Colourful Instagram destinations: London

God's Own Junkyard, Walthamstow

Say hello to perfect lighting. The aptly-named God's Own Junkyard, tucked away in an unassuming warehouse in Walthamstow, is a luminescent paradise of neon signs.

From old movie props and kitschy artworks to lighting from circuses and fairgrounds, the Bracey family have amassed a collection of divine proportions.

Signs on display have appeared in the films of Stanley Kubrick, Christopher Nolan and Tim Burton. The Junkyard itself has appeared on the cover of Vogue: next stop, your Instagram.

Entry is free.

Brick Lane, Shoreditch

Brick Lane is famously one of the coolest parts of London and well worth a day trip. Once you've had your picture taken with some of the area's mesmerising street art there are plenty of food stalls, independent shops and cafés to explore.

As well as the main Brick Lane Market, make sure you check out Backyard Market for oddities like taxidermised animals and antique maps. Head over to the Community Garden for yet more street art and to see local artists' work.

For lunch, stop by the Cereal Killer Café for another burst of colour and some nineties nostalgia. If you go through to the back of the café you can even sit on a bed whilst you eat your cereal and imagine you're back in your childhood bedroom.

Treatment Rooms, Chiswick

On an otherwise ordinary residential street in Chiswick, the ‘Treatment Rooms’ suddenly bursts forth with vibrancy and colour. Home of contemporary artist Carrie Reichardt, the five bedroomed house is covered with mosaics depicting everything from flying eyeballs and the Cheshire cat to a Hokusai wave swallowing London.

If you're lucky, you may also spot a couple of mosaic-laden cars: an orange tiki 'love truck' once displayed at the V&A and an encrusted black cab.

Don't forget to walk round to Cunnington Street to photograph the giant white octopus on the back of the house.

House of Dreams, East Dulwich

To Marie Kondo, the House of Dreams would be more like the stuff of nightmares. Everywhere you look your eyes are met with countless artefacts in a multitude of colours: clothes, dolls, toys, sculptures, mannequins, plastic bottles and other ‘found objects’ line every wall and visible surface.

The House of Dreams is home of outsider artist Stephen Wright and is only open to the public on select days of the year — so get your tickets in advance.

Because of the macabre nature of some objects (broken dolls, false teeth) you might expect to find the whole experience creepy, but Wright says that visitors are often moved to tears by his sentimental artefacts and hand-written memory boards.

Entry is £10.

Neal's Yard, Covent Garden

Turn off Short’s Garden, an ordinary street in the busy thoroughfare of Covent Garden, and suddenly you're met with the explosion of colour that is Neal’s Yard. The alleyway is the perfect spot for a quick pic, but it’s not just a feast for the eyes: visitors should stop by the Wild Food Café or Neal Yard’s Coffee House, Dairy or Bakery. It is, of course, also the original home of Neal’s Yard remedies, so if you’re low on essential oils there's all the more reason to take the trip.

Portobello Road, Notting Hill

Rows of houses painted with different pastel colours is not uncommon in London, despite them looking more like something from a quaint seaside town than a busy metropolis.

There's Kelly Street in Kentish Town, Chalcot Crescent in Primrose Hill and Bywater Street in Chelsea — but the best place to go on a quest for colour is Notting Hill.

Portobello Road is home to the world's largest antiques market and is bursting with colour and life. Don't worry if there's too many people about to get a good picture, though: there are more colourful houses on the quieter Lancaster Road, Westbourne Park Road or Denbigh Terrace.

Sketch, Mayfair

Sketch is made up of four separate restaurants, each one more Instagrammable than the last.

The Gallery is bubblegum pink and lined with original artworks; The Lecture Room has two Michelin stars. The Parlour is a beautiful little cocktail bar whilst The Glade is maybe the most stunning restaurant in London.

Keep an eye out for the pink self-playing piano at The Glade, and glowing neon art in The Parlour. Even the loos look like something from the Tate: futuristic white WC pods sit under a patchwork of colours.

Leake Street Tunnel, Lambeth

There's no doubt that the Leake Street Graffiti Tunnel is the best spot in the city to find street art. The underground tunnel became an ever-changing graffiti gallery in 2008 when Banksy himself invited local artists to participate in 'Can Festival'.

Now that 300m of the tunnel is lit up, taking a great Instagram pic is easier than ever.

Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Hackney

For the weird and wonderful (and sometimes unsettling) The Last Tuesday Society in Hackney presents the Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities — and an almost equally unusual cocktail bar.

The museum promises to present an ‘incoherent vision of the world’, displaying whatever oddball artefacts have caught the curator's eye. Dodo bones and occult paintings are lumped in with pop art prints and beanie babies.

Once you've snapped a few photos, sit down in the onsite bar and drink absinthe with a lion in a top hat.

Entry is £6 and includes a cup of tea.

Camden Market

You may feel you've seen Camden Market, but here's why the buzzing locks are worth another visit.

First, go underground and into the neon-lit Cyberdog shop by the Stables Market and find a futuristic array of fashion.

Then go into the market itself and make a beeline for the Unique Home shop. Take a picture under a glittering array of Turkish lamps.

Finally, head to Chalk Farm Road and have your attention grabbed by an enormous pink and yellow Oi! by street artist David Samuel.

Leighton House Museum, Kensington

Leighton House Museum is a nineteenth-century open studio of art, sculptures and antiques. Orientalist art and design and jewel-toned mosaics in sumptuous blues and greens make this a picture-perfect museum for a unique day out.

Entry is £9.

Pop Brixton

Pop Brixton won’t be around forever. A hub of independent businesses constructed from shipping containers, the urban marketplace is currently only planned until 2020 — so get it on your Insta before it's too late.

Pop Brixton is home to over fifty food stalls, bars, vinyl record shops and working spaces as well as a greenhouse and communal dining area. The ambient lighting and eclectic mix of building materials makes this a picture-perfect destination for dinner.

Libreria, Shoreditch

Just off Brick Lane, Libreria is Shoreditch's cosiest bookshop. Warm lighting and curved yellow bookcases make it look like something straight out of a Klimt painting, and you can sit in little nooks amongst the books.

There's a no phones policy in place at Libreria but photography is allowed. Perhaps just double-check with staff before launching into a full Insta photoshoot.

Columbia Road Flower Market, Bethnal Green

Columbia Road is lined with mosaics and is home to an array of vintage boutiques, small art galleries and antique shops. Every Sunday the road is filled with flowers, transforming this already-colourful street into an Instagram heaven.