A colourful desk makes any work task more enjoyable don’t you think?

Some of my objects of desire for a happy hued workspace: 1. Lyra Ferby box of art pencils, 2. Lacie USB Cable, 3. Studio Yaacov Kaufman Morris Memo, 4. CB2 Carpenter Lamp, 5. MOMA Stickit Tape Dispenser, 6. Paperthinks Recycled Leather Notebooks, 7. Bobs Your Uncle List Pad, 8. Puntine Colorate Italian Pushpins, 9. MOMA Leaf Tray and 10. Kikkerland Endangered Species Jumbo Eraser.

(thanks for sparking the idea Margs!)

Okay, this is a pretty genius idea. Londji created a chess set made of recycled cardboard that can be laid completely flat when not in use. Requiring only a couple minutes to set up, this game version is ridiculously useful for travel and handsome to boot!

I love the clean and colourful design for The Gourmet Tea store in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Architect Alan Chu was inspired by the brand’s 35 brightly hued tea tins to create rectangles of colour that serve as a focal point in the space. With the addition of beautiful white neon typography and vibrant hanging lamps, Alan crafted a small house into the modern, bright and airy teahouse. I would love to grab a chair this colour happy shop and think up some colourful places and space to visit in Brazil…

Anagrama is a design studio in Mexico that I am constantly in awe of and is definitely among my favourites anywhere in the world. It really feels like they have pattern, colour, branding and interior design super powers! I love this identity system created for Micheline, a stationery boutique in Mexico. Keeping in mind the company’s catalogues were brightly coloured and their work is often similarly hued, Anagrama created a brand focused on striking black and white pattern and texture. A perfect mix of creating a unique voice for Micheline yet still allowing their work and colourful creations for clients to take centre stage. And how gorgeous is their workspace? What an amazing mix of black, white, colour, pattern and texture.

I’ve always loved chevron and herringbone. Both designs have been used throughout history and are variations of a “v” linked pattern. Lately, chevron and herringbone have emerged as design trends which has resulted in some fabulously inspired modern twists on the traditional patterns. How gorgeous are those floors at the top of this post? If that was my bathroom and living room, I would never leave the house! The image directly above shows the slight variations between the two patterns (chevron on the left and herringbone on the right.) I’ve always liked the fact that herringbone gets its name from the structure of herring fish skeleton. You never know where inspiration will come from… Hoping you see lots of joyful patterns this weekend and they colour you happy!

(images via deco chic, anna gillar, tinsmiths, jen dundas jewellery, design log, claridges, latifah saafir, kat, twisted fork, jenhewett, courtneycourtneycourtney, synaptic impulse, quilt sandwich, robert wallace, mimi and meg, how now design & marcus design)

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)

The more photos I see of Cielito Querido Café, the more I fall in love with it. Drawing from Mexican and Latin-American design heritage from the late 19th century to early 20th century, the space is just so full of life and details. With vintage Latin-American signs and product labels of old grocery stores in mind, Mexican studio Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena created the vibrant branding and café design. In a world of coffee spots that are far too beige, Cielito Querido is café overflowing with bold colour, dramatic typography and wild patterns. It is a modern and playful place that retains a truly Mexican flavour. Even the take-away coffee cups are beautiful! Fingers crossed Cielito Querido Café expands in Canada soon. If that happens and you need to get in touch with me, I’ll be the one in the pink chair…

(via we heart & the dieline)

I’ve always felt like clotheslines were a kind of hanging colour palette where articles of clothing become swatches floating in the breeze. Also, as you can probably tell from the posts on plenty of colour thus far, I love when colour pops up in unexpected places. A line of vibrantly hued garments can definitely bring life and joy to a boring exterior (it helps if you have bright and interesting clothing!) Overall, I have just always loved clotheslines for their whimsy and colour inspiration so they became a very random topic for this week’s colour me happy!. Hoping you see a colour palette next time you pass a line of clothing dancing in the wind…

(images via yemanja79, darrell godliman, lindamade, aya_nakai, elli 19, chatursunil, ruffeloo, markus, g!l, g!l, foto blitz color, gabriela bruno, ashlee patten, elaine, sgoralnick, cozy memories)

These photos of Kami and Ryan’s wedding made me smile. The rainbow of bridesmaids is amazing! My favourite part is how each bridesmaid has a bouquet matching their selected hue. Definitely one of the most colour loving weddings I have ever seen.

