Well, this is one fine merger of design and play. Moon Dominos by Fredricks & Mae are handcrafted from baltic birch and silkscreened with phases of the moon (rather than the traditional dots). What a beautiful object to have sprinkled across a coffee table…

(photographs via fredricks & mae)

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)

The neon trend doesn’t seem to be going anywhere and I am excited to see some diversity in the hues explored. Often, the term “neon” is focused on four or five colours but there is actually a wide spectrum to consider within the vibrant hue family. I love this old neon thread card on the design center at philadelphia university blog as it highlights just how many directions one colour (like “neon pink”) can go in…

(image via the design center at philadelphia university)

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)  

These vibrant soaps by Mamoucha are full of lovely colour swatch combinations and patterns. They would certainly add a striking dash of abstract art to any soap dish…

(photographs by/soap available via mamoucha here and here or anthropologie)  

Product packaging is an essential part of retail design and is a fabulous resource for design inspiration. I love bold type placement and treatments, bright pops of colour, and collections that embrace a range of unique yet united typography.

Yes, I have a thing for retail exteriors and signage. One look I love lately is small but powerful typography. With strong contrasts or in handsome wee neon, the style can make an exterior look rather chic.

Old school hand-lettering, cursive neon, striking handwriting, creating words out of tile — typography based on hand-drawn type can look smashing in design and retail. Done right, it feels modern rather than trendy. I particularly love the craftsmanship it adds to any design. Seek out friends with magnificent penmanship!

I strongly dislike the typeface Papyrus. There, I said it. I get itchy when I see it and feel disturbed when companies, events and shops use typography derived from Microsoft Word to brand themselves. When it comes to telling the world who you are, why use a generic (and probably not design-focused) voice? Not only will you get lost in a sea of competitors also using “Word magic” but standing out in a stylish way becomes virtually impossible. In my latest post for Rena Tom, I showcase how great typography can make all the difference in the quest for memorable design and branding. While focused on retail, the need for fantastic typography is universal so the images hopefully inspire all type-related projects. Take a peek at my post here…

(packaging images via: ddmmyy, raw type, de-construct,cool hunting, lovely package, and slingshot coffee co.; small type images via new places to be, design*sponge, dezeen, and scout magazine; hand-drawn images via la potenza, trish papadakos, remodelista, kristen leigh, kinfolk, wallpaper and remodelista)

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)  

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’m not sure anyone “needs” hair chalk but honestly, how fun would it be to run one of these vibrant hues through your locks? The Hair Chalk Set by Urban Outfitters features 32 semi-permanent colours that are blendable on wet or dry hair. I particularly like the look of small hints of colour on thin sections or hair ends. Maybe I do need some pops of fuchsia…

(photographs via urban outfitters) 

I love this photograph of vibrant sarees scattered across the stairs of the Ahilya temple in Maheshwar, India. Captured by photographer Eli Shams, the contrast of old stonework and drops of rich colour create one smashing palette…

(photograph by eli shams; via imagekind)   

Intriguing lights, mattress box spring inspiration boards, neon pink desks, pegboards, layers of design details…

Studios under the stairs or in attics, all white spaces with pops of colour, half walls of hue, huge blackboards, bins of supplies…

Supplies organized by colour in bins, shelves and stacks…

I really love studio spaces. Yep, I even have a Pinterest board devoted to them! How can you not love seeing the environments that inspire people, the supplies they use and all of the interior details that make a space one-of-a-kind? In my latest post for Rena Tom, I showcase studios and some of the facets that make them efficient and artful. Designer, accountant, candlestick maker — we all need a creative spot to call our own. Whether you build an entirely new studio or simply buy a desk chair you really love, the new year should include the creation of a space that truly inspires you. Take a peak at my post here if you are interested…

(images via/ first set:lovely shelter, desire to inspire, apartment therapy, smäm, remodelista, sf girl by bay; second set: practically modern, sf girl by bay, sa decor, vtwonen, fjeldborg, ikea family live; third set: the design files, martha stewart, i art u)