I am already pretty in love with India as it is a country that embraces colour like no other. While trying to learn more about the nation, I saw gorgeous images of Jodhpur, a city in Northern India with the nickname “The Blue City”. One glance at the cityscape and its abundance of vibrant blue hues and the nickname needs no explanation. There seem to be many theories as to why the heavy use of blue exists but most focus on the past caste system, mosquito and termite prevention or the ability of blue architecture to remain cool. Whatever the reason, this part of India is pretty magical. Blue homes, brown desert features, bright sari patterns and a rainbow of market goods – Jodhpur is the perfect spot for a true colour lover!

(photographs by soundstorm vfx, foreign devil correspondent, arjun, dwrawlinson, nevil zaveri, bb, nekineko, entrelec, borgan, sreekanthmm, sunyuta, nekineko, l_prusecki, nameet & sachinritvika)

If someone asked you to visualize the architecture colours of most banks, what would pop into your mind? Conservative hues and neutrals? Well, after spotting Japan’s Sugamo Shinkin Bank, I may never look at a financial building the same way again! Designed in Shimura by Emmanuelle Moureaux Architecture + Design, the exterior of the building is a feat of twelve beautifully stacked rainbow-hued layers. The vibrant colours were arranged from warm to cool so the blue hues on top of the building would seamlessly disappear into the sky. The interior features furniture to match the exterior hues as well as white open space and three cylindrical skylights that fill the building with natural light and warmth. At night and according to weather or season, the building is lightly illuminated. The glowing layers not only make the bank visible but create a colourful warmth on the urban landscape. Sugamo Shinkin Bank is a gorgeous work of art that proves banking or governmental buildings need not be neutral to be official. (p.s. the final picture is of colour swatches for the exterior layers. What a dream it would be to sit in on a planning meeting like that!)

(via design boom; images via emmanuelle moureaux architecture + design)

If your child’s school looked anything like Wahroonga Preparatory School in Australia, I don’t think you would have as much trouble convincing them to wake up for class! Designed by GGF Architects, the use of colourful fibre-cement panels creates an engaging environment for learning, compliments the stained glass windows of the adjacent historical church and serves as an architectural feature in the city. I can’t help but think that this wildly creative and Lego-like building will nuture and inspire some very talented creative thinkers of the future…

(spotted on design milk; photographs via ggf architects)

Golden desert sand, brilliant blue skies, lush green land, dusty urban life, ornate traditional dress, pure white snow, chestnut and ebony wild horses – Mongolia has such a stunning and distinct colour palette. Part of the reason Mongolia is the land of a million earthy colour swatches is its geography. A landlocked nation, Mongolia includes the Gobi Desert to the South, snowcapped mountains to the North and grasslands, forests, lakes and rivers in between. In addition to all of the beautiful landscapes, I have always been fascinating by the vibrant and completely unique faces of the Mongolian people. There is just something magical about them. A sparkle in the eye perhaps? When preparing this post, I also learned more about the traditional Mongolian khadags – blue silk scarves symbolizing goodwill and the open sky. These scarves are given for occasions like weddings, funerals, births, graduations, departing friends and other ceremonial events. When researching photos, the beautiful blue textiles seemed to pop up all over the place and only added another layer of gorgeous colour to the wonder that is Mongolia.

(images via dimitri mundorff, daily travel photos, daniel zollinger, li gang, melinda, daniel zollinger, john white, jim murray, yeeship, christopher de bruyn, charles meacham, mark heard, daniel zollinger, irena portfolio, john white, ms aitch, pixdaus)

I love the clean and colourful design for The Gourmet Tea store in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Architect Alan Chu was inspired by the brand’s 35 brightly hued tea tins to create rectangles of colour that serve as a focal point in the space. With the addition of beautiful white neon typography and vibrant hanging lamps, Alan crafted a small house into the modern, bright and airy teahouse. I would love to grab a chair this colour happy shop and think up some colourful places and space to visit in Brazil…

Paris-based Japanese patissier Sadaharu Aoki creates the most gorgeous confections that perfectly merge French tradition with Japanese design. From cakes to macaroons, his Paris and Tokyo shops are full of striking and edible pieces of art. I am particularly in love with Sadaharu Aoki’s “bonbon maquillage” or make-up candy. The rectangular, brightly-hued chocolates looks like pots of colour from an eyeshadow palette but are actually one of Aoki’s signature creations. The bonbons are filled with fondant that is infused with diverse range flavours including wasabi, caramel, matcha, coconut and raspberry. Forget reaching for the wrong chocolate or fumbling for the info sheet. Aoki streaks each bonbon with a strip of colour that not only creates a modern and handsome look but effectively “colour codes” each chocolate so you always end up with the confection you were hoping for. Visiting Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki in Tokyo or Paris is definitely on my to do list as I imagine the works of art are as delicious as they are exquisitely beautiful and colourful!

