Some works of art just make your day. I love these two pieces by Italian artist Andrea Marini. ‘Gemmation’ is a blooming wall of sculptural fibreglass that is both serene and exploding with texture. “Flows” is an installation of mirror waterfalls tumbling from the wall like starched bundles of tinsel. I’m a rather mesmerized by that gorgeous metallic beauty…

(images via andrea marini / saatchi online)

More cool toned, rosy and clear “modern gold”.

Copper has really jumped into the 2013 spotlight. Unlike the very orange or brown copper of years gone by, this “modern copper” is more cool toned and clear in colour (also inspired by the popularity of rose gold). Streamlined shapes, cutting edge applications and more matte/hammered finishes are also making copper of any shade feel more modern. In my latest post for Rena Tom, I discuss this shift and the many trends and possibilities it has created. Mixed with other colours and materials, exposed piping, used in print – the article is rather plump with inspiration. I have always liked copper but I am officially in love with modern copper. Read my post here if you fancy…

(photographs via: acrimony, analogue life, magpie studio, poppytalk, lettered olive, stockholm street style and stylizimo; interior images: remodelista, dwell, real living magazine, and homelife)

I have a fetish for well-designed cushions so these handmade Kisshions by the fabulous British shop Room39 make me giddy. I love the unique shapes and overall combination of vibrant colour, metallic pattern and metallic leather piping. Two very different but equally great sides make for twice the interior design options. Pink or jade with gold, tangerine or vert with silver and a dual-sided charcoal denim pattern… One of each please?

(photographs via room39)  

I am obsessed with edge painting (when color is applied to the edges of cards, invitations, books and so forth). It adds such a pop of colour/shine to design. I don’t think I’ve seen a hologram-like effect though until this morning. Whoa. Created by designer Denis Mallet for Parisian art merchant Julien Hauchecorne, the business cards have a “diffraction effect foil on a pristine white and ebony black duplexed substrate with a diffraction foil fore-edge printing process on the outside edges”. Mind is blown. Striking and downright magical…

(photographs via denis mallet on behance) 

Gold, both as a colour and material, elicits strong opinions in people. Some love it, some hate it and some get 80′s lamé flashbacks. My opinion about gold has changed quite a bit over the last year or so. Why? I think it’s the new, more silver hue of gold that has emerged. I love its vintage, less yellow look and how designers have used this metallic in fabulous patterns, with unique materials like concrete and in matte finishes. I’ve dubbed it “modern gold” and ponder it in my latest post for Rena Tom and yes, as usual, went a little nuts with the example photos! Below is a great chart showcasing how the colour of gold shifts according to how much copper and silver is added. Have you re-thought your position on gold? Take a peek at my post here…

(photographs via anthropologie, dezeen, ferm living, bench.li, a daily something, houzz, mowielicious, konfetti blog, martha stewart and best awards; chart via wikipedia)

I have a thing for coloured metallics lately so this packaging for Amelia Rope Chocolate caught my eye. I love the simple but fun mix of vibrant metallics and kraft paper. Oh and how about Amelia’s Chocolate Cube Collections? A bit like a box of colour swatches, these little shiny cubes are too handsome to eat…

(photographs by mary wadsworth via amelia rope)

We all know how ubiquitous neon, colour blocking and big florals have been lately. In fact, remixed and modernized 1980′s design don’t seem to be slowing down in any product category. In my post this week for Rena Tom’s site, I focused on four 80′s/90′s trends that are gaining steam and visibility: marble, brass, metallic colour and oxblood. I was inspired by an episode of The Golden Girls, an 1980′s classic full of design begging to be re-imagined and tranformed. Will these four trends become formidable in modern design/retail much like neon hues have? We will have to wait and see. On a side note,  I am loving how well oxblood mixes with different colours from cornflower blue to vivid magenta to soft pastels! If you fancy a read plump with images, take a look at my post here.

(photographs via neapolitan, mjolk, samma, apartment therapy, designworklife, american prom, opening ceremony, euro style lighting and kleidersachen)

Yellowtrace is a fantastic Australian blog with a razor sharp eye for style and design. I am thrilled to be doing a few guest posts for Dana, yellowtrace’s founder, while she is on maternity leave this month. My first is the Geode Project by artist A Common Name. Placed in building holes and random pipes, these amazingly intricate paper crystal formations bring real-life magic to everyday surroundings. Has a drainpipe ever looked better? Read my whole post here.

(photographs via a common name)

Watching the Oscars and its red carpet of fashion has to be a high point of February. What colour trends emerged victorious on Hollywood’s biggest night of the year? I would say winter white was the runaway style choice. Other trends focused on various shades of red, blue, green, neutral and gold. I can’t remember an award show with less black! To be honest, I was a tad disappointed with Oscar 2012′s sartorial showing. I guess I just loved the fashion of last year’s show and wasn’t overly enamoured with many of the dresses selected this time around. That being said, I loved Emma Stone’s raspberry-crimson Giambattista Valli, Michele William’s coral-red Louis Vuitton, Penelope Cruz’s blue-grey Armani Privé, Tina Fey’s deep blue Carolina Herrera, Viola Davis’ emerald Vera Wang, Maya Rudolph’s plum Johanna Jonson, Cameron Diaz’s buff Gucci, Octavia Spencer’s white Tadashi Shoji, Meryl Streep’s golden Lanvin and Milla Jovovich’s sparkling Elie Saab. There were plenty of fashionable gents (and a mini-trend of navy tuxedos) but my very favourite was Christopher Plummer’s dapper midnight blue tuxedo complete with black trimming and a handsome Order of Canada pin. Now that’s true style. What was your favourite?

