House Beautiful Color: The Perfect Shade for Every Room Hardcover – 1 Oct 2013

Long before I became a decorator I was always interested in color. I loved collecting paint chips and booklets and putting color combinations together. To this day I'm still fascinated with color and the unlimited number of tints and shades you can create. But I also love to read about color meanings and what your color preferences say about your personality. However, I have found so many books on color to dull and boring. This is the complete opposite in so many ways.What I like most about this book on color is the way it's organized. There is a chapter for each color. Each chapter is then broken down into several sections that talk about all aspects of that color. Each chapter is organized the same way so there is organization and continuity throughout the book.For example, the chapter on blue starts off with a 2-page spread of a room decorated in blue. Under the title it lists about 15-20 different names of blue colors.It goes on to give descriptions of, and ideas for, using blue,. There are both full-room examples of using blue, as well as smaller examples using accessories and furniture and even architectural elements. It follows with a page of interesting facts, notes, and opinions about the color blue--some from popular designers--such as the fact that bluebirds can't see blue and that people are more productive in blue rooms. I found this page in each chapter to be extremely interesting.Throughout the chapter there are pages of rooms where blue is used as the dominant hue, with descriptions of why and how that hue works in that space There are examples of actual blue shades from major retailers within the chapter and then there is a full page of various shades of blue from the major paint manufacturers.There is a page on personality, where the writer describes the characteristics that tend to be associated with people who like blue. Whether or not you believe that favorite colors relate to personality traits, it is still interesting to read. There is a short Q&A section about using the color blue. Finally, there is a section showing which colors work best with blue. There are several pages of color palettes that include blue, with a room displaying that palette.Throughout the chapter there are pages and pages of examples of blue used in various rooms in the home. There are also descriptions and explanations on why the room works and how certain elements contribute to the success of the space.Obviously this is just a quick overview of what is included in each chapter. However, each chapter is chock full of this information I just described above. The pictures are beautiful and there are pictures on every page -- most of them are of entire rooms. Usually you will have a book that excels in picture quality but lacks in amount, depth, or variety of information. This book truly has it all. I could have sat down and read the whole book in one sitting if I had the time to do so. I found myself eager to get to the chapters on my favorite colors but was still fascinated with all the other colors.And while I have been studying color for many years now, I still learned so much from reading this book. It's even worth a second reading because there is so much information packed into this book that I'm sure I with catch something I missed the first time around. I not only got new information, but I got lots of inspiration and tons of enjoyment from reading this book. This is definitely a resource I will continue to use on a regular basis.I highly recommend getting this book if you are really interested in all aspects of color when it comes to decorating and design. It is full of information on color, decorating ideas and advice, and tons of pictures that are not only enjoyable to look at but that demonstrate the information given throughout the book. Again, I highly recommend purchasing this book.

If you love color and design, this large and thick book highlights stylish rooms in almost every color. Chapters are organized by color names: blue, brown, white, green, black, orange, pink, purple, red and yellow. There are quotes by designers on each color, question and answers on color, designers' favorite paints in the diverse colors, complementary color combinations and other popular color combinations.The colors in this book were vibrant and true. Chapters illustrated how color can be used on a wall, or door, or as an accent in accessories so you can see where you like color. One feature that is educational is the "anatomy of a room" in which a designer shares their thought process behind their use of color in a particular room. The rooms are quite attractive in this book. If you look at HOUSE BEAUTIFUL magazine you will recognize some rooms - however, there were some rooms I hadn't seen before.This would be an excellent resource for someone who is trying to decide what colors they want to use in their rooms to see stylish and diverse rooms by designers which demonstrate the many facets of color.

I love this book. It features pictures previously shown in House Beautiful magazine, and is divided up by colors. I had checked it out so many times from the library that I decided to just purchase it, because I always hated to return it. Even if you don't have an interest in interior design, it is a good book to relax with and it will lift your spirits with all the colors. Well worth buying! 😊

A beautiful book!! This book is full of post-its where I have marked rooms that I especially like! Inspirational! I am a quilter who is not great work choosing colors, and this book helps me to easily put together successful color combinations! Please mark if you find my review helpful. Thank you so much!

Beautiful book full of excellent color photos. Lots of ideas.