I love this exuberant branding for Dan Arisa, a Spanish musician and percussionist. Barcelona-based designer Alex Dalmau created the sherbet-hued identity and I think the exclamation point fits just perfectly for a drummer. Like a typographical “hi hat” perhaps? Love the branded drum sticks and musical noises on the letterhead too. More musicians need fabulous personal collateral methinks…
(photographs via alex dalmau, spotted on designworklife)
How on earth did it become Friday so fast? I have clearly slacked off on creating my palette of the week. A selection of colours that grabbed my attention yesterday are in this still life shot by fantastically talented photographer Johnny Miller. From dusty lavender to vibrant cherry red, the colours work seamlessly together. I love how the hues highlight that summer items can have a richer, more autumnal palette outside of the expected colour combinations.
(photograph by johnny miller)
Spanish photographer Lola Guerrera created her series ‘Nebula Humilis’ in the deserts of Mexico and I love the juxtaposition of harsh, neutral rock formations and soft, vibrant plumes of coloured smoke. The red image really feels like a magical volcano, don’t you think? (p.s. I am a huge fan of this coloured smoke movement in art. Take a look at my other two postings on the subject here and here).
(photographs via lola guerrera)
We all know how ubiquitous neon, colour blocking and big florals have been lately. In fact, remixed and modernized 1980′s design don’t seem to be slowing down in any product category. In my post this week for Rena Tom’s site, I focused on four 80′s/90′s trends that are gaining steam and visibility: marble, brass, metallic colour and oxblood. I was inspired by an episode of The Golden Girls, an 1980′s classic full of design begging to be re-imagined and tranformed. Will these four trends become formidable in modern design/retail much like neon hues have? We will have to wait and see. On a side note, I am loving how well oxblood mixes with different colours from cornflower blue to vivid magenta to soft pastels! If you fancy a read plump with images, take a look at my post here.
(photographs via neapolitan, mjolk, samma, apartment therapy, designworklife, american prom, opening ceremony, euro style lighting and kleidersachen)
My second guest post on yellowtrace focuses on the most beautiful kindergarten I’ve ever seen – the Educational Centre En El Chaparral in Granada, Spain designed by Alejandro Muñoz Miranda. Colour windows were added to communal spaces like doorways (leaving classrooms with clear glass) so changing weather and seasons could inject the white space with gorgeous coloured light. Can you imagine going to kindergarden somewhere so magical? Check out my whole post and more images on yellowtrace.
(photographs by Fernando Alda via Dezeen)
Every desk can benefit from some fun-shaped neon sticky notes, right? I love these Silly Notes Page Markers by Suck UK. The tiny sticky notes can be used to mark a place or scribble a wee note. I wouldn’t mind creating my to do list on a vibrant spaceship or dinosaur…
(photograph via suck uk)
It may sound random but I have a thing for home art installations involving spools of thread. I have been enamoured with Douglas Coupland’s for quite some time (3rd image) as he made a pure white wall come alive with a tailor shop-inspired installation of industrial thread spools. I also love the old wooden sign full of small thread bundles at the home of Zoe Bissell and Bryan Buryk (top image). Last but not least, the wonderful apartment of architect Chau Truong which features a black wall of thin shelves holding vibrant spools of thread and varying lengths of thread. Truong says, “every time the door opens or closes, the motion causes these thread ends to swing uniformly like leaves in the wind.” Colourful, architectural, artful and very happy-making.
(photographs via new york times, design tripper and new york times)
This lightbulb typography sculpture by Brighton-based designer Kyle Bean stopped me in my tracks this morning. The piece was created for a Time Magazine ’10 Ideas’ feature and manages to be both industrial and delicate. It is a great play on the “light goes off” element of idea creation and makes me want to see an entire installation playing with light bulb typography…
(photograph by victoria ling via kyle bean)
The first time I watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s, I was blown away by how beautiful, vibrant and timeless the colour palette was. Actually, the entire design of the film, from the half bathtub couch to every impeccable stitch of costume, is fantastic. I love so many of the sets, especially Holly Golighty’s apartment which is kept very neutral so costumes and objects pop to life with colour. Audrey Hepburn is often in black and white or warm hues like hot pink or orange. The other woman, Patricia Neal, is always in green and blue hues (perhaps to denote her icy, cold personality). From the putty shades of apartment interiors to the gritty browns of New York streets, the pops of jewel tones and bright colours make one dazzling palette. I think the big party scene is my favourite part as bold shades and details dance with the neutral setting. After screen-capping like a mad-woman, I can confirm there is no shortage of inspiration in the Breakfast at Tiffany’s colour palette…
(screencaps by plenty of colour)
Paper chains are timelessly awesome. That might be why this typography by Madrid-based studio IS Creative Studio makes me so happy. The designers created the paper chain alphabet and logo for the the Getxophoto Photography Festival identity. I love how they photographed the shadow-filled typography in pure white but also threw colour behind it for elements like the eye-catching neon poster. Perhaps a paper chain symbolizes a connected festival of like-minded people? The name of each photographer, featured in the final official Getxophoto book, were also cut out and used as chapter titles. Long live the paper chain…
(photographs via is creative studio)
The first of May is known as Lei Day in Hawaii, a celebration of Hawaiian culture. A day full of music, lei-making competitions, the coronation of a Lei Queen and her court, hula and general merry-making, this year is the 85th anniversary of Lei Day. Hawaii is my adopted second home so I plan on bringing some Lei Day festivities to Vancouver today! One of the best facets of Lei Day is the celebration of the holiday’s namesake – the gorgeous, fragrant and colourful flower garland known as a “lei” worn around one’s neck. Icons of “aloha“, these traditional symbols of Hawaii mean welcome, friendship, respect and love. They are heavenly feats of flower architecture and definite eye candy for a colour lover. From pure white tuberose leis to ornate magenta orchid ones, there is not shortage to the inspiration found in these famous symbols of Hawaiian culture. I love seeing modern interpretations of leis too including injected gold geometric shapes or creating artful half-leis on silk ribbon. After researching photos for this post, I am determined to find more reasons to pop on a colourful lei…
(from top, photographs via style me pretty, bloomers blog, style me pretty, elliot chang, makena g, sweet blossoms hawaii, noel hawkins, tiger_tim_2000, neka pearl, martha stewart weddings and rue magazine)
Creating beautiful works of art doesn’t require expensive supplies. Case in point? Düsseldorf-based artist Sebastian Wickeroth diligently layers line upon line of regular old felt-tip marker to create his wonderfully abstract works of colour and angle. Never underestimate the possibilities just sitting in your pencil bin…
(spotted on but does it float, images via sebastian wickeroth )