Paint is more than just a wall covering; it's a color experience. This guide details how dynamic, dramatic tones from nature can turn an ordinary home into a memorable showcase. Features outstanding interior photography.

Never has a design or home decor book ever celebrated color so simply--or so well. It's not about paint, really, or about its application; instead, the book showcases six different groups of hues in pictures and in words. British journalists Hilliard and Cliff begin with white, arctic tints, with full-page color photographs of an owl, polar bears, snow, and text that defines the emotions the colors evoke. They discuss historical and present-day uses, and refer to specific famous homes, with poet William Wordsworth's home in Dove cottage as a representation of desert shades. The last chapter, "Ideas in Practice," adds a bit more detail about the techniques mentioned, such as distemper, lime wash, and wood graining. A wonderful catalog to garner colorful ideas about anything.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Barbara Jacobs

These three books give inspiration and ideas on how to use color in home interiors. Ostrow's is the most comprehensive, offering advice on paint choices (latex vs. oil), preparation, supplies and equipment, use of color, and painting techniques, such as sponging, stenciling, and cracking. Unfortunately, her instructions regarding these techniques have no illustrations. Johnsen gives a detailed view of painting techniques, covering paint, supplies, equipment, and surface preparation, with the bulk of the book containing clearly illustrated step-by-step instructions for each technique. Hilliard and Cliff offer inspiration for the professional or advanced amateur by grouping photographs of nature and home interiors by color and thus showing how nature can inspire interior color schemes. Successive chapters reveal the history of paint, color, and painting techniques bit by bit. Ostrow's and Johnsen's books are good choices for public libraries, while Hilliard and Cliff's book is good for any large interior design collection.

length: (cm)26.8 　　　 　　　　　 　　　　　 width:(cm)24.9