before they make a lasting change. A pillow, rug or artwork offers another reversible option.

For a more immersive result, designers point to smaller rooms such as powder rooms, libraries and primary bathrooms. Interior designer Amy Kartheiser recommends committing to the color in such spaces, potentially painting both walls and ceiling. Other designers suggest balancing plum with companion colors—including muddy olive, tobacco brown or dusty pink—and using texture and materials to make the palette feel deliberate.

“At Interior Define, orders for purple and plum furniture grew consecutively every quarter from Q3 2025 through Q3 2026, representing a 34 percent relative increase.”

— Lee Anne Blake, Havenly chief commercial officer

The Trend’s Reach Is Not Established

The figures in the report come from Havenly and Interior Define. It does not provide absolute sales totals, a detailed methodology, or data from other retailers and design firms, so the numbers cannot show how prevalent plum is across the broader market. The 34 percent figure is described as a relative increase; the article does not specify its calculation or comparison baseline beyond the stated quarterly period. It also does not provide the dates used for the 53 percent year-over-year decor figure.

Whether plum will continue to grow in popularity, including into 2027, remains uncertain. The report offers designer views and a forecast, but does not cite independent market-wide projections. It also gives no single formula for choosing a shade or matching it to different lighting and finishes; the advice is based on individual designers’ experience.

Watch for Broader Market Data

The report does not announce a scheduled follow-up or a specific next industry milestone. The clearest next indicator would be whether other retailers, design firms or later sales reports record similar interest in plum and other jewel tones. For now, the figures cited cover activity through Q3 2026, while the suggestion that the color will remain prominent in 2027 is a forecast to be tested over time.

Homeowners interested in the shade can start with a temporary accent and assess it in their own lighting before making a more permanent change. Designers interviewed for the report recommend coordinating plum with the room’s existing palette and materials, whether the choice is a vase of flowers or a full room of paint.

Key Questions

What is the design news about plum?

House Beautiful reports that plum is gaining attention in home interiors, citing Havenly and Interior Define figures for increased furniture orders and decor sourcing. The figures describe those companies’ activity, not the whole market.

What do the reported numbers measure?

Havenly’s Lee Anne Blake said Interior Define’s purple and plum furniture orders rose 34 percent on a relative basis across consecutive quarters from Q3 2025 through Q3 2026. She also said Havenly designers sourced 53 percent more plum and jewel-toned decor year over year; the report does not give the underlying totals or comparison dates.

How can someone try plum without repainting a room?

The designers recommend starting with flowers, a pillow, a rug, artwork or an accent chair. These smaller pieces let someone see how plum works with existing decor and lighting before making a larger change.

Which plum shades do the designers recommend?

Designers quoted in the report favor complex plum shades with brown, red or gray undertones over bright, grape-like or blue-purple tones. The report recommends considering the room’s other colors and materials when selecting a shade.

Is plum expected to remain popular in 2027?

The report says experts expect purple to remain a strong design presence in 2027, but that is a forecast, not a confirmed outcome. The cited figures alone do not establish how broad or durable the trend will be.

Source: rss