I am more than a little enamoured with Love Letter Fired From a Cannon by Blake Walmsley. How clever and thought-provoking. Is it a poem? Or a piece of design? Rather dreamily, it is both. I would love a print of this on my wall (although I can’t seem to find a source beyond Diagram Journal). Finding so many talented artists and designers is making my ‘print wish list’ insanely long!
(image via the diagram)
These images are from a couple of years ago but they had such jaw-dropping effects on me yesterday when I saw them for the first time, I knew I had to share! Tham & Videgård Arkitekter re-imagined this traditional Art Nouveau apartment in Stockholm in the most striking of ways. The entire space features dramatic oversized and multicoloured parquet flooring inspired by the seasonally changing colours of adjacent Humlegården Park “from winter grey and black to summertime bright and deep green, to orange, red and yellow in autumn”. I don’t think it would be humanly possible to have a bad day in this apartment. Colour therapy meets architecture? It is definitely a feat of colour mixing and pattern. My personal favourite are the rooms with a neon orange, hot pink and black hues. Do you think you could live in a space this uniquely dazzling? At the very least, this apartment has inspired me to paint some doorways in vibrant colours!
(photographs by Åke E:son Lindman; spotted on yatzer and fine little home)
I saw the Cubes Perpetual Calendar in the MoMA online store was instantly smitten. Oy, the vibrant CMYK colours on a handsome black base. Have you seen a more attractive calendar? Love the brilliant use of space as months are printed in different directions to make six cube sides turn into 12 months. Great design, full of colour and good for the environment? I am in love.
Who decided that sewing boxes and baskets required embroidered flowers or frolicking kittens? If you prefer something a bit more modern, consider an On the Button Sewing Box. The streamlined, handsomely designed piece may become the chicest box in your home. I would love to fill it with intensely colourful thread and make it a coffee table conversation piece. I guess that would require a frolicking kitten basket to remain as my real sewing centre?
(photographs via modcloth)
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)
While there is traditional beauty in black, stainless steel and wood handle knives, I am finding it hard to resist Kuhn Rikon Colori Paring Knives. Love the Kuhn Rikon Mini Cleaver and rather clever Watermelon Knife too. Designed by Swiss designer Philipp Beyeler, they feature unbelievably sharp, non-stick Japanese high carbon steel and ergonomically designed handles. See? Brightly coloured tools and gadgets can have technical chops too! Oh the palettes that could be created with a colourful knife and some vivid fruits and vegetables…
(photographs via kuhn rikon, williams-sonoma, cookworks and sur la table)
Curaçao is a brightly hued island country surrounded by the sparkling turquoise of the Southern Caribbean Sea. It recently became an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands but the architecture and design soul of its native country remains a distinct characteristic. In fact, Curaçao is often called Caribbean’s “Little Netherlands”. The neon blue liqueur “curacao” is probably the first thing that comes to mind when the country name is mentioned but aside from insanely bright booze, it is an absolutely stunning country. The island is covered in gorgeous natural hues from uniquely vibrant flowers to a lush green landscape edged with a vibrant blue sea. In addition, the capital city of Willemstad is full of beautiful historical buildings that feature Dutch details and a crayon box’s worth of colourful paint. The cityscape is so unique that UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site. Thank goodness. That means these vibrant shops and homes are here to stay. Curaçao is full of spectacular nature, colourful building and festivals, intriguing history and beaches with dazzling sea vistas. I could post endless pictures and adjectives but the bottom line is that I have a major crush on this colour saturated jewel in the Caribbean Sea!
(photography via infinite magic photography, infinite magic photography, mari ward foster, peter koke, keith delong, pietcur, versgeperst, haroldo castro, dksluis, scout13ca, derpunk, bea moedt, greetje dijkstra, michael from minnesota, syncronaut, haroldo castro, pietcur, soul aperture, syncronaut, derplunk, hawkfish, air farce and duenitas digital world)
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)
I love these textile cables by danish designer and artist Rie Elise Larsen. The many bright colour options would look fabulous with a white or black pendant light or in contrast with a heavily patterned hanging light. The textile/fabric look of the cord gives a nice tactile feeling that would look great paired with an industrial piece. Come to think of it, one of these cables would look great with those plumen light bulbs I am similarly obsessed with…
(photographs via rie elise larsen)
I spotted this fantastic Birds of Australia print by Amy Borrell of Cake With Giants on Creature Comforts yesterday and fell in love. In fact, I nicknamed the birds ‘dapper flappers’ and couldn’t stop imagining the birds around Vancouver sporting similar vibrant accessories. If only the sky was full of such stylish feathered creatures!
