Neutral Color Schemes: Neutral Palettes and Dramatic Accents for Inspirational Interiors - Softcover

Buckley, Alice

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1554074010 ISBN 13: 9781554074013

Publisher: Firefly Books, 2008

Synopsis

A practical handbook for maximizing the decorative effect of neutral colors.

This is an easy-to-use guide to working with neutrals in home decorating. Once limited to whites and beiges, today's neutrals come in an overwhelming range of whispery pinks and yellows, organic grays, greens and browns, and even blacks. Each of the 150+ color palettes and combinations includes notes on where the color is best used; for example, on furniture or as trim. Mood boards, scrapbooks and beautiful images provide added inspiration.

Topics include:

• Why neutrals are popular
• How neutrals work with other colors
• How to use neutrals to create spaciousness
• How to decide which color scheme to use
• Understanding the effect of light on color
• How to layer neutrals
• Using neutrals and bright colors.

The "Color Directory" has more than 220 pages of palettes and their variations. As well, Alice Buckley tells the stories behind such schemes as northern lights, Parisian elegance, ice cream, white heat and desert beauty.

For home decorators and interior designers, Neutral Color Schemes is an essential handbook.

About this title

About the Author:

Alice Buckley is an interior designer and textile designer in London. Her creative works have been exhibited and sold widely across North America and Europe.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Introduction

"Home" is one of our most evocative words. It conjures up an image of warmth and shelter, of family and friends, a place of inspiration, sanctuary and peace. With so much that's important represented by this one place, it's no wonder that we're passionate about our homes and work to make them evermore comfortable and welcoming.

Today's homes fulfill many functions beyond shelter and nurturing. We decorate our homes in ways that not only enable them to fulfill these needs but also to reveal our personalities, our aspirations, the very essence of ourselves and how we want others to see us. There are many ways of doing this. Among them are light and color, two qualities that surround us in our natural environment, which can dramatically influence and alter our living space. With these two magic wands we can dictate the energy of a space, its mood and comfort level. If we use them well, light and color can help us create a home that supplies the emotional and functional needs we look for in our homes and make them truly our own.

Understanding neutrals
Among the many color palettes at our disposal, neutrals are probably the least understood. These colors are often dismissed as bland and nondescript, thought of as suitable only for hotels or homes about to go on the market, but neutrals have moved beyond those colors not found on the color wheel, such as white, black, gray, brown and tan. The latest neutrals are sophisticated hints at gentle color, and it's this subtlety that makes neutrals so exciting, versatile and effective.

Recent years have seen an emergence of a new crop of colored neutrals. As we all strive for serenity within our homes, merging hints of colors that are muted and moody, create new, fresh schemes for our homes. Deep and dark hues such as khaki, olive and steely gray through to the lighter pink beiges of taupe and mink all form part of the modern neutral palette. With a huge range of color ideas, this book aims to help you make the most of new neutrals in your interior scheme and to achieve the mood or feeling you hope for in each room of your home.

About this edition

• Publisher: Firefly Books
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1554074010
• ISBN 13: 9781554074013
• Binding: Spiral-bound
• Number of pages: 256