Is this wallpaper? Someone covering up a dirty book collection? Nope. It’s a flipping fantastic showcase of the 41 colourways available in the Passepartout luxury upholstery cotton collection by Italian textile company Dedar. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing I enjoy more than a book of swatches but unless you have one in your hands, it is often hard to truly “see” the colour via computer monitor (especially in textiles). This is such a clever and inspiring way to feature colour options beyond the regular computerized colour chip. Don’t you find yourself wondering what hue you would pick for that chair? Kudos Dedar. You are making me want to upholster things AND wrap all my books in luxury cotton…

(photographs via carisma and archiproducts)

I’ve seen this set of 100 Pantone Postcards online but somehow resisted buying them. Most of the images shown in online stores were surprisingly dull. Well, now that I have seen these fantastic photographs by big bang studio, I am in love! Mailing colour swatch postcards around the world sounds like a perfect new hobby don’t you think? It sure would brighten up a stack of mail. Keeping a box of these giant colour swatches on your desk to make random palettes out of sounds quite perfect too. Come to think of it, maybe I “need” two boxes…

(you can buy a set here or here)

I saw the Cubes Perpetual Calendar in the MoMA online store was instantly smitten. Oy, the vibrant CMYK colours on a handsome black base. Have you seen a more attractive calendar? Love the brilliant use of space as months are printed in different directions to make six cube sides turn into 12 months. Great design, full of colour and good for the environment? I am in love.

Who decided that sewing boxes and baskets required embroidered flowers or frolicking kittens? If you prefer something a bit more modern, consider an On the Button Sewing Box. The streamlined, handsomely designed piece may become the chicest box in your home. I would love to fill it with intensely colourful thread and make it a coffee table conversation piece. I guess that would require a frolicking kitten basket to remain as my real sewing centre?

(photographs via modcloth)

The On This Day Calendar looks like a geometry and rainbow-happy wall calendar with room for regular ol’ reminders but magic lurks among those handsome shapes. Each day features a black, heat-sensitive square that reveals a historical fact when touched. Once the square cools, the trivia fades away. I’m pretty sure this would brighten any morning and probably make you the hit of the office (if you don’t mind line-ups to fondle your calendar that is…)

(images via luckies)

While there is traditional beauty in black, stainless steel and wood handle knives, I am finding it hard to resist Kuhn Rikon Colori Paring Knives. Love the Kuhn Rikon Mini Cleaver and rather clever Watermelon Knife too. Designed by Swiss designer Philipp Beyeler, they feature unbelievably sharp, non-stick Japanese high carbon steel and ergonomically designed handles. See? Brightly coloured tools and gadgets can have technical chops too! Oh the palettes that could be created with a colourful knife and some vivid fruits and vegetables…

(photographs via kuhn rikon, williams-sonoma, cookworks and sur la table)

Is there anything more disturbing than children shoved into adulthood just to sell fashion? Not really. At the opposite end of that spectrum is this great campaign by kicokids. Great concept, styling and colour palette. Giant whimsical sea creature balloons and a dreamy haze creates fantastic fashion photography that is chic yet innocent. I only wish kicokids had an adult line! Well, to be honest, I wouldn’t mind that giant octopus hat or anchor either…

(photographs via kicokids; campaign spotted on designmom)

I love these textile cables by danish designer and artist Rie Elise Larsen. The many bright colour options would look fabulous with a white or black pendant light or in contrast with a heavily patterned hanging light. The textile/fabric look of the cord gives a nice tactile feeling that would look great paired with an industrial piece. Come to think of it, one of these cables would look great with those plumen light bulbs I am similarly obsessed with…

(photographs via rie elise larsen)

I spotted these rings on the Beso Beso website and stopped in my tracks. What is the source of such glimmering, richly saturated hues? It appears to be “sparkling Brazillian semi-precious miniature-crystalline amethyst stones”. That is one stunning shade of magenta. Of course nature is responsible for it! (love the geometric shapes as well…)

(photographs via beso beso; to shop, go here)

