The very best of design combines aesthetic beauty with vibrant thinking and powerful solutions. I love the “People for Smarter Cities” project by IBM and Ogilvy because it truly brings that combination to life. The goal is to help cities all over the world get smarter (check out the details/interactive element here) and to spread the word, Ogilvy created functional outdoor advertising. A bench, a shelter, a stair ramp — I love the bright colours and most of all, the brilliant concept. It proves that advertising need not be flatly slapped on our buildings but rather, serve an actual purpose in urban life (and hopefully be a bit beautiful too)…

(video via ogilvy paris, images via/spotted on designboom & dezeen)

Well, this is one fine merger of design and play. Moon Dominos by Fredricks & Mae are handcrafted from baltic birch and silkscreened with phases of the moon (rather than the traditional dots). What a beautiful object to have sprinkled across a coffee table…

(photographs via fredricks & mae)

Created for Colorplan by London studio Made Thought, this swatch book has a fabulous mixture of functional elements and beautiful book design. I love the placement of circular colour chips and how the embossing textures are all shown on a striking black and white page (highlighting exactly how the texture will appear). My only question mark is the grey background behind the swatches as it may impact how each colour is perceived by the human eye. Perhaps the chips are removable? In any case, it is one handsome book of colour samples and design. And that cover? To showcase the weight, embossing and colour facets of the Colorplan range, circles were inlayed using the technique of ‘paper marquetry’. Just lovely…

(spotted on and images via september industry)

Modern wallpaper is bursting with non-traditional subjects from bold geometry to gradient effects to customizable drawing surfaces.

Elegant shimmer, hologram foil, mixed with colour, bold prints, copper details — I love the rise of metallic wallpaper patterns and finishes.

One of very favourite uses of wallpaper is small but mighty applications. From one feature wall to a nook or cranny that is now memorable, it is a brilliant way to bring pattern to a space.

Until recently, wallpaper was refereed to as a thing of a past. Yep, we had all supposedly moved on and become strictly focused on pure painted walls. Like most things in design (especially those with historical roots), wallpaper has modernized and evolved in a new direction. Bold patterns and unique treatments have replaced the wallpaper of yesteryear. In my latest post for Rena Tom, I talk about the various elements of this wallpaper revival including the general pattern direction, popular new finishes, interior use, wallpaper as a styling tool, art possibilities and even exterior products that are emerging. From home to retail, this new direction of wallpaper is worthy of exploration. Who doesn’t love a pop of pattern? Read my full post here.

(modern pattern photographs via: black. white. yellow., apartment therapy, hygge and west, design is mine, designers guild, studio ditte, desire to inspire and house to home; metallic wallpaper photographs moffat, jill malek, apartment therapy, afflante, hygge and west and michele varian; small application photographs via see that there, homedit, edison avenue, poppytalk, more delisious, houzz, mor til mernee and lorenzo castillo)

Bold typography, bright colour AND a handcrafted one-of-a-kind soul? Now that is the recipe for great print design. I love this simple but striking flyer design by Amsterdam studio OK200 for The Amsterdam New York Pop Up Show. Using the pink poster designs they hand-silkscreened for the event, the duo added a navy blue layer of flyer information on top. They sliced through the now chaotic surface to create 16 beautiful and unique flyers. I love the abstract typography crops and smashing mix of hot pink and navy blue…

(photographs via OK200)   

These vibrant soaps by Mamoucha are full of lovely colour swatch combinations and patterns. They would certainly add a striking dash of abstract art to any soap dish…

(photographs by/soap available via mamoucha here and here or anthropologie)  

Product packaging is an essential part of retail design and is a fabulous resource for design inspiration. I love bold type placement and treatments, bright pops of colour, and collections that embrace a range of unique yet united typography.

Yes, I have a thing for retail exteriors and signage. One look I love lately is small but powerful typography. With strong contrasts or in handsome wee neon, the style can make an exterior look rather chic.

Old school hand-lettering, cursive neon, striking handwriting, creating words out of tile — typography based on hand-drawn type can look smashing in design and retail. Done right, it feels modern rather than trendy. I particularly love the craftsmanship it adds to any design. Seek out friends with magnificent penmanship!

I strongly dislike the typeface Papyrus. There, I said it. I get itchy when I see it and feel disturbed when companies, events and shops use typography derived from Microsoft Word to brand themselves. When it comes to telling the world who you are, why use a generic (and probably not design-focused) voice? Not only will you get lost in a sea of competitors also using “Word magic” but standing out in a stylish way becomes virtually impossible. In my latest post for Rena Tom, I showcase how great typography can make all the difference in the quest for memorable design and branding. While focused on retail, the need for fantastic typography is universal so the images hopefully inspire all type-related projects. Take a peek at my post here…

(packaging images via: ddmmyy, raw type, de-construct,cool hunting, lovely package, and slingshot coffee co.; small type images via new places to be, design*sponge, dezeen, and scout magazine; hand-drawn images via la potenza, trish papadakos, remodelista, kristen leigh, kinfolk, wallpaper and remodelista)

Statistics are just better when you add colour, yes? I love this data visualization of interior design colour statistics by designers Mie Frey Damgaard and Peter Ørntoft for global paint brand Jotun. A seamless combination of handcrafted design nd consumer data. I’m not completely certain about the colours selected but the diagram concept and its styling are fantastic…

(photographs/video via behance)

More cool toned, rosy and clear “modern gold”.

