Created for Colorplan by London studio Made Thought, this swatch book has a fabulous mixture of functional elements and beautiful book design. I love the placement of circular colour chips and how the embossing textures are all shown on a striking black and white page (highlighting exactly how the texture will appear). My only question mark is the grey background behind the swatches as it may impact how each colour is perceived by the human eye. Perhaps the chips are removable? In any case, it is one handsome book of colour samples and design. And that cover? To showcase the weight, embossing and colour facets of the Colorplan range, circles were inlayed using the technique of ‘paper marquetry’. Just lovely…

(spotted on and images via september industry)

Who says the neon colour family must always be distractingly bright? I love the soft, almost washed neon look used in this Las Palabras Pintadas branding by Buenos Aires designer Lucía Izco. Add in the perfect neutral brown/grey background, one tone photography and some fabulous typography? The recipe for print design that makes neon feel fresh and sophisticated…

(image via lucía izco/behance)

Modern wallpaper is bursting with non-traditional subjects from bold geometry to gradient effects to customizable drawing surfaces.

Elegant shimmer, hologram foil, mixed with colour, bold prints, copper details — I love the rise of metallic wallpaper patterns and finishes.

One of very favourite uses of wallpaper is small but mighty applications. From one feature wall to a nook or cranny that is now memorable, it is a brilliant way to bring pattern to a space.

Until recently, wallpaper was refereed to as a thing of a past. Yep, we had all supposedly moved on and become strictly focused on pure painted walls. Like most things in design (especially those with historical roots), wallpaper has modernized and evolved in a new direction. Bold patterns and unique treatments have replaced the wallpaper of yesteryear. In my latest post for Rena Tom, I talk about the various elements of this wallpaper revival including the general pattern direction, popular new finishes, interior use, wallpaper as a styling tool, art possibilities and even exterior products that are emerging. From home to retail, this new direction of wallpaper is worthy of exploration. Who doesn’t love a pop of pattern? Read my full post here.

(modern pattern photographs via: black. white. yellow., apartment therapy, hygge and west, design is mine, designers guild, studio ditte, desire to inspire and house to home; metallic wallpaper photographs moffat, jill malek, apartment therapy, afflante, hygge and west and michele varian; small application photographs via see that there, homedit, edison avenue, poppytalk, more delisious, houzz, mor til mernee and lorenzo castillo)

I love when unique colours pop up amid the expected holiday palettes. St. Valentine’s Day is awash in red and pink so these beautiful origami hearts by Melanie Blodgett and their spectrum of retro colours really tickle my fancy. Perhaps a new holiday palette has been born?

(photograph via you are my fave)  

A fantastic print campaign for Expedia by Ogilvy & Mather that uses airport IATA codes to form clever travel-related phrases. There are over 9,000 three-letter IATA codes for airports around the world so I can imagine it was quite the task to sort through them and find witty copy. For example, WSH EWE WRE ERE (or Brookhaven, Ewer Indonesia, Whangarei, Erave) and SUN SEA SND SEX (or Sun Valley, Seattle, Seno, Sembach). I love the pops of colour and stamps in the corner providing a bit more context to the travel code wish. Oy, so simple and brilliant. There is plenty of fun to be found in the luggage carousel…

(photographs via/spotted on creative review)  

Whoa, today my wee colour blog turns two years old. How did that happen so fast? To mark the occasion, I just had to make Pantone confetti using an outdated book sitting in my art supplies. Perhaps on Plenty of Colour’s third anniversary, there can be a global recycled Pantone guide confetti throw? Hmm…

Also, I want to say thank you to all of the people that pop by this blog, thoughtfully email and tweet me, and support the site in general. The very best aspect of having creating Plenty of Colour has been meeting so many wonderful people from all over the world. I always knew colour lovers were the best of humanity! I am tremendously thankful and grateful for all of the colour love and support you have tossed my way. Cheers to the year ahead and the new features and pops of colour it will bring. Thank you ALL! — Chloé

(pantone confetti and “2″ by chloé douglas for plenty of colour)

Modern neon, bright colour and strong typography — is there a better combination? The Melbourne Theatre Company utilizes all three elements in their 2013 season identity created by Interbrand. I love the custom typography called ‘MTC Neon” and its modern angles, glowing finish and nod to theatrical heritage. A glowing typeface could easily appear cheesy or fake in print but I think Interbrand does a smashing job of using the effect in an truly elegant way. Appearing on dark photographs and backgrounds, it allows titles and type to dramatically “light-up” different scenes (regardless of application). I particularly like the program covers as they highlight how the typeface could be used in photographed or physical 3D. Arts are an illuminating pillar in our society and here, Interbrand has crafted an identity that really captures that sentiment…

