Homebuildlife

Arbelogy

2012-02-03T07:40:00.000-08:00

WGSN-homebuildlife takes a look at the hand- and computer-drawn illustrations of Javier Navarro, founder of illustration brand Arbelogy.

Arbelogy develops prints and graphics for homeware lines, textiles,stationery and editorial work. Subscribers can read the full report to see more pieces, and read about what inspires Navarro.

Collect 2012 preview

2012-02-03T07:25:00.000-08:00

Double-Walled Bowl (2011) by Thomas Bohle at Sarah Myerscough Fine Art; photo by Kurt Dornig

British craft show Collect returns 11-14 May, when 31 galleries from 11 countries will take over London's Saatchi Gallery. This year will also see ten large-scale installations, commissioned specially for the show, as well as a preview of the Crafts Council's next touring exhibition, Raw Craft. WGSN-homebuildlife profiles some of the exhibitors to look out for.

Blue Sculpture (2011) by Wouter Dam at Joanna Bird

Amsterdam-based ceramicist Wouter Dam creates sculpted abstract compositions out of clay, and uses colour to great effect - often with a chalky midtone finish.

Propagation Project: Cactus (2011) by Junko Mori at Clare Beckat at Adrian Sassoon

Renowned artist and maker Junko Mori takes steel-forging out of its traditionally masculine territory and reinterprets the process with her distinctive use of form. Sculptures which are at once prickly, protective and cocooning are her signature.

Vessel W51 (2011) by Friedemann Buehler at Sarah Mysercough Fine Art

Friedemann Buehler's bleached ashwood vessels both expose and celebrate the grain and flaws inherent to natural wood.

Brooch (2011) by Katy Hackney at Contemporary Applied Arts

Proving once again that jewellery is a rich source of colour, form and material inspiration to the design industry, Katy Hackney's assemblage brooches combine primary brights, geometric forms and a marked white base - a combination that would look equally effective applied to furniture, accessories or lighting.

Lynx lynx (2011) by Benedikt Fischer at Galerie Rob Koudijs

Showing at Galerie Rob Koudijs, Benedikt Fischer's plastic sculptures are notable for their combination of fluid, organic forms with artificial material and etched surface finishing.

Reflection Bowl (2011) by Adi Toch at Contemporary Applied Arts; photo by Simon B Armitt

Designer Adi Toch uses traditional silversmithing techniques to create curious pieces which raise questions about their function. Her work invites the observer to touch and explore her work; for Reflection Bowl, silver plated gilding metal has been allowed to develop a rich, natural patina.

Leuchtfüßig candlestick (2011) by Juliane Schölß at Galerie Rosemarie Jäger; photo by Eva Jünger

Juliane Schölß was one of our exhibitor highlights from Collect 2011, and this year returns at Galerie Rosemarie Jäger with a new collection of beguiling domestic objects that do not, at first glance, reveal their purpose.

Black and Yellow (2011) by Antonino Spoto at WCC-BF Gallery

Also sure to catch your eye are Antonino Spoto's contrast-colour bowls (above), matt-black, asymmetric slab-built porcelain by Sara Flynn, and Kyoko Kumai's stainless steel filament sculptures (both below).

Subscribers can also read our reports from Collect 2011 and its autumn sister show, Origin.

Introvert Junction Vessel (2011) by Sara Flynn at Erskine Hall & Coe Ltd; photo by Ari Espay

Hope (2009) by Kyoko Kumai at Katie Jones

Hip Hop by Calia Italia

2012-02-01T09:42:00.000-08:00

Calia Italia has launched the Hip Hop sofa - a sectioned, interchangeable design made up of a chair, chaise-longue and footstool. The design can be rearranged quickly and easily to suit the shape of the room, different social scenarios and the owner's preference.

Hip Hop can also be customised with a choice of finishings - including leather, fabric or a mix of both - and a wide range of colours.

To see how the flexible design fits into wider trends in both upholstered furniture and the lifestyles it caters to, read our full report from IMM 2012.

Union Jacks by Blacksheep

2012-02-01T09:32:00.000-08:00

British design agency Blacksheep has completed its sixth project with celebrity restaurateur Jamie Oliver: a diner-style concept situated in the heart of London and serving a distinctly British menu, created by Oliver in collaboration with US pizza specialist Chris Bianco.

Called Union Jacks, the new restaurant is housed in the Renzo Piano-designed Central St Giles Piazza near Covent Garden. Neon lighting above the bar spells out the restaurant's name and a cinema-style board lists the range of flatbreads, salads, snacks and drinks available.

