These Porcelain Tea Light Holders by Graham and Green are my new obsession. Modern white outside and bold colourful inside? I’m sold! I can only imagine how amazing these would look at night. I’m thinking there is a heavenly glow that fills the room with colour. Dear Graham and Green, please consider making an exception to your international shipping policy for a colour lover?

(discovered on emma’s pinterest)

When I saw these photographs of So Takahashi’s Origami Chair, I swear I was speechless for a good ten minutes. The folds of powder-coated sheet metal, the pin-thin back legs, the exquisite angles – this piece must rank among the most beautiful chairs ever created.

Folding chairs are rarely at the forefront of great design but the Piana Chair by British architect David Chipperfield for Alessi might change that for good. Made with 100% recycled polypropylene and only two screws, the chair has beautiful modern lines and plenty of bright colour options. I think that soft curve at the back of the chair gives the piece its soul and overall elegance. How fantastic would a stack of these look in a design studio?

Few companies have one signature brand colour and almost none have that colour for over a century and a half. Just say Tiffany & Co. to someone and they instantly conjure up that aqua blue hue the jewellery meca is so famous for. I spotted this original Tiffany Shipping Barrel from the 1920′s on Pinterest and became instantly obsessed. Used to ship silver and china, the barrel is handsomely weathered but has retained the instantly recognizable and gorgeous Tiffany blue. The New York address, 1920′s typography and one-of-a-kind details don’t hurt either. How amazing would this look as a side table? It appears I was to late to for this beautiful piece of iconic branding and colour but maybe someone has a similar barrel hiding in their attic? I’ll be watching this auction house just in case…

(photographs via lauren stanley silver)

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)

It often seems bizarrely difficult to find a good quality, attractive and colourful chair design but the new Hussl Collection by British furniture company Wharfside more than fits those requirements! With modern yet retro lines and endless eco-friendly lacquer colour options, there is a Hussl chair to match any room in your home. One of my favourite elements of the ST10 Model Chairs (shown in the bottom images) is the beautiful curvaceous tapering. Using sandwich technology, a concept from the ski industry, the pieces are stronger than your average chair and can resist ridiculously high levels of pressure. On top of all that, they stack too! Durable, endless colour choices and gorgeous lines? I really need some of these chairs! I just need to figure out how to send a barge over to England…

(photographs via wharfside)

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)

I didn’t realize how much I wanted a chair made of neon until I saw these photos! Via a commission from Wallpaper* Magazine, London based Kiwi & Pom designed an illuminated furniture concept using 200 linear metres of Electroluminescent wire. The chair captures the very best of modern, futuristic design but also feels like it has a traditional woven soul. The piece has a pulse setting that allows the light to flash on and off creating what Kiwi & Pom call “an instant disco installation”. Fingers crossed a version of this incredible chair is available for purchase one day…

(images via kiwi & pom)

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…

Anagrama is a design studio in Mexico that I am constantly in awe of and is definitely among my favourites anywhere in the world. It really feels like they have pattern, colour, branding and interior design super powers! I love this identity system created for Micheline, a stationery boutique in Mexico. Keeping in mind the company’s catalogues were brightly coloured and their work is often similarly hued, Anagrama created a brand focused on striking black and white pattern and texture. A perfect mix of creating a unique voice for Micheline yet still allowing their work and colourful creations for clients to take centre stage. And how gorgeous is their workspace? What an amazing mix of black, white, colour, pattern and texture.

I can’t say I’ve ever seen a stepladder that I would consider to be a piece of fabulous design. That all changes with Strep by Workshop Peekaboo. The painted wood stepladder was inspired by Japanese steps. The angles and blue are just so gorgeous. I have my fingers crossed Strep becomes widely available and in a wide range of colour. How amazing would a couple of these look in front of a studio bookshelf?

(via muuuz)

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)

I am fascinated by this re-imagining of a Louis XVI period console by Australian designer Adam Goodrum. Rather than classic mahogany and traditional details, Goodrum used lacquered steel rods in different colours as table legs and allowed them to pop through the sleek white console top. The resulting dots are meant to reflect a carousel of childhood but I can’t help thinking of a whimsical colour wheel. A fantastic modern interpretation that perfectly marries sleek with playful design. I am in love with those table legs and resulting colour dot details!

(thanks mélanie for the inspiration!)

(images via design milk)

I am a big fan of Canadian designer Avril Loreti and her home decor and accessory creations. From moustache handkerchiefs to lobster bibs, I just love that her pieces always combine true design talent with clever ideas and wit. On one of my many visits to her Etsy page, I discovered Avril’s new product – Paint Chip Placemats. Designed to look like one my favourite items, the placemats are available in six colour ranges, are a linen/cotton blend and feature fun colour names in French and English. Yet another fantastic design from Avril that would make the perfect gift for any colour lover. I also think they would make a perfect housewarming gift as paint colours are an inevitable dinner conversation topic!

If I lived in the United Kingdom, I think I would visit home design store Habitat on a daily basis. Their products are always colourful, modern and playful. Photos of Habitat’s Spring/Summer 2011 collection only underline those unique qualities. The pieces and the gorgeous ways they have been styled are so vibrant and delightfully British. In lieu of a jump across the pond, I think a couple visits to the Habitat website is the perfect way to make it through a rainy Wednesday. Colourful summer days are on the horizon!

(via we heart)