How Interior Designers Use Color to Create Sophisticated and Accessible Spaces: Inspiring Books
Design book inspiration from my library: Books play an essential role in my inspiration. These books are among my personal favorites and the ones I reach for again and again.
Why is this important? These books are a treat for color enthusiasts, featuring a unique and charming selection of traditional and eclectic styles.
For those who secretly love color but are afraid of how to incorporate it, these books provide comfort by demonstrating how color can be used without fear of making mistakes, getting bored, or appearing tacky.
From Ingrid Fettel Lee - “To this day, color is often seen as childish, unsophisticated, and feminine. So it’s not surprising that we fear choosing colors that are too bright, or choosing combinations that are too striking.
This fear often leads back to the fear of making a mistake. If we just knew how to get the “perfect color,” then we believe we could avoid being judged as tacky or gaudy. But because we don’t know how to do that, we end up feeling stuck.”- (source)
*Here’s everything in the stack of books from top to bottom:
A Glimpse into each Book
Joyful - Ingrid Fetell Lee.
This book starts by challenging where joy comes from - your surroundings. It teaches you the different aesthetics of joy and finding which ones speak to you. It contains many exciting and fun facts from her learning journey, her book sources, and how to use each aesthetic.
Every Room Should Sing - By Beata Heuman
Beata incorporates personality, surprise, and delight into her projects. She has a unique ability to combine eclectic elements in a cohesive whole. See her site here.
Memories of Home - Heidi Callier
Heidi effortlessly blurs the lines between masculine and feline aesthetics. Her uncanny ability to blend moody plaid with delicate florals makes her style the perfect example of eclectic-traditional perfection. Weaving together patterns, colors, and textures, her talent for combining unexpected elements creates a fresh approach to design.
A Place to Call Home - Gil Schafer III
This book is my absolute favorite, as you might see from the worn cover, and I find inspiration even in the smallest details. See his site here.
The Well-Loved House - Ashley Whittaker
Ashley Whittaker is a renowned interior designer who is famous for her traditional yet playful style. Her designs are elegant and charming, creating spaces that are both grand and inviting. She has a unique talent for layering patterns on patterns, which adds depth and interest to her work. I love her use of furniture layouts.
The Great American House - Gil Schafer III
He mentions in his book. “How do you create a home with a feeling of history?” - that’s precisely what he did in these homes. Beautiful detailing, nostalgic, vintage yet fresh, new, historic, but new. I love that he includes sections of mudrooms with doors open, ” I love how the mudrooms are photographed with open doors, where you can see coats, boots, and gear just as you would expect to find a mudroom. See his site here.
This book feels the most collected of them all. This book feels like the most comprehensive one among them all. It has beautiful garden views, but what I love most about this book is how the author has put together patterns, whether in the wallpaper or fabrics with various colors in the room. I like to refer to this book when I need some styling inspiration.
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