Spectrum opens with a brief introduction by interior design expert Ros Byam Shaw, exploring the history of color as used in interiors. Arranged chronologically, fabrics and wallpapers are reproduced on double-page spreads, accompanied by brief, narrative-style captions that provide details about their significance in the context of interior design. Unique in such a book are the color grids shown beside each pattern, including CMYK references that allow designers to replicate these colors in their own work.