For the project, Blacksheep created a number of retro-style objects from scratch to give the restaurant a vintage feel. The decor includes knitted tea cosies, countertops printed with graph paper, and classroom-style wooden stools, and a printed menu uses a typewriter-style font to add to the sense of nostalgia.

Retro TV screens installed throughout the space show the chefs at work in the kitchen, and three internal walls both frame the space and house the wood-firing ovens the menu is centred around.

Jo Sampson, creative director of Blacksheep, said that the agency aimed to capture Oliver's "genuine spirit and honest approach to food and wider ethical concerns".

The second branch of Union Jacks is scheduled to open in Bluewater, Kent later this year.

WGSN-homebuildlife subscribers can also read about Meat Liquor - an underground bar which combines the dimly-lit atmosphere of an American divebar with the iniquity of Prohibition-era drinking.

HBL Book of the Week: Mathieu Lehanneur

2012-02-01T08:56:00.000-08:00

Mathieu Lehanneur, Copyright Gestalten 2012

Innovative French designer Mathieu Lehanneur is the subject of a new book, due out on 15th February and published by Gesthalten. The monograph is the designer's first, and will track a selection of his projects from conceptual sketches through prototyping to their use in context, giving the reader an insight into his wider inspirations and philosophy in the process.

Mathieu Lehanneur, Copyright Gestalten 2012

The book features an interview by the Serpentine's director, Hans Ulrich Olbrist, and is introduced with texts by Paola Antonelli and Ross Lovegrove.

Mathieu Lehanneur, Copyright Gestalten 2012

WGSN-homebuildlife subscribers can also see how Lehanneur's Local River project has inspired a new generation of closed-loop fish scapes; note how air purifier Andrea fits into the latest kids' technology; read about his poetic designs S.M.O.K.E lamp and Silence Ball; and take in his thoughtful new marble altar for the St Hilaire Church in France.

Club Monaco, New York

2012-02-01T02:32:00.000-08:00

Club Monaco, New York

Retailers approach the new season by subtly updating classic VM strategies. The perennial VM prop, the book, is reinvented at Club Monaco in New York - with open books pinned to the wall to create a textural backdrop. Further interest has been added with folds and bends or by lightly burning the edges of pages.

Club Monaco, New York

Subscribers can read our full VM global overview for January here.

Club Monaco, New York

HBL Tradeshows: Live from NYIGF 2012

2012-01-31T15:43:00.000-08:00

Bridge from Africa at NYIGF 2012

The New York International Gift Fair is on now through February 2, and covers a range of gifting categories from tableware to soft accessories and handmade. With a large international contingent, exhibitors from Japan, Germany and others have their own country-specific pavilions, and the fair is the destination for house ware buyers who want to browse the latest that the world of home accessories and gifts has to offer.

Alexandra Von Furstenburg at NYIGF 2012

Laboratory: In confirmation of WGSN-homebuildlife’s spring/summer 2012 macrotrend, accessories had a decidedly experimental theme, with translucent materials and day-glo colours that seem inspired by tomorrow’s science experiments.

Artecnica at NYIGF 2012

Curiosities: Pieces that break through boundaries of the ordinary and experiment with the strange and novel include a giant gift wrap bow that functions as a lamp at Artecnica.

Sweet Bella at NYIGF 2012

Reinvented tradition: Designers are taking classic designs and ideas and finding new ways to present them in fun and functional forms.

Top three exhibitors

Sweet Bella at NYIGF 2012

Sweet Bella is a small Brooklyn-based company that acts as the exclusive US distributer for many collections familiar to the design world. The company recently opened a shop in Manhattan that carries the products that were previously only offered wholesale.

Sweet Bella at NYIGF 2012

Key direction: Sweet Bella is based in the hipster hub Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and it shows in its product selection. Pieces are oddly nostalgic, or simply odd, and are especially appealing to the distributor's Millennial audience.

Harry Barker at NYIGF 2012

Dog brand Harry Barker has an origin story that is filled with drama, tragedy and triumph. Founder Carol Perkins was a top model for many years and appeared as a fire-eater on Broadway with magicians Penn & Teller. Carol was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor and while recovering started creating dog beds, toys and robes for friends as a form of therapy. The line is named after Carol’s own sheltie dog.

Harry Barker at NYIGF 2012

Key direction: The line of dog products is playful and tasteful with highlights including large lettering identifying plainly a food bowl, a treats jar and a good dog in minimal form.

Pendleton at NYIGF 2012

Pendleton blankets are an American tradition that have seen resurgence in recent years. A family owned business for over 140 years, Pendleton’s roots are grounded firmly in wool blankets traded with Native Americans for centuries.

