My second guest post on yellowtrace focuses on the most beautiful kindergarten I’ve ever seen – the Educational Centre En El Chaparral in Granada, Spain designed by Alejandro Muñoz Miranda. Colour windows were added to communal spaces like doorways (leaving classrooms with clear glass) so changing weather and seasons could inject the white space with gorgeous coloured light. Can you imagine going to kindergarden somewhere so magical? Check out my whole post and more images on yellowtrace.

(photographs by Fernando Alda via Dezeen)

It may sound random but I have a thing for home art installations involving spools of thread. I have been enamoured with Douglas Coupland’s for quite some time (3rd image) as he made a pure white wall come alive with a tailor shop-inspired installation of industrial thread spools. I also love the old wooden sign full of small thread bundles at the home of Zoe Bissell and Bryan Buryk (top image). Last but not least, the wonderful apartment of architect Chau Truong which features a black wall of thin shelves holding vibrant spools of thread and varying lengths of thread. Truong says, “every time the door opens or closes, the motion causes these thread ends to swing uniformly like leaves in the wind.” Colourful, architectural, artful and very happy-making.

(photographs via new york times, design tripper and new york times)

Serbian designer Ana Kraš debuted her BonBon Lamps in 2010 and has now updated the handsome devils for 2012. Wire framed lampshades looped manually with cotton thread, the lamps are colourblocked in intriguing palettes and crafted in whimsical shapes. What beautiful, hue-filled glow is created as the light shines through the strings. A modern lantern perhaps? I would love to have a row of BonBon Lamps hanging in an industrial space just as they do in the second photo from the top. Sigh…

(photographs via ana kras except second image from remodelista)

Pop-up shops, also called temporary stores or flash retail, have grown in popularity and awareness over the last few years. The definition is just as it sounds – a shop that appears suddenly and disappears with similar drama after a relatively short amount of time. Often there is a special collection or limited edition item element as well. Whether in a rented space, a splashy freestanding structure, only online or curated by tastemaking blogs, there are no limits to the innovative ideas flash retail can create. I particularly love that creativity is almost always a vital characteristic of pop-up shops. From big installations (check out that gorgeous net of cardboard boxes above) to bold storefronts to sleek branding, temporary stores seem to form a sublime marriage of retail and creativity. If you interested, I wrote an image-filled article for Rena Tom’s site on pop-up shops which you can read here. Back to dreaming about opening a shop that pops…

(photographs via the fancy, dezeen, hannah dollery creative, decor8, dezeen, we heart and web urbanist)

Sorry for the unexpected delay in colourful posting this week. Many more bright things to come! First off is this Giant Wall Washi Tape by mt and Sincol. I am a huge washi tape fan (my desk showcases that fact!) and have long been intrigued by the idea of bringing the removable, sheer Japanese masking tape to walls. I love these ideas in the Sincol x mt online gallery. Layering, metallics, patterns, brights, pastels – the possibilities are endless. Perfect for custom, easily changed looks especially in shops and rented spaces…

(images via/see the whole collection here)

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!)

My ‘palette of the week’ feature is coming soon. Really! In the meantime, check out these intriguing vignettes of palette. The Colour Field is a great resource for interior design colour inspiration and these photographs showcase their noted 2012 colour trends. I love the unexpected way the hues are grouped together and displayed on angles and shapes. Also like how the background colour becomes part of the palette. An intriguing approach indeed…

(photographs via the colour field)

I have posted about saturated walls of colour before yet my eye continues to be drawn to unique uses of colour in interior spaces. In particular, I have been fascinated by neutral rooms with ceilings that extend beyond the obvious lines and are painted a bright colour so light can bathe the room in a beautiful wash of hue. I am also fairly in love with cement or rough studio walls half painted with vibrant colour. A form of modern wainscoting perhaps? This style colours me happy and is now officially my dream look for a working studio. If all else fails, I say paint a white spotlight right onto your wall and floor. You can be on “stage” every single night…

(photographs via maria alexandra vettese, remodelista, apartment therapy, red house design, simply grove, coco+kelley, hus & hem, simply grove and french by design)

Furniture photography is often very similar – a perfectly styled eye level product shot or an interior showing the piece in the context of a handsome space. That common style might be why these unique product shots for the Place Sofa by Jasper Morrison for Vitra caught my eye. An intriguing approach that makes the chesterfield feel more chic editorial than catalogue (which also showcasing its wide range of modular set-ups).

