Colour

The availability of ready-mixed paint and the proliferation of advice which led to the rise of DIY is a much less recent development than one might have thought. Join Patrick Baty, a historical paint expert, on this fascinating journey through the paint colours used in the decoration of houses from the 1660s to the 1960s, the development of the house-painting trade, the training of the painter and the place of the colourman - the supplier of the pigments and paints that he worked with.If you've ever cooed over paint colour range swatchbooks then the glorious colour ranges of the early days will pique your interest. Did you know that Britain had a Colour Council who produced indices of colours (a bit like Pantone books but with romantic names) for government, industry, academia and horticulture between the 1930s and 1960s? The palettes, colour wheels and schemes carefully reproduced here look like works of art. A number of popular and influential colours (many named in reference to naturalists' charts and in the judging of chrysanthemums) are examined in depth, revealing a surprising amount of information about those who bought them. The tricky issue of how colour was communicated and some of the early theories are brought to life. How do we know what colours were used in the past? Possible sources of information are given with an introduction to the technical investigation of decorative schemes given with examples of Patrick's recent projects, large and small. The forensic nature of his work is apparent with a number of Sherlock Holmes-like case studies. The current trend for 'heritage colours', often woefully misjudged and misapplied, is also explored with good humour. Offering practical solutions to anyone planning to decorate their home, with a few cautionary tales recounted along the way, Colour is a beautifully-produced source of inspiration.