Customer Reviews

Color Harmony for Interior Design: A Guidebook for Creating Great Color Combinations for Your Home

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I'm glad I looked at this in the bookstore before ordering it from Amazon.com (it was on my wish list for a while). With the exception of some pretty pictures similar to what you can find in any decorating magazine, there was nothing inside other than several pages showing block of color combinations. Nothing really new or meaningful about color theory or why the combinations might work. Nothing about how one might use them. I fail to see where the guideline was. Furthermore, while the book jacket advertises paint chips to take to your retailer, there were none in any of the books I examined.

This is a wonderful book for anyone serious about decorating their home with professional results. The knowledge of color theory here will enable you to create an environment that will complement your tastes and life style for years to come. A wide range of styles is included and the color principles are adaptable to many more as well.

The book starts out with a brief explanation of the color wheel. Twelve color themes including spicy, exotic, dynamic, natural, luminescent, tropical, tranquil, coastal, classic, icy, luxurious and romantic follow. Each includes a few sample interiors, as well as monochromatic, complementary, analogous, split-complementary and neutral color scheme swatches. There are also many great tips on decorating and choosing accessories.

There are several different books in the color harmony series. This one focuses the most on interiors. While it does not contain as many color combinations or tear out swatches, it includes example rooms and decorating tips that the others do not. It also includes some unique color themes that focus on interiors. I highly recommend Color Harmony Workbook as well as this one for anyone working on decorating their home.

I found this book a real insight for using colour. I have re-done my whole house with her insight, helping me when choosing paint by narrowing in to the hue and tone that I wanted in the room forthe effect I wanted to create.
This book is not for everyone. For those people SCARED of colour stay away. I think that is why it has done so poorly since many people are looking for just neutrals & white on beige schemes. She does have a section in the book on that but it like all of the sections it is on large. The guide to the book is using different colours and schemes instead of creating a whole that is boringly beige/white that sends the senses into shock.For while she is named Martha, M. Gill is not like Martha Stewart going for the bland and easily comfortable. Gill lets you explore colour all the while showing you before you enter how tint, tone, shade and hue will effect the overall design.
Enjoyable & inspiring. Truly opens your mind and senses to colour.

I bought this book to help me choose a paint for a central room in my house easily viewable from several different living areas. Plus, if you and your partner need to come to agreement, the book puts an "approved" stamp on several different combinations and that cuts down on the intense discussions families can get into when it is time to paint!
Don't buy this book if you don't like color and aren't willing to be adventurous. Perhaps Ms. Gill's Color Harmony: Naturals would be more your ticket.
Thanks, Ms. Gill. I loved the book and can't wait to try out my selections.

This book had absolutely no value for me. I was looking for something to help me coordinate existing colors and bring them together with the use of color. None of the colors are shown in examples. There are just pages and pages of blocks with colors in them. One of the worst books I have ever purchased.

I feel that this author is very much aware of the feelings color evokes.
It has pages dedicated to different combinations of colours which are layered and clear. The interiors portrayed in this book are of varied themes. There are some good examples but there is a lack of new ideas.

Book was not very helpful. Does a poor job educating the reader in the basics of color harmony. For example, it does a very poor job explaining how to use the color wheel. I found a much better book from Better Homes and Gardens, "Color Schemes Made Easy", which was very hepful to me in understanding the basics of using colors that complement each other and is the book I used decorating my new home.

This book is a compilation of recycled pictures and page after page of ugly color blocks. This book doesn't "guide" at all, it just disappoints. F-