Copper has really jumped into the 2013 spotlight. Unlike the very orange or brown copper of years gone by, this “modern copper” is more cool toned and clear in colour (also inspired by the popularity of rose gold). Streamlined shapes, cutting edge applications and more matte/hammered finishes are also making copper of any shade feel more modern. In my latest post for Rena Tom, I discuss this shift and the many trends and possibilities it has created. Mixed with other colours and materials, exposed piping, used in print – the article is rather plump with inspiration. I have always liked copper but I am officially in love with modern copper. Read my post here if you fancy…

(photographs via: acrimony, analogue life, magpie studio, poppytalk, lettered olive, stockholm street style and stylizimo; interior images: remodelista, dwell, real living magazine, and homelife)

Modern neon, bright colour and strong typography — is there a better combination? The Melbourne Theatre Company utilizes all three elements in their 2013 season identity created by Interbrand. I love the custom typography called ‘MTC Neon” and its modern angles, glowing finish and nod to theatrical heritage. A glowing typeface could easily appear cheesy or fake in print but I think Interbrand does a smashing job of using the effect in an truly elegant way. Appearing on dark photographs and backgrounds, it allows titles and type to dramatically “light-up” different scenes (regardless of application). I particularly like the program covers as they highlight how the typeface could be used in photographed or physical 3D. Arts are an illuminating pillar in our society and here, Interbrand has crafted an identity that really captures that sentiment…

(spotted on and images via BP&O) 

I have a fetish for well-designed cushions so these handmade Kisshions by the fabulous British shop Room39 make me giddy. I love the unique shapes and overall combination of vibrant colour, metallic pattern and metallic leather piping. Two very different but equally great sides make for twice the interior design options. Pink or jade with gold, tangerine or vert with silver and a dual-sided charcoal denim pattern… One of each please?

(photographs via room39)  

Black and white packaging with a pop of colour just plain tickles my fancy. Showcasing the colour contents of a product, serving as a copy or brand hue highlight, creating a colour-coding system, adding a burst of bright hue — there are no limits to the various ways this approach can look fantastic. With so many great examples, perhaps this post will need parts one through ten…

(photographs from top: lovely package, prospector co., anaise, the dieline, heydays, the dieline, frontier, mox botanicals, refinery 29, design work life & packaging of the world)  

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday week! Back to regularly scheduled colour posting. On that note, maybe you need some vibrant correspondence for your festive season thank you notes? This Pantone Stationery Set might be the ticket. I particularly love the colour chip salutation stickers that seal each envelope…

(photographs via urban outfitters)  

How did 2012 end so quickly? Yikes. Luckily, a new year means a brand new canvas of design and retail trends that we can watch emerge and evolve. Three trends I have noticed climbing confidently forward lately are cutouts, holograms and emerald. It will be interesting to see which will become big design players in 2013 and which will be subject to niche popularity. In my latest post for Rena Tom, I discuss this intriguing trio and how it may apply to retail, design and even personal style/home decor. We need more hologram buildings, don’t you think? Take a peak at my post here if you fancy…

(photographs via: dezeen, spin, elle, style, vogue, munaluchi bridal (cutouts); abriwin, moffat, fashion week berlin, hello sandwich (holograms); design work life, we heart, paul smith (emerald))     

Yep, today is kind of like the Oscars of Colour. Earlier this morning, the Pantone Colour of the Year for 2013 was announced and it is… Emerald Green! (or PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald Green to be exact). After the vibrance of last year’s Tangerine Tango, I had a feeling there would be a return to the cooler spectrum. Emerald or Pine Green even crossed my mind (I swear!) as there are so many modern takes on the classic hue emerging. Old school emerald can conjure up stuffy, hoity toity or outdated visuals but modern emerald? It seems more clear and more cool toned than its warmer, antique-tinged predecessor. I find this new shade of emerald much easier to wear too (old emerald was harsh against many skin colours). Like navy blue, many shades of emerald are now being used as a neutral of sorts. Mixed with any colour, from hot pink to soft mint, emerald is unexpected and has a grounding effect.

Pantone has declared their choice, “”Lively. Radiant. Lush. A colour of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony.” I think lush is exactly how I would define this “new emerald”. It retains its sense of luxury but with clarity and a modern edge. I love this new take on emerald and can’t wait to see how it is explored in 2013. What do you think? A good choice? Will you rethink emerald?

(photographs because i am fabulous, j.crew, pantone, wardrobe oxygen, style carrot and design*sponge)

I love this floral installation designed by Paul Hecker and executed by Fleur’s Florist  for The Cool House pop-up boutique in Melbourne. Seriously, how fabulous is that gradient? What a modern showcase of all the dazzling colours nature creates through flowers…

(photograph via the cool hunter)