DÉCOR ENTERPRISES' DESIGNING WITH FABRICS AND COLOR

An interior designer’s guide to help amateurs select colors and fabric designs.

Weiss’s book, with ample photographs and color samples, is intended to walk amateur designers through the basics of interior design. While the introduction on how to use the book is dense and overly busy, it quickly picks up from there. The section that explains color relationships–i.e. the definitions behind contrasting, analogous and monochromatic colors and the difference between warm and cool–is a pithy, informative guide for anyone who has difficulty selecting colors. In addition, Weiss takes readers through five steps to choose fabrics. First, the reader must select what style they’re going for–traditional, contemporary or transitional–then the color and the color temperature. Then, they must determine the value of the lightness or darkness of the color. Lastly, the scheme–contrasting, monochromatic or analogous–must be picked. Much like a map for color- and texture-coding, the book is organized with easy-to-follow sections and designer’s tips. Additionally, the author breaks down each style into its color choices, reflecting both warm and cool tones, with fabric and pattern selections shown for each and complementary paint colors at the bottom of each page. There are more than 300 fabric samples to view here, all materials that are available from the author’s design company as well as websites to peruse for help and additional information for DIY-ers. Weiss has organized her book to combine style, color and scheme in a logical fashion. Her explanations behind why tones and textures work will undoubtedly help those less-than-secure in their design skills. In fact, it will likely instill confidence in the design-challenged.

A practical, vivid guide to the use of color in interior design.