Conran on Colour - Tapa dura

Subtle and allusive, bold and invigorating, colour is one of the single most powerful elements in design and decoration. Even its absence makes its presence felt. The choice of colours on offer to the home decorator is dazzling and potentially baffling - from coloured saucepans and kitchen appliances to paint and tiles - and colour, like never before, is affordable and accessible. Yet handling colour effectively does take both confidence and a degree of expertise.

In Conran on Colour Terence Conran shares a lifetime of experience as one of the world's leading designers, retailers and restaurateurs to explain how to make the most of this vibrant and dynamic ingredient. With reference to a wide range of sources, from nature and fashion to street markets and works of art, he reveals how to translate such examples into practical strategies for bringing colour into your home.

Packed with fascinating detail, sound advice and a wealth of inspiration, the book is illustrated with engaging contemporary interiors from around the world - homes that display a fresh blend of thoughtful design and individual character. As such examples reveal, using colour successfully is as much about well-judged accents and focal points as it is in the choice of wall colour or floor covering.

Terence Conran is one of the world's best-known designers, restaurateurs and retailers. In the 1960s he founded Habitat - the chain of homeware stores that brought good, modern design within reach of the general population for the very first time.

Over the subsequent 50 years Terence built another group of companies centred around design, retailing, restaurants and hotels. Today, Conran Associates owns restaurants and shops in eight cities throughout the world and a design business serving many international clients that includes architecture and interior design, product and graphic design and brand licensing.

In January 2011 Conran Associates began working with Marks & Spencer in the UK, designing an exclusive range of homewares for the store. In 2012 Conran Associates signed a deal to collaborate with US retail giant jcpenney to design an exclusive range of furniture, lighting and accessories for the home. The initial collection launched in spring 2013 into 300 jcpenney stores throughout the US and there will be new ranges launching each spring and autumn.

Terence Conran was knighted for his services to design in 1983 and has been provost of the Royal College of Art in London. In 1982 he opened the very first museum in the world dedicated to design, which is now the celebrated Design Museum in London, due to move to new premises in 2015 thanks to a massive expansion programme.