I stumbled upon some amazing works of folded paper art created by Simon Schubert on todayandtomorrow.net and they really resonated with me. It’s amazing what you can do with such a simple approach. The lines create such stunning depth and contrast by simply folding and rubbing the paper.

It’s such a basic approach proving that sometimes less is more, I think that’s a theme that we’ll be seeing more of coming this fall. Check out these images and more at Simon Schubert’s personal site here.

Pantone chips are pretty amazing when you think about it. We all might see color differently but having a standardized coded format to bring our spectrums closer together was a stroke of genius.

I’m always interested in seeing new applications of the actual Pantone chips, just seeing these colors on mugs and other surfaces is a clean presentation that is strong and clever. I was blown away when I found about about the actual Pantone Hotel located in Brussels.

The PANTONE HOTEL invites you to experience the city of Brussels through a lens of color and a spectrum of comforts. From the moment you arrive, our “hotel of colors” will awaken your senses to an array of delights and playful surprises.

Impeccably designed by Michel Penneman and Oliver Hannaert, The PANTONE HOTEL, Brussels showcases the color of emotion with a distinctive hue on each colorous guest floor. From vivid to subdued, for business or leisure, our unique boutique hotel perfectly suits your savvy palette and colorful imagination.

From a design perspective, The PANTONE HOTEL, Brussels is built on an exceptional use of contrast; a white canvas provides clean space for saturated colors to pop. Guest rooms feature unique photography by esteemed Belgian photographer Victor Levy.

Each room has a color coded theme:

I’d have to choose Fresh and Eager Chip #353, it’s one of my favorite colors and you couldn’t ask for a better theme for a vacation.

Two of the office’s favorite shows are winding down this year, 24 and Lost. While the two shows seem to sharply contrast each other with the intrepid Jack Bauer fighting the good fight in the real world and Lost taking place mostly on a mystical island, they are both rooted in the fight between good and evil. Both shows do an excellent job showing that this battle isn’t always clear cut but in the end things do boil down to black-and-white, dark and light.

Much as been made of this in Lost specifically with it’s constant references to dark and light. With only a few episodes left, the complex part is starting to work back to these very human ideas. Last night’s Lost episode Across the Sea even showed two pivotal characters finding a game board (no spoilers, don’t worry) and constantly revisiting this game of black-and-white.

To many the name French Bull has become synonymous with color we’ve also been very conscious of working back to the simple contrast of black-and-white in several patterns including Vine and most recently Felix (ok black and cream…).

With all the vivid colors and patterns that make up the line it’s easy to forget just how a simple black-and-white pattern can add new depth to a vivid color pattern and really make it pop. Just look at the play between the Color Wheel 8″ plate and this Felix 11″ plate below.

As both Lost and 24 draw to a close we’re excited to see how things end up. Two classic shows might be ending but their influence will resonate with so many, you might even seen a resurgence of classic black-and-white in our fall line up…stay tuned!

As New York is struggling to find a season to settle in I thought I’d post these so we can all gaze together.

The paintings are currently not on view at the MOMA as Marina Abramovic is performing in the Marron Atrium.

While Cinco de Mayo might have limited significance in Mexico it is a holiday we observe and celebrate here in the United States. Margaritas will be flowing, Dos Equis and Tecate downed by the dozens and everyone will be quick to forget that no one is actually partying in Mexico.

One Cinco de Mayo tradition that I do enjoy is seeing what colorway and shoe Nike will release on May 5th each year to commemorate the day. Here’s one of the cleanest designs they offered below.

The Nike Dunk has always been a favorite of mine, it’s a simple design and comfortable shoe. I love this colorway and it can easily be passed off as a tribute to Italy so it’s a win-win for me. This year there’s no release slated this year but images of a Dunk being released this month with a Cinco de Mayo-esque colorway leaked and had people talking.

Allegedly good old Miller High Life, the champagne of beers, was the inspiration for this shoe but I’ll still look forward to seeking it out in person when it’s released. It’s a confusing holiday and a confusing shoe but it’s no reason not to celebrate.