Pendleton at NYIGF 2012

Key direction: Expanding on its rich legacy, Pendleton now regularly introduces 100% virgin wool blankets in updated patterns. The designs bring authentic American heritage into the current day with relevant colours and patterns and undeniable heirloom quality. See how the equally classic Hudson's Bay Stripe has also been revitalised here.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from Christmasworld

2012-01-31T08:57:00.000-08:00

Nic Duysens at Christmasworld 2012

This year at Christmasworld, the tradeshow dedicated to the world of seasonal decoration, colour stands out as the key direction for brands. Moving away from traditional colour combinations, exhibitors present an array of greens, from vibrant acids to soft sage. Chocolate browns, rust and copper are also at the forefront. The mood is energetic: exhibitors are enthusiastic and keen to engage with clients and introduce them to their new collection.

Alicanti at Christmasworld 2012

Frosted sage tones: Dusty turquoise and sage tones are worked together in soft and sophisticated combinations. Faux foliage appears to be natural with a light frosted finish.

Edelman at Christmasworld 2012

Flower accessories: Baubles and tinsel are replaced by silk and fabric flowers. Roses and exotic orchids adorn trees and wreaths, in every shade from hot pinks and vibrant oranges to soft sophisticated pastels.

Heinr Frees at Christmasworld 2012

Wrapped: Star, heart and wreath-shaped baubles appear to be randomly wrapped in wool and cotton yarns. Heinr Frees uses multicoloured yarn, adding a touch of the hand-made to a tree.

Top three exhibitors

O Living at Christmasworld 2012

German brand O Living presents a beautiful selection of decorations and accessories inspired by elements of nature.

O Living at Christmasworld 2012

Key direction: White painted cardboard shelving displays a stunning collection of mostly white vessels and objects, each in fine delicate porcelain, stone, wood or mirror, and each able to be used all year round. White painted branches display minute bouquets and wreaths made from herbs and leafs and small ceramic snowflakes.

O Living at Christmasworld 2012

Key product: A small contemporary basket suspended from above to hang small displays of flowers and foliage.

Deco Fantasies at Christmasworld 2012

Deco Fantasies from Lithuania exhibited for the first time at Christmasworld this year. The brand has been manufacturing 3D honeycombed products for over 80 years for promotional campaigns and celebratory events. Each intricate, fold-out paper sphere is also completely flame retardant.

Deco Fantasies at Christmasworld 2012

Key direction: The Deco Fantasies stand stands out from the rest of the exhibitors, offering a product that no other brand has on display. They showcase a beautiful collection of concertinaed paper decorations in striking colour combinations.

Deco Fantasies at Christmasworld 2012

Once again, Nic Duysens is one of WGSN-homebuildlife’s top exhibitors. The brand has 23 years experience as a supplier to the wholesale and retail trade. The in-house design team create and develop unique interior and decoration objects, which are also produced on site.

Nic Duysens at Christmasworld 2012

Key direction: Last year Nic Duysens presented a collection of vibrant jewel brights; this year this colour palette has been softened with a frosted coating creating a unique finish to this youthful and contemporary Christmas collection.

Nic Duysens at Christmasworld 2012

HBL Tradeshows: Live from Paperworld

2012-01-31T07:48:00.000-08:00

Dear Prudence at Paperworld 2012

Paperworld 2012, currently taking place at Messe Frankfurt, presents visitors with a wealth of inspiration for print and pattern, and surface design. This year exhibitors really pushed the boundaries in terms of materials with papers that resembled metal, wood veneers and animal skins.

Woerner at Paperworld 2012

Reptile: Leathers and papers are embossed to resemble snake and reptile skins on gift wrap, notebooks and diaries. Bright pinks and blues are popular but the black print shown at German brand Woerner is particularly effective and would make fantastic gift wrap for a menswear or watch store.

Designwallas at Paperworld 2012

Contemporary tile prints: Print and pattern is inspired by geometric tile designs from the Middle East, Morocco and the Mediterranean. Indian brand Designwallas leads the way with micro repeat patterns that create a striking effect on its range of notebooks.

Xylem paper crafts at Paperworld 2012

Romantic: Delicately embossed lace patterns, pastel colourways, dreamy illustrations and sheer tissue papers create a romantic aesthetic, like this intricate display of paper flowers at Xylem paper crafts.

