The Color Design Source Book: Using Fabrics, Paints & Accessories for Successful Decorating

The colour scheme is often the first thing people notice when they walk into a room, so your choice of shades is the most important decision you will make when decorating your home. Getting it wrong can leave a room looking bland and insipid or overpowering and garish; getting it right is both exciting and rewarding. Here, leading authority on interior design, Caroline Clifton-Mogg, guides you expertly through every aspect of using colour in the home, from choosing the right scheme for the right room to adding the perfect finishing touches. The first hurdle is finding inspiration, so advice is offered on applying the lessons of nature, art, and history to your home. Caroline then explores colour in depth, delving into the nuances of the interior decorator's palette. All colours have hidden subtleties and resonances--think of the rich brown of tanned leather, the gray-blue of a frozen pond, the faded purple of old velvet--and, depending on how they are used, they can make or break a room's design. No colour works in isolation, and successful colour combination is the only way to achieve a winning design scheme. "The Color Design Source Book" shows a wide range of classic and unusual looks--sometimes subtle and sophisticated, sometimes bold and humorous, but always stylish and inspirational. The book also offers advice on using colours to create the atmosphere you want or to affect the shape or size of a room. A frosty living room becomes a haven of comfort; an oppressive hallway, a welcoming entrance; and a dreary kitchen becomes the heart of the home. Finally, the mysteries of professional colour finishes are unraveled, from selecting the right paints for the job to applying decorative finishes or even using textiles to cover your walls. So, whether you are planning a whole new look or simply enhancing an existing scheme with a fresh splash of colour, "The Color Design Source Book" shows how to make colours really work for you in every room of your home.

Alan Williams is a photographer specializing in interiors and architecture. His clients include contemporary American and British architects and English Heritage, and his work has appeared in numerous publications, including Abitare, Blueprint, and The Independent Magazine.

Caroline Clifton-Mogg is an experienced journalist and author. She contributes to such magazines and newspapers as House & Garden, Country Life, The Financial Times, and You magazine, writing about interior design, gardens, and other subjects. She is a contributing editor to both Harpers & Queen and Christie's magazine and her books include The Interior Design File, Curtains: A Design Source Book (both published by Ryland Peters & Small), and Decorating with Antiques (Bulfinch).