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)  

A day devoted to honouring, remembering and the red poppy. Lest we forget…

(photographs via martha stewart/everything fab & oh hello friend)   
(last year, I wrote a longer post on this important day if you fancy a look)   

Whoa – a long and unexpected break from colour posting this week. Let’s just say I departed for beige territory but I’m happily back in happy hue land now! I spotted these gorgeous shots styled and photographed by one of my favourite creatives, Dietlind Wolf , and realized yet again why I love poppies. The crispy scarlet-red and that mysterious blue-purple shade of black makes one smashing combo…

(photographs via dietlind wolf)

How on earth did it become Friday so fast? I have clearly slacked off on creating my palette of the week. A selection of colours that grabbed my attention yesterday are in this still life shot by fantastically talented photographer Johnny Miller. From dusty lavender to vibrant cherry red, the colours work seamlessly together. I love how the hues highlight that summer items can have a richer, more autumnal palette outside of the expected colour combinations.

(photograph by johnny miller)

The first of May is known as Lei Day in Hawaii, a celebration of Hawaiian culture. A day full of music, lei-making competitions, the coronation of a Lei Queen and her court, hula and general merry-making, this year is the 85th anniversary of Lei Day. Hawaii is my adopted second home so I plan on bringing some Lei Day festivities to Vancouver today! One of the best facets of Lei Day is the celebration of the holiday’s namesake – the gorgeous, fragrant and colourful flower garland known as a “lei” worn around one’s neck. Icons of “aloha“, these traditional symbols of Hawaii mean welcome, friendship, respect and love. They are heavenly feats of flower architecture and definite eye candy for a colour lover. From pure white tuberose leis to ornate magenta orchid ones, there is not shortage to the inspiration found in these famous symbols of Hawaiian culture. I love seeing modern interpretations of leis too including injected gold geometric shapes or creating artful half-leis on silk ribbon. After researching photos for this post, I am determined to find more reasons to pop on a colourful lei…

(from top, photographs via style me pretty, bloomers blog, style me pretty, elliot chang, makena g, sweet blossoms hawaii, noel hawkins, tiger_tim_2000, neka pearl, martha stewart weddings and rue magazine)

I spotted this image of Skogafoss, Iceland earlier today and felt instantly entranced by the dreamy, misty hues of soft green. What about the profile of a face the man stands on? It looks like a woman wearing an extravagant headdress. A stunning and rather magical photograph by Reinhard Pantke that shows the beauty and depth of green.

(photograph by reinhard pantke, spotted on miss moss)

I love these Modern Zen Gardens by Gardens of Wendiland. Available in colours including fuchsia, yellow, orange, purple, baby blue, black or white, these vibrant gardens are sure to liven up any workspace. Who needs a boring grey Zen Garden when you can have a modern pop of colour and a perfectly placed cactus? I don’t know about you but making designs in bright-hued sand sounds like the perfect way to combat stress…

(photographs via Gardens of Wendiland)
(thanks Catriana!)

There’s something about the design of a cactus that is just plain intriguing – a mix of a modern architectural shape, sharp needles and paper-like vibrant flowers. Catherine Hope explores these qualities in her colourful photo study titled (much to my delight) ‘It’s a Bit of a Prick’. Sourcing unique examples from Columbia Road Flower Market in London, Catherine creates beautiful compositions of texture and colour that showcase the most dynamic facets of cactus. In addition to having an photograph adorn my wall, I would love a circular silk pillow featuring one of her gorgeous images. Follow Catherine’s study on tumblr for future cactus inspiration.

It’s hard to go to a grocery store’s vegetable section or a farmer’s market and not be astounded by the vibrant hues of fruits and vegetables. This advert for Lurpak Butter directed by Dougal Wilson celebrates the glorious colours and patterns of vegetables. How exquisite is that purple cabbage pattern? I love the dramatic, cinematic feeling (aided by the voice of actor Rutger Hauer) and how the vegetables move in rapid rainbow sequence. The ad seeks to show that “healthy doesn’t have to taste humdrum” and I think that it more than achieves that goal. I don’t know about you but the ad makes me want to cook and eat a rather large heap of vegetables…

If you ever chat with someone who declares that environment conscious architecture can’t be a beacon of bold, colourful design, direct them to the Pixel building in Melbourne, Australia. The country’s first carbon neutral office building of its kind has impressive green credentials (read about them here) and manages to be a stunning symphony of form and colour. The facet-shaped “wings” are just beautiful and the colour palette feels like it was plucked from an Australian bloom (perhaps a pincushion or protea?) Overall, it is a building bursting with colour and, I imagine, infectious energy. I love that such a technically advanced building doesn’t have to be stainless steel to be sleek, modern and simply gorgeous.