Top three exhibitors

Dear Prudence at Paperworld 2012

Dear Prudence is run by artist and publisher Laura Ruth Vickers. She produces unique and stylish greetings cards, inspired by wildlife and the natural beauty of her Yorkshire surroundings. She began her career selling her print designs and illustrations to the likes of Missoni, Vera Wang and Calvin Klein but founded her own line of innovative prints on greetings cards under the name of Dear Prudence in 2009.

Dear Prudence at Paperworld 2012

Key direction: A range of printed wrapping papers and greetings cards that feature Laura's detailed, characterful drawings of British wildlife. The cards are all made using card sourced from sustainable forests in the Lake District, England. Dear Prudence was exhibited on the stand of Brevi Manu, the brand's distributors in Germany.

Pleased to Meet at Paperworld 2012

Berlin-based husband and wife duo Marcel and Denni opened Pleased to Meet stationery in 2009. Denni's simple illustrations depict everything from urban architecture to Alpine ski slopes; all full of charm with a slightly retro feel.

Pleased to Meet at Paperworld 2012

Key direction: A series of cosmopolitan architecture prints are featured on notebooks, gift wrap and greetings cards and a new bird print in cool blue and sunny yellow makes a perfect design for engagements and weddings.

Pleased to Meet at Paperworld 2012

Key detail: Pleased to Meet's simple stand design features Scandinavian lighting and shelving fixtures that perfectly complement the colours and light lines of their illustrations.

Mark's Tokyo Edge at Paperworld 2012

Mark's Tokyo Edge was founded as a design production company in Japan in 1982 and gradually grew into a stationery brand and retail business. Today they have offices in Japan and France selling their goods to customers across Asia, Europe and North and South America.

Mark's Tokyo Edge at Paperworld 2012

Key direction: A broad range of brightly coloured stationery, desk accessories and leather goods from Japan with playful features and a sense of humour.

Mark's Tokyo Edge at Paperworld 2012

Key item: Mark's Tokyo Edge also carries a Japanese range of decorative masking tape and tissue papers called the mt series. The tapes are available in hundreds of different patterns and colours and are also sold in wrapped, colour coordinated gift sets.

HBL Blog of the Week: The Fox Is Black

2012-01-31T03:26:00.000-08:00

LA-based blog The Fox Is Black is focused on art, design, music and film - and the intersections between them all. Regular features include designer wallpapers and specially-made mixtapes. Great for offbeat visual inspiration, it takes in new videos and album covers as well as interviews with artists and photographers.

Kevin Dart as seen on The Fox Is Black

We recommend looking through Kevin Dart's colourful illustrations depicting ordinary trips to the supermarket and walks down the street.

Sumo by Simon Legald

2012-01-31T02:43:00.000-08:00

Simon Legald has designed a collection of poufs with distinctly anthropomorphic characteristics for Normann Copenhagen. Called Sumo, the new collection demonstrates an early emergence of our spring/summer 2013 materials direction, An(a)morphic, which sees character-laden products with tactile surfaces emerging. These new design breeds aim to soothe and soften our slick and technology-laden environments with comforting, familiar forms and pleasingly playful colour.

Each "robust and friendly" pouf is made from ash with a tactile fabric-covered foam top, and is available in a range of colours including purple and turquoise.

Legald says of the collection: "The upholstery and buttons play an important part in the otherwise simple design. I have also consciously stayed away from the square shapes and made the expression soft and pleasing to the eye."

HBL Tradeshows: Live from Pitti Filati

2012-01-30T09:43:00.000-08:00

Millefili-Bluring at Pitti Filati spring/summer 2013

Renewed optimism features heavily for Pitti Filati spring/summer 2013, with the Italian yarn industry taking a braver position in the face of a difficult economic climate, consequently focusing on the best of Italian tradition.

Brights: One of the most exciting updates is the bold use of colour. Sherbet pastel or fluorescent aspects give a technical modernity to yarns. Acidic lemon, lime, tangerine, sherbet pink and violet are key colours, often working against white or pewter grey.

Ormo at Pitti Filati spring/summer 2013

Novelty: Yarns from the finest through to the heaviest counts have more character and novelty aspects. Heavier yarns explore new fibre blends, constructions and novelty inclusions.

E Miroglio at Pitti Filati spring/summer 2013

Natural fibre blend: Natural fibre blends are again important for the season. Classic cotton, silk, and linen yarn updates use contrast elements including fine metallic twists, sparkling polyamide and foiling and coating for a look between rustic and hypermodern luxury. Clarity and softness are also explored, with the fibrous touch of linen or the smooth flatness of cotton modified by luxurious cashmere and Merino worsted blends.

