Mauve Color – Color Meanings, All 40 Shades and Much More

Most people have heard of the color purple and lavender, but the color mauve may be something less familiar. Is it a shade of purple or blue and how did the color get its name? To help answer these questions and to discover more about the color mauve, read further to find out.

What Color Is Mauve?

The mauve color originates from the mallow flower, which in French is known as mauve. The flower and color can be described as a lighter shade of purple, with a bluish undertone. When delving into color theory and color wheels, mauve purple can be found on the color wheel, sitting between pink and violet. 

You can say that the mauve color falls within the purple color family and tends to lean towards the pink side. There are also many shades of mauve, some having brighter tones, while others are more subdued.

When comparing mauve with purple below in the table, you can observe the variances. You might say mauve is close to a lighter shade of magenta, but as you can see, mauve contains more blue, while magenta has more red and is more vibrant in color. Mauve may even become confused with light or pale violet, which is quite easy, but it is more of a darker version of mauve. So, the color mauve does have unique qualities amongst all other similar shades and hues.

Mauve Color Meaning

Since the mallow flowers grow during the springtime, the color itself is often associated with femininity and renewal. However, the mauve color can also stir up feelings of nostalgia and romance. As it is closely linked to purple, it is also related to luxury as well as royalty. The color also represents purity, youth, and idealism.

Shades Of Amber Color Scheme

When designing, there are always beautiful color schemes you can create, and today you can easily identify colors by their hex codes, and various other codes that help you to precisely understand the color percentages involved. 

So, below is a complete list of shades of mauve and their identifying codes for easy reference.

What Colors Go With Mauve?

The color wheel is the go-to aid when you want to know what colors go with mauve. There are some terms you should learn so that you can start choosing color schemes that work. If you are trying to create a color scheme or mauve color palette, the best option would be to choose two or three colors. Form these colors, select one chief color, and apply the other colors as accents. This can work in both web design as well as interior design. Below are some recommendations for your basic mauve color combinations.

Complementary Mauve Color

Split Complementary Colors

Analogous Colors

Triadic Mauve Color Combinations

Monochromatic Mauve Colors

A Brief History

The color mauve has a rich history, originating from the mallow flower and first documented in the Oxford English dictionary in the late 18th century, although the term was used earlier in the 17th century.

Before the 18th century, mauve dye was rare and expensive, sourced from plants, minerals, and insects, making it a symbol of high society and royalty, as most people wore more subdued colors like browns and beiges.

The dyes, however, were not without their problems, as they faded quickly with washing and sunlight exposure. A breakthrough occurred in the mid-19th century when chemist William Henry Perkin accidentally created the first synthetic dye while attempting to synthesize quinine.

This dye, initially called Tyrian purple and later renamed mauve or mauveine, became widely popular after being worn by Empress Eugenie and Queen Victoria, sparking a fashion trend that led to the period being dubbed the “Mauve Decade” in Europe and the United States.

The popularity of mauve waned with the introduction of other synthetic dyes but saw a resurgence in the 1980s. Unlike the more commonly used purple, which has red undertones, mauve and violet feature bluish undertones and became favored by Impressionist artists like Monet, as seen in works such as “Impression Sunrise” (1872) and “Morning on the Seine near Giverny” (1897).

Morning on the Seine near Giverny (1897) by Claude Monet; Claude Monet, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Today, mauve has regained its status as a sought-after color in various design industries, including fashion, art, web design, and interior design, thanks to the availability of numerous shades that offer designers a versatile palette.

Designing With the Color Mauve

Purple is a calming and creative color, and this translates over to the color mauve. The mauve color can also be associated with luxury and can work with many colors, so it is an ideal color to use for websites related to art or fashion. The color is also great for wellness and spa web designs.

In fashion design, purple has recently become a trending color, and this includes all the shades of purple from pastel lilacs and mauve to deeper purple colors. Some fashion professionals suggest that when you wear mauve, it should be combined with a darker and richer shade of burgundy and purple.