(images via chocolat only, aaron lum, purple cloud, chaxiu bao, yuichi sakuraba, anglofille, gsanjose, jemie, chaxiu bao, purple cloud, dig a cherry, yuichi sakuraba, peter repetti & yocca)

The more photos I see of Cielito Querido Café, the more I fall in love with it. Drawing from Mexican and Latin-American design heritage from the late 19th century to early 20th century, the space is just so full of life and details. With vintage Latin-American signs and product labels of old grocery stores in mind, Mexican studio Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena created the vibrant branding and café design. In a world of coffee spots that are far too beige, Cielito Querido is café overflowing with bold colour, dramatic typography and wild patterns. It is a modern and playful place that retains a truly Mexican flavour. Even the take-away coffee cups are beautiful! Fingers crossed Cielito Querido Café expands in Canada soon. If that happens and you need to get in touch with me, I’ll be the one in the pink chair…

(via we heart & the dieline)

Cinque Terre is a region on the Italian Rivera consisting of five small fishing towns that hug the cliffs along the turquoise Ligurian Sea. The area has avoided modern development and as result, has retained its unique Italian culture and natural beauty. Every image I see of Cinque Terre is full of an almost indescribable glow. The warm colours of the town buildings, especially at dusk, are just breathtaking. At night, the towns look simply magical as they sparkle along the rugged coastline. I think I could stare at the first image in this post for hours on end. If the photographs of Cinque Terre are this beautiful, I can’t even imagine how colourful and luminious it must be in person. I think Cinque Terre has definitely shot to the top of my “must travel to” list.

(images via robert crum, jeff, andrew dobney, ian jeanneret, federico, trek earth, andy kaye, mirko caserta, alex roe, anita, andy kaye, eduard ballestero, lena q, travelpix, christopher schoenbohm, simon, gianluca)

Bo-Kaap is a brilliantly-coloured area located on the slopes of Signal Hill in Cape Town, South Africa. One of the oldest communities in South Africa, the area is rich with influences from the nations of its original inhabitants – India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Madagascar, and Holland among others. These influences are apparent throughout Bo-Kaap and its incredibly colourful flat-roofed houses, mosques, patterns and architecture. Stunning use of warm colour mixed with fascinating history and culture? Yet another community that must be added to my travel wish-list!

(images via joanne, linda g, linda g, jochen hoesch, michael hansen, linda g, rebecca jacobson, rebecca jacobson, julian k, marcy bidney, tim rebecca)

This photo of a terraced rice field in Yunnan, China is pretty show-stopping. The bright colours and shapes created by the terraces look more like a textile or art piece than a landscape shot. Yunnan is the most southwestern province in China and has, by far, the most diverse plant life of any other area in the country. Judging from this photo, I would love to see Yunnan in person one day!

(photo by Thierry Bornier, National Geographic)

I have been enamoured with Barcelona candy company Papabubble for quite some time. Part of it is the whimsical name and Spanish roots but most of all, I am in love with their colourful sweets. There are many treats on the shelves but it is Papabubble’s round, illustrated candies that make me giddy. They are not only vividly coloured but really showcase artisan craftsmanship. Strips of candy are layered to create a huge tube with an image at the end. That tube is stretched out, cooled and cut into pieces that now each feature that image (above is the original candy strip tube with a pineapple image at the end as well as final pineapple candy product.) It is mind-blowing that Papabubble can create small candies with such intricate illustrations. Even more amazing is that they can use the same method to enclose each candy with words like cities names, holiday greetings, custom wedding couples and company names. Papabubble really makes some of the most beautiful and uniquely crafted candy around (how fantastic are those kiwi candies above with their perfectly coloured kiwi fuzz sides and dead on kiwi slice illustrations!?) It isn’t just candy making, it is art. I have heard that the candies are absolutely delicious with flawlessly matched natural flavours. Great tasting, colourful and handmade candy in attractive jars? I really need to go to a Papabubble city soon!