Words Words Words at Selfridges

2012-01-30T08:09:00.000-08:00

The Word-A-Coaster at Selfridges; photo by Andrew Meredith

Selfridges has teamed up with indie creativity champions It’s Nice That for its Words Words Words campaign, which celebrates the power of the written word and consists of a series of window displays produced by different artists, as well as an in-store programme of talks and events, and a pop-up library (see it here).

Giles Miller Studio x It's Nice That at Selfridges; photo by Andrew Meredith

The store's Oxford Street windows are dedicated to the initiative with a "Word-A-Coaster" taking pride of place in the main corner window. The wooden stilted rollercoaster winds around the entire space, dispensing 30,000 multicoloured plastic balls containing words of wisdom.

Three other windows have been designed by different creatives, all briefed simply to spell out "Word". The first window features a cardboard display by surface designer Giles Miller (see his Christmas tree for the Design Museum here), with a different type for each letter.

Chrissie Macdonald x It's Nice That at Selfridges; photo by Andrew Meredith

In the second window, paper artist Chrissie Macdonald spelt out "Words" using stationery and body parts: a pair of books make up the W, a pencil, complete with a drawn curve, makes the R, an upturned typewriter forms the D, an open mouth is used as the O and a hoop-wearing pierced ear is used as the S.

Read the full VM report here.

Italian luxury: Aquariva by Marc Newson

2012-01-30T03:45:00.000-08:00

Aquariva, the new luxury yacht designed by Marc Newson for Riva, was launched at the 36th edition of Artefiera, the historical art fair in Bologna which finishes its 2012 edition today. At the fair, art collectors have been momentarily distracted from the paintings, to exalt the beauty of this masterpiece of design floating nearby.

The project was inspired by La Dolce Vita of the 1950s and 1960s, and is the result of a project undertaken by Newson, Riva and their official designers, Officina Italiana Design, to reinterpret the Aquariva pleasure boat. Founded in 1842 by Pietro Riva, the Riva shipyard is part of the Ferretti Group, and is considered a legend in the boating world.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from Interior Design Show 12, Toronto

2012-01-30T03:29:00.000-08:00

Sung Outdoor Collection for HBC at IDS 12

Although there was snow and sleet outside, inside was all about bright colours, reclaimed materials and Canadian-made for those who crowded into the opening day of the Interior Design Show in Toronto.

Earth Inc. Designed Landscapes at IDS 12

Area rugs: Exhibitors showed off an array of vibrant colour and modern patterns, while relying on traditional materials such as silk and wool.

W Studio at IDS 12

Reclaimed materials: From shipping containers for booths to industrial pieces repurposed as decor, recycling has taken a new view - moving from eco-positive to reimagining what was once considered waste, in a confirmation of our A/W 12/13 macro trend Eco Hedonism.

Modern Weave at IDS 12

Orange: With summer so precious in this nation, a range of orange hues were seen throughout the exhibition - from kitchen to living room to outdoor spaces. Key shades included tangerine, peach, apricot, cantaloupe, salmon and coral.

Top three exhibitors

Bocci at IDS 12

Vancouver-based contemporary lighting company Bocci may have had a small exhibit space, but its impact has been large thanks to creative director Omer Arbel.

Key direction: Playing with finishes; the world according to Bocci shows glass and porcelain in clustered groupings.

Key item: The 14.1 pendant with smoked finish.

Elte at IDS 12

Now run by the fourth generation of the Metrick family, Elte chose to focus on texture and colour this season with a new collection of silk rugs and vintage and industrial-inspired furniture.

Key direction: Playing up old world connections, Elte’s current selections are focused on quality, textures and details.

Key item: The Silk Orchid Collection designed in-house is inspired by antique patterns and handmade with recycled silk sari fabric.

Tas at IDS 12

Toronto-based developer Tas Design Build was commissioned to create How Do You Live, a multi-storey dwelling featuring roomsets by a range of design teams, each housed within a single metal shipping container.

Tas at IDS 12

Key direction: Mixing style and function, the rooms evoke a modern design view of mixing contemporary and vintage, natural and manmade and texture and colour.

Key items: Mid-century furniture, but not buried in the past.

Korla's Made to Measure Soft Furnishings

2012-01-30T03:23:00.000-08:00

Powered by passionate prints and fetching fabrics, Korla is a new online shop that is focused on creating and delivering fantastic homewares and products for any live or work space. Using a Magento-powered e-commerce platform, Korla allows users to customise and shop for their made-to-measure items.

Subscribers can view HBL's design direction for soft accessories here.