This combination gives a feeling of luxury and elegance. For example, consider choosing an outfit that consists of a mauve shirt or blouse, and combine it with a marron pair of pants or a blazer. However, you can also go for a more subdued look, and combine mauve with grays and taupe colors. For example, a cream-colored shirt with a light mauve cardigan, with a pair of dark denim pants.

A Few Tips on Interior Design and the Color Mauve

When painting with mauve, you could consider choosing more saturated mauve colors. These colors lean towards pastel and taupe colors, making them a little more on the neutral side. You can then use different shades of your chosen color to create a layered look. If you want a feminine and romantic look for a bedroom, try painting the walls a dusky shade of mauve and then paint the roof a rich shade of pink, or keep it white for a cleaner look.

Besides white, mauve can also work well with other neutrals like gray or cream. These provide a little more color than a simple beige, which can appear a bit washed out when paired with mauve. When creating a mauve color palette, always consider the best colors that could work as described above with complementary colors and all the other options you can choose. Mauve can work wonderfully with a shade of blue added in as an accent color.

The color mauve can work both ways, as your main color of choice as well as an accent color. If you think mauve can be a bit too much as your main choice, simply bring in the color with the room accessories. For example, mauve cushions, patterned rugs, or even furniture. Since mauve is linked to purple, which has such an extensive history, try and bring in a more vintage look. For example, an antique dresser or a gilded mirror.

Mauve is a more popular color for the bedroom, as it creates a cozy and calm atmosphere. Painting an entire room in a mauve color can create a comforting feel, or if this might be too much for you, bring in mauve in layers. For example, mauve textiles, pillows, and blankets. Consider bringing in a darker shade of gray to balance the softness of the mauve.

Mauve as a Trending Color

The color mauve is an elegant and flexible color that can be used in many ways. The color is relatively easy to work with and you should be able to create an amazing mauve color palette for all your painting and designing projects.

Take a look at our color mauve webstory here!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Color Is Mauve?

You could say the color is a mauve purple, as it is a shade of purple. When examining the color wheel, the mauve color can be found sitting between pink and violet. There are also variations in the color mauve from darker shades to lighter tones.

What Colors Go With Mauve?

The mauve color is seen as a cool color, along with colors like green and blue, which is why these colors work well together. However, warmer colors like yellow and orange will create a beautiful contrast, helping to make each other stand out. Shades of pink can also work well with mauve.

How Do You Mix Mauve Paint Colors?

When mixing paints to create mauve, you need to experiment and create your own mauve color palette. The basic colors you will need include blue and red, and to this, you can then add a little white to create mauve. 

Can Mauve Be Classified as a Neutral Color?

Not technically a neutral color, but there are many shades of the color mauve, from your darker to lighter varieties. Many of the light mauve color shades and dusty or earthy colors can be used as neutral colors. These more neutral shades of mauve work great as an interior design color.

Charlene Lewis( Content Creator and Creativity Writer )

In 2005, Charlene completed her Wellness Diplomas in Therapeutic Aromatherapy and Reflexology from the International School of Reflexology and Meridian Therapy. She worked for a company offering corporate wellness programs for a couple of years, before opening up her own therapy practice. It was in 2015 that a friend, who was a digital marketer, asked her to join her company as a content creator, and this is where she found her excitement for writing.

Since joining the content writing world, she has gained a lot of experience over the years writing on a diverse selection of topics, from beauty, health, wellness, travel, and more. Due to various circumstances, she had to close her therapy practice and is now a full-time freelance writer. Being a creative person, she could not pass up the opportunity to contribute to the Art in Context team, where is was in her element, writing about a variety of art and craft topics. Contributing articles for over three years now, her knowledge in this area has grown, and she has gotten to explore her creativity and improve her research and writing skills.

Charlene Lewis has been working for artincontext.org since the relaunch in 2020. She is an experienced writer and mainly focuses on the topics of color theory, painting and drawing.

Learn more about Charlene Lewis and the Art in Context Team.