Roses and Wall Flowers

Passion for Roses: Peter Beales' Comprehensive Guide to Landscaping with Roses, by Peter Beales (Rizzoli, New York, $45).

In 1951, Peter Beales, then 15, began an apprenticeship at the famous Le Grice nurseries in Norfolk, England. Edward LeGrice was a well-known rose enthusiast and an excellent teacher, and Beales attributes his own passion for and knowledge of garden roses to him. Beales became the director of the Thomas Hilling nursery in Surrey, England, which is famous for its collection of old roses. Today, Beales is one of the world's most acclaimed professional rose growers. His book is a compilation of his 50 years of experience.

Beales proclaims that there is a rose for every budget and every garden style, and his book is an ideal guide for expert or novice to use in selecting the perfect rose. Beales describes roses that come in every size from miniatures that are just right for containers to expansive climbing roses, heirloom varieties, and modern hybrids.

The last section is a directory of roses that includes full color pictures of each rose, planting suggestions, hardiness factors, information on care and cultivation, and pest and disease control.

Interior Color by Design: Volume 2, by Jonathan Poore (Rockport Publishers, Gloucester, $35).

Jonathan Poore, an architectural designer and color consultant, says his clients commonly lament, "I love color, but I have no ability to select color," or "I don't know how to select color, but I know what I like." In response, Poore, with photographer Eric Roth, has put together a book that offers tools to help navigate color quandaries.

Poore outlines basic techniques that take the mystery out of the process of integrating color into a design scheme. In Part I, he covers color theory and gives examples of applications in interior design.

Part II, a comprehensive and easy-to-use section of color ideas, samples, and combinations, shows interiors and color chips that illustrate variations on sample color themes.

Brunschwig & Fils Up Close: From Grand Rooms to Your Rooms, by Murray Douglas and Chippy Irvine (Bulfinch Press, New York, $50).

For more than 100 years, Brunschwig & Fils has provided textiles and wallpaper for some of the world's fi nest homes from the very public White House, Palace of Versailles, and Historic Deerfield to private residences both grand and small.

The book opens with an exploration of early textiles and popular patterns, which have become the stock and trade of this family-run company, known for its deep archive of fabrics and wallpapers.

Murray Douglas, vice chairman of the company, and Chippy Irvine, the author of several interior design books, discuss the evolution of design, and then show the reader Brunschwig's sumptuous textiles and wallpapers in real rooms. But this book is more than just a tribute to the venerable fabric house. It is full of helpful, seasoned advice on topics such as using wallpaper, selecting the right curtains, and how to use your existing furniture in a new and sometimes smaller space.

Scalamandre: Luxurious Home Interiors, by Brian D. Coleman (Gibbs Smith, Laton, Utah, $60).

The story of Scalamandre, which, like Brunschwig & Fils, is known for its elegant textiles and wallpapers, is told through reminiscences of family members involved with the 75-year-old business. In 1929, Franco Scalamandre, an Italian immigrant, purchased a boxy red building in New York, where, armed with a dream and a few spools of silk thread, he founded Scalamandre. Noted for its reproduction fabrics, the company has done work in the White House under every president since Herbert Hoover and has helped decorate the historic homes of Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson, William Randolph Hearst, and Cornelius Venderbilt. It also made the fuzzy orange trim for the legs of Sesame Street's Big Bird.

The Scalamandre saga aside, the book's lush photographs by Dan Mayers of homes decorated with Scalamandre upholstery, draperies, and wall coverings (six pages are devoted to Boston designer Nancy Serafini's Back Bay apartment) will inspire. Even if you are not planning to redo the living room in designer silks, this book is full of good ideas.

The Complete Book of Paint: 70 Techniques, Finishes and Designs for Your Home, by Lynne Robinson, Richard Lowther, and Liz Wagstaff (Chronicle Books, San Francisco, $20).

This is a valuable reference guide that offers information and instruction on more than 70 painting techniques and fi nishes for walls, floors, doors, windows, and furniture. Designed for the do-it-yourself approach, the book covers stenciling, sponging, marbling, stippling, and gilding with in-depth guidance on selecting materials and preparing surfaces.

The authors repeat the oft quoted mantra of home decorating: painting is the easiest and least expensive way to refresh a home. All you need is a brush and a few cans of paint – and a book like this one to give you ideas and instructions, as well as confidence.

Janice Byrd is a freelance writer. She can be reached at janbyrd@comcast.net.