Every plate is a colour palette to me and this Rainbow Radish And Purple Kale Salad by Sneh at Cook Republic is no exception. What a beautiful mix of hot pink, chartreuse, black-purple and white. I’m not a radish fan but now that I know rainbow radishes exist, I may just change my mind…

(photographs via cook republic)

I love the colour-focused styling of these culinary stacks by Dutch design duo Raw Color. The still life photographs were created for the opening of Martin Creed’s revamp of the iconic Sketch restaurant in London and feature disassembled ingredients of dishes from the new menu. As culinary creations are really layers of flavour and stacks of colour and texture, the styling is both smart and beautiful. Perhaps we could do away with word-focused menus and just use striking photograph to select our meals…

4th image: Sweet chilli paste, filo pastry, foie gras, sesame seeds, green apple, pink radish, celery leaves, spring onion
6th image: Parmesan cream, goat cheese, coconut, beetroot sauce, lobster, squid Ink, black Olive Jelly

(photographs via trendland)

There are a couple of blogs that I truly wish I could live in. At the very top of the list is Griottes, a French style and food blog created by Emilie Griottes that is so gorgeous that I feel slightly giddy when a new post is up. The handmade whimsical aesthetic, sublime colour palettes and beautiful culinary treats… Oy. When I spotted these Pantone Tarts on Griottes this morning, I fell even more in love with the blog. Simple and stunning with pitch perfect styling, these pastries are an imaginative take on the classic colour chips while showcasing the lovely hues of everyday foods. Is it crazy to hope Emilie creates a tart for every colour in the Pantone swatch book?

Martha Stewart and her talented team never cease to amaze me with their beautiful photography/styling and always innovative, tastemaking ideas. Spotting these colour block cocktails has made my Tuesday! The handsome libation is a giant ice cube of alternating layers of fruit nectar and Italian aperitif dropped into a glass of sparkling water. Delicious, colourful and stylish. Check out the recipes and different colour combos here.

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…

I can’t think of a music video that required more dedication to craftsmanship than this one for “In Your Arms” by Kina Grannis. This stop-motion spectacular was created over the course of 22 months by 30 people and required 1,357 hours of work. Oh and 288,000 colourful jelly beans! Sure, it would have been much easier to just employ some CGI and green screen magic but director Greg Jardin was adamant that every single one of the 2,460 frames be assembled by hand and shot individually. Insane, brain-exploded level of commitment to handmade design and crafting a true stop-motion piece. (I love the jellybean test pattern at the end of the video!)

The making of video is a must-watch. How great are those individually marked tubs of jellybean colours?

(spotted on peta pixel)

I am a sucker for unique and colourful food styling. It always amazes me how textures, patterns and colours of a recipe or food can really come to life with some great lighting and thoughtful detail. A stylist with ridiculous amounts of talent in that arena is Dietlind Wolf. I was reminded of his styling and illustrating skill when I saw the series above on seesaw. A wonderfully clever fusion of handsome food and beautiful ingredient illustration. I love this mixed media approach to food styling and photography as there are endless possibilities. Collage next? Or how about graffiti!?

(spotted on seesaw; images via dietlind wolf where all credits for the shoot can be found)

Sweet Paul is a ridiculously inspiring food blog and online magazine. You can definitely tell the creator comes from a food and prop styling background as both the magazine and blog are full of gorgeously arranged, photographed and styled culinary creations. On top of all that, the recipes look drool-worthy delicious! Upon reading the new Summer 2011 issue, I spotted these deconstructed summer salads and my jaw dropped for five minutes or more. A stunning mix of geometry, design and summer colour. Food as art. How great would large prints of these photos look on a restaurant or kitchen wall? I highly recommend taking a look at the new issue of Sweet Paul Magazine. You will be inspired by the curated home accessories, insightful articles, delicious recipes and yes, insanely beautiful photographs!

(food & styling by paul lowe, photography by hector sanchez)

Did your breakfast this morning look anything like this? I hope so! With the goal of “showcasing food in a beautiful and unusual way”, studio Bruton Stroube created this stunning video. I love the dreamy atmosphere but I think what captivates me most is the graceful movement of the food and the moving palettes created. Did you see the orange juice, raspberries and blueberries mix mid-air? A beautiful colour scheme. As our meals usually sit fairly still, it is easy to forget that each food has its own unique qualities that, with a bit of imagination, can turn into gorgeous art. I had no idea pancakes in motion could be so elegant!

(Take a look at Bruton Stroube’s site for behind the scenes photos. How they created this piece is fascinating!)
(via tasteologie)

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)

New York-based artist Tattfoo Tan created the Nature Matching System, a Pantone-like set of colours that highlight the hues that should be part of your daily nutrition. Extracting the colours of 88 fruits and vegetables, Tattfoo has applied his healthy food swatches to placemats, colouring books and public art pieces. The images above are of a striking mural Tattfoo created in DUMBO, Brooklyn in 2008. I love that Tattfoo’s swatches not only create an attractive colour scheme but bring attention to healthy food choices. For the Brooklyn mural, Tattfoo had children paint each square of colour which undoubtedly sparked fruit and vegetable interest. There are plans to create another mural on the grounds of a Brooklyn school – a brilliant idea and foil to the endless junk food advertisements that children see. The intense colours of fruits and vegetables highlight their naturally occuring phytochemicals and valuable nutrients and I love that Tattfoo’s swatches not only create an attractive palette but inspire healthy, colourful eating. As Tattfoo says, “it’s the idea that colour plays such an important role in nutrition.” I say we throw out the food pyramid and just eat according to colour palette!

(thanks Elisabeth for the inspiration!)

(images via good)

I’m a big sucker for stationery and desk supplies. Well, I should clarify – I’m a sucker for colourful and unique desk supplies! Those standard yellow Post-it notes kinda give me the creeps. These Sushi Memo Blocks are so handsomely designed and colourful that they can only induce happiness when sitting on your desk.

(via unplggd)

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)

It’s Friday so it is time for another edition of colour me happy! I still haven’t decided if this feature will always have a theme but for this week, I decided to focus on the vibrant colours of food and food styling. I think I was inspired when I saw a photo of that incredible pasta. From the unexpected brilliant magenta of beets to the bold yolk of an egg to the soft dusty white of baguettes, there is so much amazing colour in food. I hope to revisit this topic often!

(images via sarah drake, kiss my spatula, cannelle vanille, katie quinn davies, ellen silverman, béatrice pelter, the design files. katie quinn davies, maggie makes, a happy haven, katie quinn davies, bs in the kitchen)

There is just something about the colour of blueberries that I have always found magical and impossible to duplicate. A frost-covered midnight blue mixed with purple that has so much depth that it looks different in every light. My favourite part? Cut them open and they look almost clear but blend them up and a red-violet emerges out of nowhere. Now that is magical.

(image via tiny white daisies)

I miss seeing Gourmet magazine on the newsstand. I always loved finding out what the colour scheme was for that month. The clean design and striking food photography really highlights the beautiful colour of food and cooking. Fingers crossed another magazine like it comes along soon.

(images via cover browser)