David Oliver Color Theory of Design

After studying at Sydney’s National Art School, Australia-born David Oliver headed to Madrid to seek success as a fi ne artist. Although hecouldn’t sell a painting, everyone admired his use of color. That’s when he found his true calling: Twelve years ago he established the Paint & Paper Library in London, and today, when not consulting for designindustry heavyweights, he is producing new colors and hand-blocked wallpapers informed by history and pop culture, as well as his own travels and what they have taught him about geographical nuances of light. Now his acclaimed signature hues are available in the U.S. courtesy of Stark Paint, under the name Colours by David Oliver. Inspired by the interiors of 18th-century Georgian houses, which often featured several different intensities of the same shade, Oliver developed a system to facilitate selecting and coordinating colors. For each of his 24 “architectural” (or foundation) neutrals, there are four additional subtle gradations. These base tones can be used in any of their fi ve variations according to the room’s scale, details, and how much or what type of light is available; for example, moldings may get one shade, ceilings another, and walls a third. On the other hand, each of Oliver’s 120 “key” tones—such asRhubarb, a dusky pink that reminds him of the Technicolor optimism of America in the 1950s, or Tarlatan, a warm, deep gray with an urban edge—is unique. These are presented in complementary groupings alongside their neutral
counterparts, making it easy to select companion hues. He also suggests combinations appropriate to the period of a room, whether it’s Regency, Victorian, or midcentury. He dubs it “the thinking person’s color-by-number system.” Colours by David Oliver are water-based
and completely free of toxic compounds in both their base and their colorants and come in three fi nishes. The collection, which launches to the trade this month, will be available to the public online next spring. With this collaboration, Stark, known for its carpets, fabrics, and furnishings, and which already distributes Oliver’s wallpapers, now has whathe terms “the missing ingredient for the recipe of decorating your house.”