Invoxia NVX 610 Wins CES Award 2012

2012-01-27T07:39:00.000-08:00

The Invoxia NVX 610 telephone by Eliumstudio has been awarded the 2012 CES Award for Best Innovation for its multi-directional auditory devices - individual, rainbow-coloured speakers which allow the voices of conference call participants to be separated around a table. The next-generation telephone also proposes simple technology that can be directly linked to the iPhone ecosystem.

Elimstudio said of the project, "We wanted a new image without reference to the archetypal office telephone. The design is different with a horizontal base which highlights sound quality and spacialization of sound through its speakers. Ergonomic auditory features are provided by an earpiece pad for the handset. The pure and essential base holds the handset and the iPhone, providing a telephone which is distinguishable and non intrusive."

Prada's 24 Hour Museum

2012-01-27T02:18:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Prada Foundation

Striking that fine line between kitsch and covetable, Prada's 24-hour takeover of the Palais d'Iéna in Paris this week was more than a fleeting moment in art history. Artist Francesco Vezzoli, architectural think tank AMO and the Prada Foundation combined creative forces to produce a one-off event that traded on its ephemeral nature.

Image courtesy of Prada Foundation

Under Vezzoli's direction, the Palais d'Iéna was transformed by the presence of neon pink, Greek goddesses, Hollywood celebrities and thinly veiled references to the Oedipus complex.

The space was divided into three thematic areas, based on conventional museum spaces; Historic, Contemporary and Forgotten. For further details, subscribers can read our full Art Flash.

Soft map quilts by Haptic Lab

2012-01-26T08:37:00.000-08:00

New York-based design studio Haptic Lab creates soft quilted maps that bring journeys around neighbourhoods to a fingertip. Quilts emulate cities and neighbourhoods, with their structure transformed in to stitched patterns.

The studio currently produce quilts mapping London, New York, Washington, San Fransisco and Paris - and also maps other locales as custom orders. The process is lengthy, as the skill is intricate and time-consuming: they take over two hundred hours and between eight and sixteen weeks to complete.

The Greenhouse, New York

2012-01-26T08:23:00.000-08:00

The Greenhouse nightclub in New York is an eco-friendly space, created in line with the philosophy that modern buildings have a duty to respect the environment.

Walls are constructed from grass discs, the bar is sculpted from recycled glass and bamboo partitions, and the urinal is waterless. 5000 individual crystals hang from the ceiling to heighten the experience of a rolling landscape.

The project has been awarded L.E.E.D registration - a prestigious title given to environmentally friendly construction and design.

Faceture Vases by Phil Cuttance

2012-01-26T08:19:00.000-08:00

FACETURE from Phil Cuttance on Vimeo.

London-based designer Phil Cuttance has filmed a video which shows how each of his Faceture vases is made - from making the mould to applying colour layer by layer. The faceted form is created by pouring water-based resin into the mould, which creates a unique vase each time as every facet on it can be adjusted.

Subscribers can also read our interview with Studio Glithero, who share Cuttance's fascination with process and also work in the same studio space.

The Sezz Collection by Christophe Pillet

2012-01-26T06:22:00.000-08:00

The Sezz Collection by Christophe Pillet for Emeco

US furniture brand Emeco has launched a collection of aluminium chairs and stools by French designer Christophe Pillet. The collection was created to furnish the Sezz Hotel in St. Tropez, and is designed to resemble furniture used in vacation homes - to create the sense of a 'home away from home'.

The Sezz Hotel, St.Tropez

"All hotels in the area are the same - fashion hotels. I wanted the opposite. The precious thing for me is the quality of thesun in southern France. I wanted the hotel to feel like the smell of the skin when you are on the beach. It is all about taking advantage of nature, the shadows, the trees, the sun... It is more like building a scenography or blending a perfume using the ingredients and flavours of past memories," says Pillet.

The Sezz Collection by Christophe Pillet for Emeco

Pillet hopes that the collection will become a future classic, and expects it to age well. "Today we buy items because we desire the memories attached. I sometimes see my job as a designer just like the writers, artists or movie makers - it is about storytelling. You buy furniture because they are representing your sentimental values, like keeping old photographs. Its all moments in your life. Same when you are choosing furniture, its building your story," he explains.

The Sezz Hotel, St.Tropez

Swept Away at MAD

2012-01-25T12:40:00.000-08:00

Highboy and Ladder Back by Jim Dingilian

New York’s Museum of Arts and Design shares the works of 25 international contemporary artists in Swept Away: Dust, Ashes, and Dirt in Contemporary Art and Design. On view from 7 February to 12 August 2012, the collection will showcase 34 site-specific pieces including installations, sculptures, performances, photographs, paintings and designs.

