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I love the colour-focused styling of these culinary stacks by Dutch design duo Raw Color. The still life photographs were created for the opening of Martin Creed’s revamp of the iconic Sketch restaurant in London and feature disassembled ingredients of dishes from the new menu. As culinary creations are really layers of flavour and stacks of colour and texture, the styling is both smart and beautiful. Perhaps we could do away with word-focused menus and just use striking photograph to select our meals…
4th image: Sweet chilli paste, filo pastry, foie gras, sesame seeds, green apple, pink radish, celery leaves, spring onion
6th image: Parmesan cream, goat cheese, coconut, beetroot sauce, lobster, squid Ink, black Olive Jelly
(photographs via trendland)
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)
If 2012 is going to see the end of the world, you may as well go out with some attractive branding! Design studio MENOSUNOCEROUNO created Just In Case, “an end-of-the-world survival kit” or “the perfect brand for the end of times”. The kit contains six iconic products from Mexico re-packaged in bold yellow including dark chocolate, a classic notebook, a simple knife, 40 black matches, liqueur and a bottle of water. This collection may not ensure long-term survival but you certainly will enjoy your final hours… (Read more about the kit here)
(spotted on the dieline)
I love great wayfinding and signage design. The Tate Modern visitor maps and dispenser by London design studio Cartlidge Levene is an example of simple but pitch perfect wayfinding. Maps are vital tools in a gallery and in a space as expansive and visually stimulating as the Tate Modern, it would be easy for a display to get lost. A large clunky dispenser or oversize typography would be a distracting eyesore especially for an iconic gallery. What I love about Cartlidge Levene’s design is not only its strong looks but how it showcases the vital role of colour in wayfinding and design overall. The neon pink is essential in catching the eye of visitors as the hue vibrates off the black background. Instead of displaying hundreds of maps, the five columns of maps are carefully and handsomely placed at one end of the black dispenser. Even the integration of the cash box is great with its subtle rectangular shape and small £1 typography. This piece is an example of how even the most functional item can be be on-brand and very beautiful.
The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month marked the end of World War One and is now a day when countries around the world honour those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, those who served and those who continue to serve. It is a holiday unique to every nation but in Canada and many Commonwealth countries, Remembrance Day is a memorial wrapped in vibrant red. Why red? For the symbol of Remembrance Day itself – the poppy. Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian artist, doctor and solider, wrote the now iconic poem “In Flanders Fields” in 1915 as he processed seeing the bodies of so many fallen comrades intermingled with the bright red poppies that now marked their graves. The poem was published shortly after and spread across the world. Its first two lines, “In Flanders fields the poppies blow/Between the crosses, row on row” inspired the use of poppies as a symbol of remembrance. The blooms are sold each year to raise money for Veteran services and worn as a promise to never forget those who served and continue to serve.
I didn’t mean to turn this post into a rambling history lesson (although I have been asked by many a tourist what the red flower is for!) Overall, Remembrance Day is a day of honour, reflection and red. The poppy is an enduring symbol of gratitude and I am always struck by their beauty and meaning. Combined with the colours of military ribbons and uniform neutrals, it is a day of poignant colour palettes and a vivid poppy red that ensures we always remember. The image above of lights is of Vancouver’s war memorial in Victory Square Park and is a piece of local art I really love. Eleven lights based on WW1 helmets encircle the memorial and, when lit at night, always feel like a hauntingly beautiful tribute to all of those we lost and are beyond thankful to…
(photographs via themonarchist, iammacgirl, amanda last, tt24813055, matt s, wikipedia, dale calder, piscesdreamer and rainypete)
If you have trouble keeping a good dinner party pace, you need these Dinner Candles by Adam + Harborth, a Berlin-based design studio. Lit as the party begins, the candles slowly burn off the icons of each course so you know when to move on to the next portion of your meal. I love the bed illustration at the end as it would certainly inform lingering guests that it is time to go! I think the first symbol is a bouquet of roses? I now want to throw a dinner party just to test these clever candles (oh and receive floral hostess gifts…)
(spotted on sleek identity where you can buy them)
Colour Nativity is the latest thought-provoking creation of industrial designer Sebastian Bergne. A set of seven handmade and painted wood blocks make up a minimalist nativity scene while the wooden storage box becomes a manger and the gold divider becomes a modern Star of Bethlehem. I love the way the pieces look in the box. Like a religious television test pattern perhaps? It’s quite striking how such an iconic scene can still be recognizable when reduced to a simplistic set of blocks. The power of colour, proportion and placement is certainly on display in this piece. A Christmas decoration to consider for your modern mantle…
(spotted on co. design)
What a beautiful album cover and inside photography for French artist Ornette. Personally, I think any great art project ends with hands that look like that. I would be so intrigued to see an entire book or editorial done in this style featuring music icons like Madonna, Elton John, Prince or Lady Gaga. It would be stunning! Kind of makes me want to try a new “look” tomorrow too… Design and art direction by Leslie David, photography by Gregoire Alexandre and make-up by Anthony Preel.