How lovely are these Origami Boat Candles by designer Roman Ficek? Available in six colours, they are beautifully crafted facets of thin wax. I would love to see a pool with thousands floating about…

(spotted on design east)

I did some research on styling this week and came across these beautiful painted walls by Bartsch, a Paris-based studio. I would be quite thrilled to have a dark wall of those gold moons in different phases in my home. Their craftsmanship is sublime but I was also drawn in by their choice of styling (including a great palette shot of paint cans). I love how Bartsch showcases their work – an expanse of pattern and colour with a world of small white objects living below. Monochromatic styling is becoming my new obsession…

I have seen a lot of Spring interior design magazines popping up lately with a theme of colour and all of their cover designs seem to feature photography of vividly styled rooms. While the lush visuals are enticing, I find myself thinking about this 1948 cover of House & Garden designed by Herbert Matter. Featuring Fall hues from pastels to jewel tones, the illustrated palette really makes you wonder what lies inside. I would love to see a modern interior magazine follow a similar swatch idea or infuse it into a photography-focused cover.

(image via condé naste/art.com)

I love bright coloured paint jobs so these photos more than made my day. I love the feature wall completely saturated in one vibrant colour including coat hooks, radiator and shelving. I also love the idea of colour splashed randomly and artfully up one wall. Who says you ever have to paint your walls in a traditional fashion?

(photographs via 101 woonideeen and agent bauer)

Real estate has the adage “location, location, location” and I think retail could live by “presentation, presentation, presentation”. The way items are showcased in a shop or show has a huge impact on how a designer, brand or company is perceived by a customer. I wrote an article on Rena Tom’s website on one specific area of presentation – shelves! From inset shelves in the shape of gems to a wall of recycled cardboard tubes to hold products, shelving is a fantabulous part of retail design and interiors in general. Even if you aren’t looking for retail inspiration, I poked around to find plenty of eye candy that could be applied your next home or office design. Take a peek at the post here.

(images via dezeen, the cool hunter, apartment therapy, casa.com.br, from me to you, dezeen and arch daily)

Until last week, I had no idea what the Department of Philosophy building at New York University looked like. When I came across an image while doing research, I was stunned. Jaw-dropped, eyes insanely large, stunned. How was this done four years ago but I had never seen it? Good Lord. While the exterior of the 1890 corner building is protected and thus remains untouched, Steven Holl Architects did a complete 30,000 square foot interior renovation. The concept “organizes the new spaces around light and phenomenal properties of materials” and it is hard to see the space as anything but enlightening. The skylight and 6-level stair shaft are awash in beautiful shapes and constantly change with the seasonal light. The upper level floors feature “different shades and textures of black and white, according to the texts in Ludwig Wittgenstein’s book ‘Remarks on Colour’“. Oh and those flickers of rainbow on the gorgeous textures of rich white? Prismatic film was installed on some of the stairwell windows which allowed sunlight to occasionally place a piece of rainbow onto the clean interior. It feels modern, spiritual and simply peaceful. Can you think of a better place to ponder philosophy? Easily one of the most beautiful pieces of interior designs I have laid eyes on and so very perfect for its subject. Hmm, time to google NYU philosophy program applications…

(all images © andy ryan via steven holl architects, dezeen and architizer)

That fireplace. Good Lord. A large expanse of fuchsia that will be in my dreams indefinitely and is only one colourful detail at newly opened The Saguaro Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona. The space was “inspired by the contemporary architecture of Mexico and the Arizona desert… designed around the color and light of the surrounding landscape.” Doesn’t it feel like you are in the middle of a desert sunset? A really inspiring palette including tangerine, fuchsia, grape, coral, saffron and a host of other warm hues. I love those bold pops of colour mixed with varying shades of natural wood. The bedrooms feel airy, vibrant and modern yet still calm. If I am missing in Scottsdale, you can definitely find me sitting by that beautiful fireplace…

(photographs via saguaro & knstrct)