To Each His Home
We are just about to order a copy of the new book, To Each His Home by Bilyana Dimitrova. The book features really imaginative and crazy colourful homes.
Dimitrova has started a Flickr Group where you can upload photos of your own very cool home. I have a few friends who should definitely upload photos of their very arty and amazing homes. One day…. one day to have a home like this….
Sascalia: Etsy Love
Etsy - what a great site. Recently found the cute, quirky art of Sascalia, a French-born artist living in England. These works were created using mixed media - paper and acrylic. I really love the colours, particularly the mustard yellow with light blue. Gets me every time. Check out Sascalia Etsy Store.
The Stitch Chair: Great Australian Design
These chairs combine two of my greatest loves: great design and fantastic use of colour. When I was flicking through a magazine recently and spotted these the colours caught my eye first, but then I read about the design.
This is called the ‘Stitch Chair’. It is designed by young Australian Designer Adam Goodrum and produced by Cappellini. It is a folding chair which folds to 15mm thick. This means that twenty five folded chairs fit into the space of one chair. It is made completely from laser-cut aluminium sections with rolled hinges.
What a clever idea.
Bento Box Love
I just bought these stackable melamine bento boxes in the blue/green shades. I am in love. Looking forward to using them for lunch at work, picnics etc. Love the colour combinations!
Also love the mini bento box below. Must buy the pink, red and orange one for my little princess. These are all available to buy here.
Looking Back: Vogue Korean Girl
(Colour swatch by Mia Binns)
Some images just sort of hover about in your mind for a long while. Do you remember these incredible images from Vogue Girl Korea when it was first released just over a year ago (September 2007). I have never forgotten this quirky shoot with colourful buckets. I still love it just as much as I first did. Just thought I would share in case you didn’t see it.
Rex - A Ray of Sunshine
Every time I get a spare evening I love going to Leederville, a small suburb near Perth which is really just one block. It has a few handfuls of great clothing boutiques, restaurants (and the best burgers in town at Retro Bettys), cafes, pubs and my favourite - Oxford Bookstore. It is open late.
The first place I go in the store is always the back lefthand corner - the design books: Architecture, graphic design, furniture design, sewing. Each time I go I vow not to spend any money. But each time I go I spend a fortune on a beautiful book.
The last time I went, Rex Ray’s book, Rex Ray Art & Design caught my eye. I love the use of retro shades of colour and the flowing, organic shapes. Within about a minute I just had to buy it.
Rex Ray is a visual artist who lives in San Francisco. He creates collages and paintings. He is also a very well-known graphic designer and has designed album covers for many musicians, incuding David Bowie.
Rex has been around for a long time, but somehow his work is just so fresh. The thing I love most is his surprising and clever using of colour.
Free the People.
Give them colour. Loving the latest looks from Free People, the tartans and great colour combinations. Casual yet stunning!
The touch of tartan has brought a quirkiness and playfulness to the top photos. I love the tartan tights. Loving the great jacket on the blonde model. Green has to be the best colour people with natural blonde hair and blue/green eyes. And my favourite colour combination - the rich red dress with a touch of turquoise on the belt. Gorgeous.
Which is your favourite?
Mia
Colour Films: Amelie
(Colour swatch from the photo above by Mia)
I often watch films over and over just to soak up every part of the set. I love the decor, the rugs used, the furniture, the curtains - and of course some films are better for this than others.
Amelie is one of the best films I have seen that kept me mesmerised, not by the storyline but by the visual story it told. I found the rich greens, reds and golds intoxicating, and still do.
(Colour swatch made from above photo by Mia)
Do you have a favourite film just for the colours they have used? Any that stand out as much as Amelie?
Random Stripey Loveliness
I have mentioned this years ago on another blog and on One Hour Craft . But I just can’t seem to get over the Random Stripe Generator. Go to the site and choose the colours you want, the width of the stripe and how many stripes you want, press the button and a striped pattern is generated for you.
I could just play for hours and hours - oops I mean I play on it for hours and hours. I love the colour combinations you can get. I try to choose all colours I am not naturally drawn to - murky colours and then I might choose one bright colour that will never go with it - and voila - it creates an amazing stripe.
The possibilities are endless. And the applications are endless also - knitting, painting, designing colour combinations for rooms. More ideas? Have fun!
Mia
xxx
Colour Play
Here are some photos of things I have made in the last few years and a few things I just love. Everything I make is colourful. I have tried minimalist and neutral but I just can’t seem to contain myself - before I know where I am at, the whole thing explodes into a bright kaleidoscope of colour.
I am happy with that. White walls make me happy and loads of colour.
How do I know which colours go together? Whichever colours I choose to put together. I just play a lot with different colour combinations and am continually surprised! The main idea is just to play.
Mia
xx
(PS To see more of my creations go to my flickr page)