Spectrum (Victoria and Albert Museum)

This simply structured and highly original book analyzes the palettes used by designers in the creation of furnishing fabrics and wallpapers from the 15th century to the present day. The colors used in each pattern are presented in a simple proportional grid, giving a clear understanding of hues that have been expertly combined at different periods to create the designs we continue to admire and emulate.

Spectrum opens with a brief introduction by interior design expert Ros Byam Shaw, exploring the history of color as used in interiors. Arranged chronologically, fabrics and wallpapers are reproduced on double-page spreads, accompanied by brief, narrative-style captions that provide details about their significance in the context of interior design. Unique in such a book are the color grids shown beside each pattern, including CMYK references that allow designers to replicate these colors in their own work.