teal for contrast, or mocha with a teal inset

Ooh, maybe a really really pale yellow.

Depends on your style:

Are you into modern semi-monochromatic? Go light with the pale grey/taupe from the pattern in the rug or go dark with a Purplish-Grey or even a Greenish-Grey.

Are you into bright & quirky colors? Choose a bright Blue-ish Green or Orangey-Red.

Pale yellow with an ochre undertone. Wtih brown and purple you already have drama, so go with something softer for the walls. Accent the couch with bolder yellow.

Oooh, I think a rich cream color would be fabulous! Unless the purple rug is the only color you have in the room.

I think a soft green with a olive tinge to it would look nice. I love purple and green.

A deep teal, as rich as the purple, would be stunning...with trims and accessories in white! But I also like JLEbean's idea of purple and green.

Very pale, soft khaki/taupe. Add visual interest with silver mercury glass or capiz shell-like color/texture in your accessories.

Ooh or a very pale/light coppery color.

i don't think that anyone has suggested this, but how about a pale grey. i know that benjamin moore does a nice grey called 'mist' something. that might look nice and still be modern.

Benjamin Moore Timberwolf. Or peacock.

i agree with wwoolsey. i have metro grey in my bedroom and it makes me happy every morning when i wake up to it. it has a slight lavender undertone. i think it's benjamin moore. it's divine.

A fabulous color is Kelly-Moore's "Scrambled Egg" - a pale peachy yellow that looks beautiful in any light. You have to ask them to make it as it's not on the color chart anymore. You could try just a little can to see it - this color would be great with that rug.

slice open a fresh fig for inspiration; gorgeous mix of deep purple, green, and other fresh colors in that little fruit.

Try out this combo - I threw together the plum and espresso with a couple grays and a mustard - or play with the tool yourself.

http://www.colourlovers.com/palette/400109/Modern_Vintage

Maybe its just me, but it sounds really dark. Dark furniture on a dark rug? I'm not sure a light wall color could compensat enough for all the darkness weighing the room down... then again i haven't seen it. :)

mauve

robin's egg blue - with a bit of grey in it.

A rich gold would look amazing and allow the jewel tome of the purple and richness of the darkwood to take center stage. Pratt and Lambert as well as Farrow and Ball have beautiful gold hues that never fail to dissapoint.

seaside: "never fail to disappoint"? : )

Eegads...that was bad. Thanks for catching the error, ljbmonkey. That would be "please" not "dissapoint." ;)

check out these paintings for color inspiration.
http://shiftinglight.com/archive.php
the artist, Julian Merrow-Smith, paints a lot of eggplants and purple-y things.

I'm thinking the color on the wall on the post below this one would be wonderful:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/good-questions/chi-good-questions-furniture-layout-for-small-studio-052274

I just painted the walls a sky blue with a tint of grey to go with my purple rug. It was a ben moore aura, not an affinity color. I can't remember the name right now. I've got dark grey furniture, and the combo isn't too dark, but our room has a lot of light.

I just helped my sister paint her loft, similar rug color
we did a Cool Gray with a lot of purple in it, great modern feel.

would love to see photos of the room!

Would love to see photos of the room!

an icy celadon, with yellow/butter undertones.

yellow! it will brighten up the darkness of the purple and it is purple's complementary color.

a beautiful dior grey, or stalte grey, if your not afraid of a dark color