“Using Australian Colour ” by Nexus Designs

Last week in Melbourne Australia, Nexus Designs released their latest body of work, a rather brilliant book called “Using Australian Colour” edition 3. I sat down with Harley Anstee to find out more about the book that is so much more than just another coffee table book.

What was the purpose in compiling and writing Using Australian Colour edition 3?

The third edition was compiled as Nexus had completed some superb new interiors including two Design Institute of Australia awards for the Tribeca, New York apartment. We also wished to highlight some new contemporary artworks which provided the opportunity of creating some exciting new colour palettes. Contemporary artwork is often used in our interiors. It also gave us the chance to redesign the book under the direction of our Art Director, Joseph Antoios.

Whom do you feel will get the most from this book, design professional or general public? Why?

I think the general public will be influenced by the images in the book and inspired to use, experiment and to be brave with the colour palettes. It’s also the perfect source book for designers, students, developers and manufacturers.

What were the project criteria when selecting from the Nexus folio of projects? Was it an easy process?

Obviously, one of the major project criteria for the third edition is the Australian Landscape. We draw much inspiration from the colours that surround us whether they be inland, coastal, rural, cityscapes or local surroundings. We are also inspired by contemporary Australian art which can influence  colours palettes in our  interiors. The interior may be subtle, relaxing and basically employing a palette of neutral colours with texture and the spatial quality of the interior being the main influences. We also adopt bold colours with strong splashes of unexpected colour to highlight an architectural detail or simply a brilliant colour on a piece of upholstered furniture.

It was a difficult task to select the images, as there were so many superb interiors we could have used. It was important to ensure we had a diverse mix of colour palettes and interiors.

What do you like best about the book Using Australian Colour edition 3?

I think the new design simply brings out the premise of the book. Using Australian Colour demonstrates how our design practice deduces Australian colour palettes from these varied sources of inspiration.

Could you please describe the process on how Nexus select colour for a project.

Nexus selects colours for a project according to the following factors: respect for the architecture/interior of the building, working with the surrounding cityscape or landscape, understanding the clients brief and desired outcome,  the clients colour preferences, any finishes that are fixed and cannot be changed; these factors all determine the selection of the colour palette we create.

Using Australian Colour is available in all good book shops @ $29.95 (no that’s not a typo!)