The Design District
Design Library: Paint and Paper in Decoration
Here’s another book you should check out for some good color inspiration: Paint and Paper: in Decoration by David Oliver. (Click here for another.)
Oliver is the design director of The Paint and Paper Library in London, whose clients include Kylie Minogue, Tony Blair, and Chelsea Clinton (quite the mix, eh?).
I love the first chapter about color and paper inspiration, and where it comes from: nature, everyday consumer products, cinematography, historical architecture and design, the world of art, and more.
The following chapters include how to practically interpret color based on the basics of any piece of art: rhythm balance, proportion, scale, emphasis, and harmony. Oliver then explains how light and time of day can change color associations. Finally, the most-practical chapter teaches you how to apply paint and paper, using historical design periods (The Victorian Period, Edwardian Period, modern architecture, and the urban loft) as teachers.
As you can tell from these shots, the range of colors and styles is huge in this book, and so are the types of paint and paper: from chalkboard-type paint to wallpaper to fine art pigments.
The best part: Oliver walks through his “tonal color-by-number system for cornices, walls, and woodwork” finally making it easy to decide where color should go. It a useful book to read carefully, and it’s beautiful to just flip through. Perfect.
