A Century of Colour in Design

Discover the dazzling history of colour in design, from Bauhaus to Memphis and beyond. This curated anthology of furniture, fabric, lights and decorative objects shows how colour has defined key designs over the last century.

‘One sits more comfortably on a colour that one likes.’-Verner Panton

The allure of colour is undeniable, but its wholesale use in product design is a relatively recent development.

Perhaps more than any other object, the Eames Chairs of the 1950s symbolise the cultural intersection of design, technology and colour that continues to influence designers to this day. Suddenly, post WWII, pigment-imbued moulded fibreglass allowed buyers to express their individuality through coloured seating, forever changing the way we think about furniture.

From the pale blue Anglepoise lamp to Marimekko’s hot-red poppy print and the wine-red Bookworm Bookshelf, this book includes classics, future classics and equally exciting new pieces that will be a discovery for readers. Broad in its scope, A Century of Colour in Design delivers a snapshot of 20th-century history through the lens of design, exploring the origins and rationale behind the design and colouration of some of the century’s most iconic furniture and objects.

About the Author

David Harrison is a Sydney-based design journalist and interiors stylist. He is the founder of designdaily.com.au, has been contributing to Australian interiors magazines Belle, Vogue Living, Inside Out and Habitus for twenty years. Co-author of White Rooms (Penguin, 2016), with Karen McCartney, he has recently undertaken interior design projects and the design of an outdoor furniture range under the Design Daily brand.