(spotted on and images via BP&O) 

Black and white packaging with a pop of colour just plain tickles my fancy. Showcasing the colour contents of a product, serving as a copy or brand hue highlight, creating a colour-coding system, adding a burst of bright hue — there are no limits to the various ways this approach can look fantastic. With so many great examples, perhaps this post will need parts one through ten…

(photographs from top: lovely package, prospector co., anaise, the dieline, heydays, the dieline, frontier, mox botanicals, refinery 29, design work life & packaging of the world)  

Wow, it is 2013? That sounds rather futuristic. Shouldn’t we be living like The Jetsons by now? Best wishes for a happy, healthy and creative 2013. May the new year be so wonderful that colourful confetti explodes all around you (literally or figuratively). I may take matters into my own hands and make a joyful wall like Beci Orpin….

(photograph of beci orpin’s confetti wall in find and keep, via wee birdy)

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday week! Back to regularly scheduled colour posting. On that note, maybe you need some vibrant correspondence for your festive season thank you notes? This Pantone Stationery Set might be the ticket. I particularly love the colour chip salutation stickers that seal each envelope…

(photographs via urban outfitters)  

White, pops of colour, edge painting, letterpress — the personal identity of Brooklyn designer Daniel Renda is chalk full of details I love. The colourful logo slash and back of the letterhead are particularly strong punches of hue. Oh the power of colour and personal branding…

(photographs via daniel renda; spotted on design work life)

I am woefully behind on my Christmas cards this year. Let’s hope they don’t turn into “happy spring” messages! While I may be in denial of how far we are into December, I wanted to round-up some holiday cards that have tickled my fancy this year. It’s not too late to mail cards, deliver them in person or choose winter-focused designs that can be used for “happy new year” messages. While there is plenty of interactive potential in e-cards, there is just something warm and wonderful about a true paper card. Beautiful illustrations or modern typography, I love how holiday cards manage to be full of great design and messages of good tidings from your loved ones. Oh and they sure perk up mailboxes and mantles…

(designers/sources from top: sugar paper, terrain, cotton on, the indigo bunting, the indigo bunting, pretty paper please by mélanie kimmett, paper source, Rifle Paper Co., kate spade, pretty paper please by mélanie kimmett, slim paper, cotton on, terrain, present+correct)

In his installation Black Cloud, Mexican artist Carlos Amorales created a world that perfectly fuses downright gorgeous with rather frightening. Carlos crafted 30,000 moths of 36 different variations out of black paper and, with the aid of a team, hand glued them to every surface possible of a gallery space. The images above are of the piece installed at Yvon Lambert in 2007 but it was also re-imagined on the walls of a converted old church in Spain called Espacio AV in 2009. I would love to see this fascinating installation in real life so I can only hope it appears again one day. Meticulous handcrafted detail swarms white walls in strikingly beautiful fashion…

(photographs via yvon lambert; information via philadelphia museum of art)  

Yes, the festive season is officially here and since I am holiday bonkers, expect some posts devoted to the topic! In my latest post for Rena Tom, I focused on how festive details can be applied to retail (online or brick and mortar). Holiday shopping can be stressful but with the right atmosphere, any retail space can be full of joy and striking creativity. Packaging, seasonal photo styling, welcoming decorations, online details, window displays, interior installations – the post is plump with inspiration. Oh and it can certainly be applied to home holiday decor too! Take a peek here if you are interested…

(photographs via confetti system, cox and cox, habitually chic, real simple, martha stewart, a beautiful mess, platinum blonde life, CAMP and black eiffel)

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) 

I stumbled upon Cox and Cox last weekend and I could honestly post just about everything on their website. Fabulous products and gorgeous styling. They seem to seamlessly mix raw concrete with whimsical elements. An opulent industrial look perhaps? Just a few examples: 50-50 Pencils, Corkboard World Map, 20 Small Ink Pads, Leaf Chocolate Moulds, Zinc House Tea Lights and Fancy Pants Crackers. I better look into Canadian shipping ASAP…

(photographs via cox and cox)