Burn Burn Burn (after) by Glithero

Swept Away takes a closer look at the eternal and emotional qualities of life’s transient materials. Using dust, ashes, soot, dirt, and organic matter as their medium, the featured artists create sophisticated and pensive works to speak to the fleeting quality of art and life, memory, loss, and the debris of essence we leave behind.

The exhibition includes works by Kim Abeles, Catherine Bertola, Phoebe Cummings, Zhang Huan, Maskull Lasserre, and Alexandre Orion, among others.

Swept Away Projects opens on March 6 as an extension of the show, and will include installations actively created in front of the museum’s visitors. By simply walking through the exhibition, guests will take part in the artisanship by gradually sweeping away the works.

60 Second Experiment With Indigo by Paul Octavious

2012-01-25T09:27:00.000-08:00

Society6 Minutes: Indigo from Paul Octavious on Vimeo.

Artist and photographer Paul Octavious aims to document reality in unexpectedly beautiful ways. For Indigo, above, he exploded an indigo smoke bomb inside a belljar to coat a glass teacup in pigment. This video documents the process.

HBL Book of the Week: The Toaster Project

2012-01-25T02:41:00.000-08:00

The Toaster Project (Princeton Architectural Press, 2011) documents RCA design graduate Thomas Thwaites' attempt to build his own toaster, from scratch. Over nine months, Thwaites collected all of the individual components needed, resulting in an appliance that cost 250 times more than its shop-bought equivalent - and promptly broke.

Thwaites' investigation into the DIY design process provides a good literary starting point for autumn/winter 2013/14 macro trend Hacktivate, and perfectly encapsulates a growing desire amongst consumers to 'kludge' everyday items - and to question why we have embraced mass-production quite so much.

American Made Design at Shelter Half LA

2012-01-24T14:48:00.000-08:00

The founders of Environment Furniture have announced Shelter Half, a new made-in-america brand collective. Founded on the principles of conscious commerce, collaboration, and American-made products, Shelter Half features a curated collection of brands, artists and craftsmen and opened on December 8, 2011 and runs through February 28, 2012.

The shop was named after two symbols of collective action: the shelter canvases soldiers team up to make into a tent and the famous Tacoma coffeehouse, founded in 1968, where civilians and soldiers came together over cheap dinners and lively conversation. In this spirit, Shelter Half is part showroom, part salon. A place for both shopping and lounging, the pop-up space has a coffee corner and will host open-to-the-public events like movie and music nights, cooking showcases, roundtables and more. Products range from fashion to photography and ceramics to books, and each vendor/designer interacts with the space in their own creative ways.

[image via A Continuous Lean]

Shelter Half
161 S. La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 936-0225
shelterhalf.com
Daily 11am-7pm

HBL Blog of the Week: But Does It Float

2012-01-24T07:47:00.000-08:00

But Does It Float is based on a simple but effective idea: each post presents you with a collection of images and a thoughtful quote, which you are left to interpret at will.

We recommend: Filippo Minelli's photographs of smoke bombs going off in natural settings, for a perfect dose of colour inspiration.

"Weaving" Traditions: Kiki Van Eijk exhibits in Milan

2012-01-24T07:32:00.000-08:00

Plusdesign gallery presents “Weaving” Traditions, a solo exhibition by the Dutch designer Kiki van Eijk, made in collaboration with gallery Secondome of Rome, Nodus in Milan and Bernhardt Design in North Carolina. The exhibition opens February 1 and runs until March 31 in Via Ventura 6 (Milan, Italy).

“Weaving” Traditions weaves the scenery of Kiki’s world - through the times and places that have influenced her work, and among the beautiful objects which are part of her craftsmanship.

The exhibition will show previews of Van Eijk's tapestries, called Wallhangings; the Savage Flowers carpet especially designed for Nodus; and the Workshop sofa created for the US company Bernhardt Design, made in collaboration with Joost van Bleiswijk.

Also on show will be a collection of seven furniture-sculptures called Cut & Paste, designed for Secondome gallery, and a selection of the ceramics that have made her style unique through the years.

Designer B&Bs at Interiors UK

2012-01-23T09:33:00.000-08:00

Squirrel Forest by Donna Wilson

Among the portfolio of new areas at Interiors UK this week is a series of three roomsets by leading British designers - each of whom has created a bed & breakfast room in their signature style.

Squirrel Forest by Donna Wilson

Textile designer Donna Wilson has transformed her room into a fantastical woodland scene. Called Squirrel Forest, the installation includes a selection of her best-loved pieces as well as a canopy of foliage and hand-drawn slatted flooring.

