Spectrum

A visual analysis of the colours used in furnishing fabrics and wallpapers from the 15th century to now, providing inspiration for ers. This simply structured and highly original book analyses the palettes that have been used by ers in the creation of furnishing fabrics and wallpapers from the 15th century to the present. The colours used in each pattern are presented in a simple proportional grid, giving a clear understanding of hues that have been expertly combined at different periods to create the s we continue to admire and emulate. Spectrum opens with a brief introduction by interior expert Ros Byam Shaw, exploring the history of colour as used in interiors. The fabrics and wallpapers that follow are arranged chronologically. Each is reproduced on its own double-page spread, and is accompanied by a brief narrative-style caption that provides information about each fabric or wallpaper and its significance in the context of interior . Unique in such a book are the colour grids shown beside each pattern, in which the colours in the original piece are shown in proportion to their use, and with their CMYK references to enable ers to replicate these colours in their own work.