(found via creature comforts; photography via cake with giants where you can buy the print)
I spotted these rings on the Beso Beso website and stopped in my tracks. What is the source of such glimmering, richly saturated hues? It appears to be “sparkling Brazillian semi-precious miniature-crystalline amethyst stones”. That is one stunning shade of magenta. Of course nature is responsible for it! (love the geometric shapes as well…)
(photographs via beso beso; to shop, go here)
A few months ago, I posted about the brilliant art installation “before I die” by Candy Chang that transformed an abandoned house in New Orleans into a thought-provoking, colourful and interactive public space. Candy continues to expand on the idea in wonderfully creative ways including these limited edition “before I die” paintings. The large 48″ x 12″ handmade pieces not only make a beautiful addition to a wall but can constantly change to reflect your evolving goals. Perhaps one day the statement is serious and the next it is downright silly. There are only 100 paintings available so hopefully you are lucky enough to grab one! Oh and put a box of really colourful chalk on your shopping list as well…
(photographs via candy chang; all proceeds go to funding future “before I die” projects.)
Is there a blog somewhere devoted to Anthropologie windows and displays? If not, there should be! The creativity, attention to detail and sheer awesomeness of Anthropologie store displays never ceases to amaze me. It is refreshing and inspiring to see a company make design and craftsmanship by hand a priority. Yep, “Antropologie window designer” is definitely one of my dream jobs. I particularly love the focus on using recycled items. Case in point? The fantastic origami-inspired Summer 2011 windows created with old envelopes or the bold geometry of colourfully painted recycled planks. Anthropologie’s Spring 2011 windows were created with the over five million corks collected at stores. The gorgeous displays brought attention to the Cork Forest Conservation Alliance, recycling and Earth Day. Bottle caps, wire hangers, clothes pins – one person’s trash is another person’s stunning window by Anthropologie! The last photo shown is one I snapped at the Rockefeller Centre location in New York. Even sale jewellery has a background of gorgeous roses made with recycled paper. This post could honestly include hundreds of photos showcasing the brilliance of Anthropologie window display designers but I had to cut myself off! They are true creative and colour heroes. Perhaps there needs to be a ‘part two’ devoted to this topic?
(most photographs via anthropologie+you as well as lauren love, square one studio, katy elliott, chloé douglas, the design process, playstudio1801, platinum blonde life, mimi and caca, dustysusan, mday212, mjc, the design process & chloé douglas)
My love for desk and office supplies seems limitless so I can already think of a million uses for Millimeter Milligram Transparent Stickers. Available in scalloped edges, triangles, circles, rings and more, these stickers add a nice punch of colour and creativity to your calendar without blocking the important information. Another rather ingenious element of these stickers? They can be placed on a whole host of items that you probably would not want to mark up permanently. Textbooks, appliances, special documents… Anything can benefit from a colourful transparent sticker! (p.s. as always, I love how MMMG photographs their products. Great inspiration!)
(photographs via mmmg)
I’ve heard from a couple of people (and the nagging voice in my head) that I still have not started my ‘colour of the week’ feature! Sorry about that. Not sure how it happened! Maybe it is my inability to focus on one colour for too long? In any case, I have been thinking of some ways to approach the topic in a unique way and plan to kickstart it shortly. Coming soon!
(photograph via bettybl)
Oh how I love the small, folded cards in the “For Get Togethers Collection” by designer and illustrator Kathryn Whyte. A fantastic mix of art deco-like details, typography and modern-day wording. Can you think of a nicer card to receive through your letterbox?
(image via kathryn whyte’s etsy store)