(thanks for the inspiration joseph!)
(photographs via it’s nice that)
Man Blowing a Bubble, a short film by Mitch Ansara has officially made my day. Perhaps because of my inappropriate use of emoticons in business correspondence or my love for Mary Tyler Moore’s stylish typewriting, this film set on paper just makes me happy.
I love the Hermetic series by creative Italian company Seletti. Unlike the regular plastic type, these handsome fridge containers are porcelain with colourful silicone tops. Not only will your fridge look instantly full of good design but your leftovers can go straight to the oven without the negative health effects of heating plastic. Come to think of it, your leftovers can go straight to your dinner party table without anyone knowing any better!
Flowers are definitely one of the best parts of the world of colour and one of my biggest personal influences. From a vivid magenta-blue to glowing golden yellow, there are hues found in florals that are simply unmatched. I have been visiting the blog of Barcelona floral studio Flowers by Bornay for a few months now and have fallen in love with their untraditional creativity, eye for colour and use of flowers in a beautifully architectural way. Bornay makes exquisite bouquets that are often seen on the cover of Vogue España but it is their bowls of compact blooms that I find the most striking. These big floral dishes become their own colour palettes while showcasing the mesmerizing shape, texture and patterns of different flowers. They feel almost textile-like, don’t you think? In addition to a fabulous portfolio, Bornay’s blog frequently posts flowers inspired by artists, movies and occupations. I love their bouquets and arrangements created for a tailor, fisherman, Monet and James Bond’s Goldfinger. Yep, their blog needs to be one of your bookmarks!
From dishes of architectural blooms to high fashion editorial bouquets to blog arrangements created for pop culture icons, it is hard not to be wildly inspired by Flowers by Bornay. They turn flowers into true design. Add to all of that a distinct talent for stunning textured colour and you can see why Bornay is a true ‘colour hero’. One day, when I finally make it to Barcelona, I hope to visit the Bornay studio and see magic in action. Don’t be surprised if I get in trouble trying to smuggle a bouquet in my suitcase…
Black music notes sprinkled across a white page have their own beauty deeply rooted in tradition and history. However, I am always intrigued by news ways to visualize music – particularly with colour. Designer Laia Clos, of Barcelona’s Mot Studio, created a visual language called “SisTeMu” that turns every note of music into a system of geometric shapes and bright colours. Laia has explored several pieces of music in creating this language but perhaps most notable is her interpretation of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Using the lead violin position, a system of colours are used as musical notes and the tempo of the music dictates the size and placement of the circles. While I can’t say I completely understand SisTeMu, Laia’s language really gives a sense of “seeing” music in a uniquely mesmerizing and colourful way. I would love to get my hands on Laia’s booklet explaining how the system works! I would also love to see this idea applied to modern music. Can you imagine a gorgeous coffee table book devoted to the hits of The Beatles, U2 or similarly iconic artists? Hmm… perhaps one day a conductor will ask his orchestra to start again from the turquoise section!
(you can buy limited edition posters and stamps from mot’s store)
(images via mot studio & co design)
