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Symonds Says: Purple!(3 of 5)

Blue and green beach house bedrooms are traditional, tasteful and timeless. But they're also overdone. When her clients asked interior designer Susan Symonds to suggest a color for the master bedroom of their Block Island, R.I., vacation home, she surprised and delighted them with a light, lovely lilac (Ralph Lauren GH41) — the perfect backdrop for the room's 180-degree ocean view.

"Because this home is used year-round, it needed a luscious color that would complement the ocean year-round, whether it’s a brilliant sunny summer day or a chilly winter weekend," says Symonds. "Purple frames the ocean view and captures the luminescence of the water."

To keep the sweet purple shade looking sophisticated, Symonds avoided any cute or trendy accessories. The coral, pink and green of the accent pillows pop against the lilac background and bring out the joy in the color of the prints.

Symonds says, "You can use purple almost anywhere. My mantra is, 'have no fear of purple!'"