bluestocking
Josef Albers, to say nothing of his admiration for
French painter Yves Klein. Klein’s tactical wisdom,
such as how to mask the claustrophobic quality of a
windowless basement by creating a false sky (painting
the ceiling blue), was an invaluable influence on
Oliver’s approach to paint. He suggests that readers
mine common sources of inspiration: animal skins,
pheasant feathers, decorative tea sets and faded
driftwood. One of his more subtle color muses is “the
gruesome US television show CSI: Miami, which is
shot with the most alluring colored light (frequently
solar or citrus yellow).”
The tome concludes with splendid case studies:
an airy Japanese villa, a modernist Sydney abode, a
rustic Italian retreat, among others. The final feature
is a grand finale—a postmodern Cape Cod studio
that mixes monochromatic Grecian blues with pure
white under a boxy, beamed structure that sends
light and shadow pouring through its traditional
shingled exterior.
Paint and Paper is an attractive read for both the
decorating neophyte and the veteran. While the
information may be a bit too basic, the wide range
of photography supplies a succession of breathtaking,
inspirational spaces. The book gives readers a true
sense of walls as limitless canvases—they can change
a room’s behavior, its architecture, and conceivably
mirror its owner’s persona. In fact, Oliver’s client
list reads like a who’s who of rock stars and political
A-listers, including Kylie Minogue, Tony Blair and
Chelsea Clinton. Like the people who inhabit them,
his interiors are bold and unforgettable n Lizzie
Garrett ~ Paint and Paper in Decoration, David Oliver,
224 pages, $45/hardcover, Rizzoli
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11.07 Shelter MasterBed1.2v_.indd 1
