Color for Interior Design Book

Color has always played an important role in interior design, from the earth-toned halls of ancient Cretan palaces to the bright surfaces of modern homes. Yet most people are largely unaware of the way in which color affects their surroundings. In this comprehensive introduction, readers discover the impact that color has on the way they see the world and learn how to effectively use color to beautify their environment.

With a wealth of information and images, the book is divided into three parts: a history of interiors from the perspective of color systems, an easy-to-understand outline of color theory and its underlying science, and a practical guide to using color to enhance interior settings and create specific effects. From James McNeill Whistler's Peacock Room in Washington D.C., to Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye in provincial France, to a Prairie-style interior by Frank Lloyd Wright, Ethel Rompilla shows how color creates the world in which we live. This lavishly illustrated volume is an indispensable and accessible guide for the professional and amateur decorator alike.

Author Bio: Ethel Rompilla is a professor of color theory at the New York School of Interior Design in Manhattan, as well as a highly regarded interior designer. She lives in New York City. The New York School of Interior Design is an accredited school of interior design offering programs leading to undergraduate and graduate degrees in interior design. The school is located in New York City.

Library Journal

Using color in the home can be intimidating, especially for an amateur. These two books present an abundance of information on how to choose colors and what types to use in the home. Whereas Tom Helme and Joseph Friedman's Paint and Color in Interior Decoration focused on the history and examples of color in interior decoration, Rompilla (color theory, New York Sch. of Interior Design) gives a more comprehensive study of color and its use in interiors. She discusses the historic, artistic, and psychological aspects of color as well as explanations on how texture, tone, and light affect it. She also describes how color has been used in the 20th century by both architects and designers. Starmer (Swatch Selector) discusses how to use color effectively in interiors and devotes the majority of The Color Scheme Bible to descriptions of 200 color schemes for the home. The main colors are given in a table-of-contents format where one can select a color and then turn to its page to find suggested room use, different tones of the main color, and accent and highlight colors, as well as the type of mood or look conveyed by each choice. One drawback is the lack of illustrations showing the color scheme used in an actual room, as Starmer provided in Swatch Selector. Color for Interior Design is recommended for large interior design collections, while The Color Scheme Bible is highly recommended for public libraries. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.