(photographs via harper’s bazaar, elle, the province and instyle)

German artist Frank Hülsbömer has a portfolio overflowing with intriguing studies of colour, form and rethinking everyday objects. Some of my favourite pieces are his tapestacks. Have you ever seen a stack of tape look so artful? I love the reflections he plays with (especially in that blue and foil image). My other favourite is his “Extroverted Disco Ball” and “Introverted Disco Ball” pairing. The idea is so very clever and witty. A long time fan of the mirrored spheres, I can honestly say I will never look at a disco ball the same way again. (p.s. how beautiful would that black matte “introverted” ball look in a white loft with bold pops of colour? Sigh. Back to daydreaming…)

What are these intriguing pans of shimmering colour? Perhaps liquid metal or coloured glass? Nope, they are stainless steel trays full of Listerine mouthwash. Created by Canadian artist Steve Bishop, the pieces are proof that real beauty can come from the everyday colour that infuses our daily lives. In this case, the colours are (from top) Listerine’s Cool Mint, Freshburst and Clean Mint. Steve has a gift for turning simple materials and objects into fascinating work. See more here.

I am completely and utterly smitten by the packaging for these Holiday Barrettes by Kate Spade. The vibrant orange card, the mix of typography, the integration of the barrettes into the whimsical sentence – I love it all. Simple and pitch perfect design. I’m pretty sure every holiday outfit would be enhanced by a hairdo featuring words like “pop fizz clink”!

(images via kate spade where the barrettes can be purchased)

Look up “gorgeous” in the dictionary and I imagine you will find these Stars by Seb Lester prints (right next to a photo of George Clooney of course.) Sparkling gold ink screen printed by hand on royal or midnight blue paper, the dreamy Van Gogh quote is beautiful from a distance. But, upon closer look, the word stunning doesn’t seem to do justice to Seb’s typography made up of ‘hundreds of thousands of tiny stars’. Limited editions of 100 prints, both colours are sold out which kind of shows that you should never drag your feet when buying art! I will dull the pain by dreaming of a second edition…

(photographs via keep calm gallery)

Once glance at the work of Australian artist Rebecca Baumann and there was little doubt that she would become my latest colour hero. 100 flip clocks of colour, an outdoor installation of smoke bombs, a 12 kg explosion of confetti – Rebecca’s work embodies the joy of colour. Using tools such as fans and conveyor belts to bring motion to streamers, tinsel and other brightly hued materials, Rebecca is constantly studying colour and movement. I had no idea a thick wall of gold tinsel sounded so beautiful in the wind. Also love the burst of colour brought to Wellington Street Bus Station in Rebecca’s native Perth. I can’t wait to see what the future brings for this brilliant artist and her work. Hey Rebecca, if you ever need someone to cut streamers or test smoke bombs, just let me know!

(photographs via rebecca baumann; more videos on rebecca’s youtube channel)

Glittering sequins displays in Iceland. I don’t think a string of words has ever made me so happy! Danish/Czech artist Theresa Himmer created these graffiti-like sequin installations in Reykjavik, Iceland. The pieces, inspired by a glacier, volcano and waterfall, add a layer of sparkling dimension to city walls while highlighting the interplay of nature and urban life. The movement of the sequins mimic the beauty of ice, lava and water while recalling “how landscapes respond to changes in wind and light”. Oh and did I mention they are insanely, jaw-droppingly gorgeous? My list of favourite pieces of art ever just got a new addition!

(p.s. for more photographs of beautiful Iceland, take a look at my previous post)

(photography by gunnar tór nilsen and kristinn magnússon; spotted on yatzer)

Confetti System is a studio that creates the most incredible works of paper, mylar and fabric art. They have really revolutionized so-called party decorations by turning them into dynamic and modern stage backdrops, window displays, decor and fashion pieces. How gorgeous is that silk wall they created for a New York clothing store? (second image from the top). With clients ranging from fashion houses like Opening Ceremony, magazines like Martha Stewart, stores like Bergdorf Goodman or Urban Outfitters, events like The New York Ballet and bands like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Confetti System are constantly exploring new avenues for creativity. It is so refreshing to see this kind of well-designed handmade craft appreciated and used in so many arenas. Computers are amazing but they can’t make a giant wall of gold mylar! If designers Julie Ho and Nicholas Andersen asked me to move to New York as a Confetti System sweeper, I would be on the next plane tomorrow. Seriously.

(p.s. The Selby did a fantastic ‘behind the scenes’ photo piece on Confetti System. Have a look here.)
(photographs via confetti system, the selby & 100 layer cake)