Take a look at this video to see some incredible candy making magic:

(images via janne, amajaiak, jessi caplin, panja, shin ogata, david lebovitz, kc chan, rebecca w, homekaeru, gertie, shin ogata, shin ogata, shin ogata, debra solomon, andres kerese, gonçalo carvalho)

Placed firmly atop my travel wish list is Iceland (I know, this list is getting rather long!) Iceland is a nation full of fascinating geography, history, culture and colours. I love the incredible nature palettes created by peaceful, snowcapped landscapes, lust green farmland and mesmerizing blue glaciers. The architecture, particularly in the capital Reykjavik, is equally show-stopping as details like brilliantly painted corrugated sheet metal create a vibrant city that glows with colour and joy. No wonder Iceland often ranks as one of the happiest countries in the world! I really hope to visit this breathtaking nation one day. (p.s. the top image of a magical white house in the middle of stunning island Elliðaey belongs to one of Iceland’s most famous exports, singer Björk. How surreal must it be to live there!?)

(images via zamaan, a.rey, matthew molloy, trek earth, pie ketron, martin ystenes, berta, martin ystenes, martin ystenes, neil gallop, stefthor, a.rey, neil gallop, trey ratcliff, stefthor, neil gallop, a.rey, anna andres)

Sometimes, especially on a Monday, you just need to gaze at a beautiful scene full of brilliant colour. I think Navagio Beach (or Shipwreck Bay) on the Zakynthos island of Greece does the trick today. The rugged, curvaceous topography is certainly intriguing but it is the gorgeous blue colour that stops me in my tracks. I almost thought the photos were colour treated until I researched many others that all contained a similar vibrancy. Today I wish I was eating an olive oil focused Greek lunch and staring out at that unreal blue.

(images via rita, shay lawless, robert wallace, emelie klamvik)

Another incredible find from The Big Picture. These images of Nyiragongo Crater, in the heart of the Great Lakes region of Africa, are absolutely stunning. Photographer Olivier Grunewald and his team took a very dangerous trip to within one metre of the Crater’s rim to capture the biggest lava lake in the world (it holds 282 million cubic feet of lava.) Although many products and emergency signs in our world are painting vibrant orange, no man-made hue every seems to capture the brilliant and breathtaking orange of fire, lava and heat. To me, there is something impossible to replicate about true orange in nature. I am kind of glad as it allows some hues to remain special. I especially love the gorgeous gradient of orange to purple as the flame meets the unique volcano gases and disappears into the night air. Amazing. Please visit the rest of the incredible images here.

Burano is a centuries old island in the Venice Lagoon famous for its intricate lacework and fascinatingly colourful homes. In my research I found many different reasons for the use of vibrant paint colours including enabling fishermen to identify their homes in the fog, to act as a street address legend as Burano does not use house numbers, to indicate a specific family and finally, that the different shades corresponded to owner’s fishing boats. Whatever the reason, Burano looks like another brilliant colour mecca place to add to my ‘must-visit’ travel list!

(images via stefano, david cunningham, fsa99999, stefano, roberto marinoni, barbanna, barbara piancastelli, alberto, pete beck, david romagnoli)

I always knew the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador was a colourful place but when my friend David sent me a link to the province’s tourism commercial, I was stunned! It is a gorgeous video and it inspired me to research more of Newfoundland and Labrador’s incredible colour palette. Focusing on bright primary and secondary colours, the hues interact masterfully with the rocky coastline and vibrant blue ocean. I particularly love the colourful neighbourhoods in St. John’s, Newfoundland nicknamed “Jelly Bean Row”. St. John’s is a historic fishing city and when sea captains returned from their voyages, they were faced with rows and rows of identical Victorian houses. In order to make these houses standout from one another and insure a quick return home, each house was painted a different vibrant colour. This tradition continued on and as a result, Newfoundland and Labrador is one of the most colourful, striking and beautiful parts of Canada.

(I highly recommend watching the Newfoundland and Labrador tourism video. Thanks David for the inspiration!)

(images via brian carey, g.luff, jonathan penney, dr hostel, joanne dale, joanne dale, liyen, 13fridaymjf and elisabeth charmley)