(images via cori cook)

I absolutely love this genius calendar by Mytton Williams Design. The calendar consists of 12 pencils, one for each month. The days of the month are printed along each pencil and are sharpened off during daily use. My favourite part? The pencils are colour coded to match the seasons or expected temperature of each month. A fantastic piece of design and perfect antidote to sterile work calendars!

(image via aisle one)

I am fascinated by this re-imagining of a Louis XVI period console by Australian designer Adam Goodrum. Rather than classic mahogany and traditional details, Goodrum used lacquered steel rods in different colours as table legs and allowed them to pop through the sleek white console top. The resulting dots are meant to reflect a carousel of childhood but I can’t help thinking of a whimsical colour wheel. A fantastic modern interpretation that perfectly marries sleek with playful design. I am in love with those table legs and resulting colour dot details!

(thanks mélanie for the inspiration!)

(images via design milk)

The Kingdom Animalia are a creation by Brooklyn-based Enormous Champion. Crafted in the USA and made with sustainably harvested maple and non-toxic paint, the wooden animals are a perfect combination of brilliant design and environmental consciousness. The packaging design is fabulous. Fantastic typography, design and colour. I think my favourite part is the box edges and tiny animal icons that appear. I just love these modern wood animals and their brightly coloured edges. From product to box to the perfect packing material, The Kingdom Animalia represent simply outstanding design.

(via lovely package)

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)

Cinque Terre is a region on the Italian Rivera consisting of five small fishing towns that hug the cliffs along the turquoise Ligurian Sea. The area has avoided modern development and as result, has retained its unique Italian culture and natural beauty. Every image I see of Cinque Terre is full of an almost indescribable glow. The warm colours of the town buildings, especially at dusk, are just breathtaking. At night, the towns look simply magical as they sparkle along the rugged coastline. I think I could stare at the first image in this post for hours on end. If the photographs of Cinque Terre are this beautiful, I can’t even imagine how colourful and luminious it must be in person. I think Cinque Terre has definitely shot to the top of my “must travel to” list.

(images via robert crum, jeff, andrew dobney, ian jeanneret, federico, trek earth, andy kaye, mirko caserta, alex roe, anita, andy kaye, eduard ballestero, lena q, travelpix, christopher schoenbohm, simon, gianluca)

From a layered cake to the bold lines of architecture to Parisian fashion, there are few patterns as classic and attractive as stripes. While I love when stripes are used blatantly (on a shirt for example), I find that I especially like when stripe patterns emerge unexpectedly like in stacks of books, twists of pasta, rows of planted fields or corrugated steel on the side of a building. Whatever the form, you can’t really go wrong with timeless stripes. Hope they colour you happy this Friday!

(images via red pepper quilts, katie weller, julien, zoë power, ingrid, megan walker, clatie k, little brown pen, rafael.82ml, andrea kennard, frscspd, kristian ekfors, jean-michekl, marco braun, christine gerhardt, us images, ale ramirez)

In the last few years, reusable shopping bags have become a commonplace accessory. It is a fantastic shift from the staggering number of plastic bags we all used yearly. Now, I understand that the main point is the carrier be environmentally friendly. But does that mean it must have no design? There are a lot of strange patterns, colours and questionable quality bags out there. I thought those were the only real options until I discovered Brooklyn-based reusable bag company Baggu. Their high quality, ripstop nylon bags hold the equivalent of 2-3 plastic bags and can be folded flat into a tiny pouch. There are also many other designs from small zippered travel bags to huge market totes. The best part of all? Baggu bags are available in dozens of solid colour choices. No strange frogs or watercolour patterns; just pure, vibrant colour. I won’t lie, I would like a fabulous Baggu bag in every colour!