(photography by ben hosking via weheart)

I recently came across these Pantone Pots by Serax and now can’t stop thinking of all the places I could use one (or twelve). I wouldn’t mind a patio full of colour swatch pots with plants of contrasting hue (maybe some bright blue flowers growing out of that honeysuckle-hued pot?). How about using the pot as a hint of what colour will eventually grow from some planted seeds? For example, some lavender planted in that light purple vessel. Love the thought of one as a kitchen utensil or design supply container. From the Pantone Postcards I posted about before to these Pantone Pots, my Christmas wish list has two official pieces of delightful colour nerdiness.

I love these photographs by London-based author, stylist and designer Sania Pell that explore a contrast of neon paint and real sprigs of berries and hydrangeas. The palette of dark and light natural hues mixed with vibrant artificial neon is stunning. These are just “photo sketches” at the moment so I can only dream of where the idea will lead Sania…

(photographs via sania pell)

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month marked the end of World War One and is now a day when countries around the world honour those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, those who served and those who continue to serve. It is a holiday unique to every nation but in Canada and many Commonwealth countries, Remembrance Day is a memorial wrapped in vibrant red. Why red? For the symbol of Remembrance Day itself – the poppy. Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian artist, doctor and solider, wrote the now iconic poem “In Flanders Fields” in 1915 as he processed seeing the bodies of so many fallen comrades intermingled with the bright red poppies that now marked their graves. The poem was published shortly after and spread across the world. Its first two lines, “In Flanders fields the poppies blow/Between the crosses, row on row” inspired the use of poppies as a symbol of remembrance. The blooms are sold each year to raise money for Veteran services and worn as a promise to never forget those who served and continue to serve.

I didn’t mean to turn this post into a rambling history lesson (although I have been asked by many a tourist what the red flower is for!) Overall, Remembrance Day is a day of honour, reflection and red. The poppy is an enduring symbol of gratitude and I am always struck by their beauty and meaning. Combined with the colours of military ribbons and uniform neutrals, it is a day of poignant colour palettes and a vivid poppy red that ensures we always remember. The image above of lights is of Vancouver’s war memorial in Victory Square Park and is a piece of local art I really love. Eleven lights based on WW1 helmets encircle the memorial and, when lit at night, always feel like a hauntingly beautiful tribute to all of those we lost and are beyond thankful to…

(photographs via themonarchist, iammacgirl, amanda last, tt24813055, matt s, wikipedia, dale calder, piscesdreamer and rainypete)

I love these meticulously and artistically crafted paper flowers by Thuss+Farrell, a married Brooklyn-based design and photography duo bursting with insane talent. What a fantastic mix of bright colour, pastels, patterned detail and texture. The pops of black make the flowers feel artful and modern rather than simply pretty. I wouldn’t mind a vase full of these beautiful examples of papercraft….

(spotted on simplesong)

Flowers, cones, leaves – nature is never short on extraordinary inspiration. Kathy Klein deconstructs objects of our environment and uses the parts to create unique flower circles called “danmalas”. From the sanskrit ‘dān’ meaning ‘the giver’ and ‘mālā’ meaning ‘garland of flowers’, the designs created showcase the stunning colour, texture and shape in nature and how they can be brought together to create completely new patterns. Kathy has made her beautiful danmalas all over the world and after spying a few quick shots of the circles in place, I am obsessed with seeing more. A danmala coffee table book please! (You can order your own danmala or purchase Kathy’s prints and cards here)

(thanks for the inspiration Heather!)

I always love the creative (and often handmade) ways T Magazine, The New York Times Style Magazine, interprets their classic logo for each cover design. I definitely need to do a ‘colour hero’ feature on the whole inspiring series soon. In the meantime, the new Fall 2011 Travel issue has a fantastic cover featuring plants that shift in colour from a season of bright green and chartreuse to a season of bronze, orange and brown. Created by landscape designer Judy Kameon and photographer Erik Otsea, it is a gorgeous texture-filled piece of design showcasing nature in all its colourful glory. I can’t really tell you how often my dreams involve creating a T magazine cover…

(images via cover junkie)