Color Idea Book (Taunton Home Idea Books)
Stumped about what colors to use for your next decorating project? Or maybe there's a hue you want to bring into your home but you're unsure how to make it harmonize with what you already have. Whatever your color challenge, you'll find fodder for thought in "The Color Idea Book" (Taunton Press, $19.95) by Minneapolis interior designer Robin Strangis. Strangis, owner of Loring Interiors and a contributing Home+Garden writer, breaks the sometimes bewildering spectrum of color choices into bite-sized chunks of insight and information. There are getting-started suggestions, such as how to find color inspiration: visit an art gallery, find a painting that appeals to you and note the colors you see; or open up your closet to see what colors you're naturally drawn to. There are also highly specific tips, such as how to make black walls work. If nothing else, Strangis offers enough designer-insider lingo (such as "bridging fabric" that ties all the colors in a palette together) to help you sound smarter when discussing your next redecorating project." --Star Tribune "(Minneapolis, MN)