Is there a blog somewhere devoted to Anthropologie windows and displays? If not, there should be! The creativity, attention to detail and sheer awesomeness of Anthropologie store displays never ceases to amaze me. It is refreshing and inspiring to see a company make design and craftsmanship by hand a priority. Yep, “Antropologie window designer” is definitely one of my dream jobs. I particularly love the focus on using recycled items. Case in point? The fantastic origami-inspired Summer 2011 windows created with old envelopes or the bold geometry of colourfully painted recycled planks. Anthropologie’s Spring 2011 windows were created with the over five million corks collected at stores. The gorgeous displays brought attention to the Cork Forest Conservation Alliance, recycling and Earth Day. Bottle caps, wire hangers, clothes pins – one person’s trash is another person’s stunning window by Anthropologie! The last photo shown is one I snapped at the Rockefeller Centre location in New York. Even sale jewellery has a background of gorgeous roses made with recycled paper. This post could honestly include hundreds of photos showcasing the brilliance of Anthropologie window display designers but I had to cut myself off! They are true creative and colour heroes. Perhaps there needs to be a ‘part two’ devoted to this topic?

(most photographs via anthropologie+you as well as lauren love, square one studio, katy elliott, chloé douglas, the design process, playstudio1801, platinum blonde life, mimi and caca, dustysusan, mday212, mjc, the design process & chloé douglas)

I love seeing how companies advertise their paint hues. In addition to traditional (and still awesome) paint chip cards, there are so many creative directions to go in. Simple yet inspiring, these photographs from Serena and Lily showcase the available paint colours with plenty of glossy dimension and clean little captions. Hoping one of these days, I can get my hands on a paint company colour project!

(photographs via serena and lily summer 2011 catalog which was spotted on the goods design)

Are these beautiful abstract paintings by a colour-loving modern artist? Nope. They are photographs of alcohol! Florida State University research scientist Michael Davidson had the intriguing idea of shining polarized light through crystallizing drinks on lab slides and using his old-fashion 35mm camera to take a photograph of the alcohol under a microscope. This process magnified the drink over a 1000 times and the results are spectacular. The brainchild has now become a merchandise mecca called BevShots that uses the photographs to make high-quality art, scarves and so forth. The colourful patterns translate beautifully to fabric, don’t you think? Incredible to think that our favourite cocktails are made up of such insane colour.

(thanks for the inspiration Taylor!)

(alcohol shown from top: rosé, tequila, irish pale lager, gin, margarita, white russian, scotch, black russian, cola)
(photographs via time magazine and bevshots)

I’ve always found predetermined tabbed sections in books or files kind of stifling. Who’s to say where one topic ends and another begins? Sometimes you just need a removable tab to mark your own spot! Enter these great Sticky Tab Dividers from Semikolon. Notebooks, cookbooks, file folders – you can throw a little colourful organization into any part of your life.

(photographs via see jane work)

My love for desk and office supplies seems limitless so I can already think of a million uses for Millimeter Milligram Transparent Stickers. Available in scalloped edges, triangles, circles, rings and more, these stickers add a nice punch of colour and creativity to your calendar without blocking the important information. Another rather ingenious element of these stickers? They can be placed on a whole host of items that you probably would not want to mark up permanently. Textbooks, appliances, special documents… Anything can benefit from a colourful transparent sticker! (p.s. as always, I love how MMMG photographs their products. Great inspiration!)

(photographs via mmmg)

I’ve seen a lot of really creative paper promotions but never one this beautiful or frame worthy! A piece by GF Smith, the aim was to showcase the company’s range of digital papers while highlighting the incredible technological potential of modern digital presses. Digital artists FIELD were hired to create 10,000 unique and colourful illustrations inspired by the micro details of paper fibres. One of the most exciting facets of digital print technology is that is allows for personalization of a print job. ‘Variable imaging’ allows “unique prints to be produced from an established document framework”. It is quite a technical affair that you can read about in detail in this september industry feature. Overall, the printing of this piece is a work of art. A unique illustration for every single promotional folder and inside paper – how spectacular is that? Gorgeous illustrations, handsome graphic design and one great display of innovation.

(photographs via september industry)

I’ve spent the last year or so dreaming up reasons to buy a Cable and Cotton string of lights. Collecting the photos for this post has only given me more ideas of where I could use them! The natural, hand-dyed cotton-covered spheres create a warm glow of colour that looks gorgeous at parties and as part of interior design. The website has pre-packaged colour selections but you can also customize your own light string from a large palette of colour. It is a pretty addictive thing to play with! I also love that your purchase helps an entire community of women in a remote southern region of Thailand as those skilled workers create every single string of lights. How beautiful is the photo of the cotton wonders in a fireplace? Yep, I don’t think I can resist anymore…

(photographs via cable and cotton)