Dalston Rose by House of Hackney

East London-based Victorian revivalists House of Hackney present Dalston Rose, a room entirely clad in blue floral fabric to portray the brand's signature subversion of traditional English style. Read our interview with Frieda Gormley, one of the brand's founders, here.

King Size by Morag Myerscough & Luke Morgan

Graphic designer Morag Myerscough created King Size, a powerfully geometric roomset with flashes of typography and neon lighting providing a twist of humour.

For another example of creative roomsets by designers from a range of fields, read The Exchange Hotel, Amsterdam: rooms dressed as people. Subscribers will be able to read our report on the best new exhibitors from the Design Village, a new addition to the fair curated by Designersblock, later this week.

Live from Maison & Objet : Bright and Beautiful

2012-01-23T05:16:00.000-08:00

Hay at Maison & Objet, January 2012

This season, Maison & Objet is buzzing with energy, creativity and optimism. Currently open in Paris until January 24, the show is awash with bright colours, industrial craft, and new collections.

Hay at Maison & Objet, January 2012

Hay, the Danish husband/wife design duo who launched their brand 8 years ago, are in full form, with 70 new decorative accessories and a new range of paper goods. Their savvy use of colour and material is across-the-board inspiring. Founder Rolf Hay told HBL, "Instead of buying in accessories, it made sense to us to develop them ourselves. We are not conceptual: if we do something it just has to be a good idea."

Hay at Maison & Objet, January 2012

Decorative accessories and paper goods are definitely a way for brands to branch out in a recession. Tom Dixon had the same idea in launching his decorative accessories brand, Eclectic, which had a typically English mix of design savvy with a twist of good humour.

Eclectic at Maison & Objet, January 2012

Objekten, a young Belgian brand also launching this season, started off with a bang by editing Matthieu Lehanneur’s Strates desk, which was previously just an idealistic prototype. Made simply of plywood, the desk and its accompanying side table seem to be in levitation. And one of the most amazing elements is the price, which comes in at just over 1200 euros.

Objekten at Maison & Objet, January 2012

Beyond the exciting young brands, Homebuildlife reveals a few eye-catching trends that will be outlined, among others, in our upcoming full report on Maison & Objet.

MIRROR FINISH

Monsterra at Maison & Objet, January 2012

From Czech glass planters by Monsterra suspented in mid-air, to Japanese wine glasses by Ken Okuyama with a metal exterior and glass interior, to English bowls by Nick Munro, mirror finishes are one of the fascinating finds of this Maison & Objet.

Ken Okuyama at Maison & Objet, January 2012

Tinted and coloured mirror finishes confirm the growing creativity in the industry, as outlined in our previous Mirror report here.

Nick Munro at Maison & Objet, January 2012

IDIOMATIC

Our macro trend for spring/summer 2013 is already present this season in rug designs inspired by local crafts. Steven Burks developed an amazing basket weave rug inspired by African crafts for Chevalier Edition.

Steven Burks at Maison & Objet, January 2012

And the talented young Charlotte Lancelot designed the hand-stitched Canevas collection for GAN, inspired by ancient tapestries, taking the worn, recoloured rug trend into an entirely new domain.

GAN at Maison & Objet, January 2012

WONDERWOOD

As an update to our Wood 5.0 and our Wood: Interiors inspiration reports HBL discovered the supple wood collection by Takumi Shimamura.

Takumi Shimamura at Maison & Objet, January 2012

The woven wood, upholstered wood, and the thinnest wooden bags, placemats (and business cards) show yet again that wood is one of the most versatile materials around.

Takumi Shimamura at Maison & Objet, January 2012

This is only just the beginning: stay tuned to the WGSN-homebuildlife site to get your full report on Maison & Objet.

Hide & Seek: The Wandering Bar

2012-01-23T00:11:00.000-08:00

Following the success of the pop-up phenomenon comes a new hide and seek concept in wining and dining – the wandering bar. The Fourth Wall is an exact replica of London’s Fitzrovia bar Bourne and Hollingsworth, from its cocktails to its floral wallpaper – but guests have to find it first. Each night The Fourth Wall will be recreated in a new venue, but the location is strictly guarded with hints and clues dotted around London (and on the website) to help people find it.

WGSN-homebuildlife subscribers can read more reports about global public spaces here.

Object showroom opens in Seattle

2012-01-20T04:18:00.000-08:00

Curated by local photographer Charlie Schuck, Object is a new showroom in Seattle which aims to be a "universal haven to the new ideas and thinkers of tomorrow's Northwest". The gallery describes itself as a design, collaboration, publishing and retail space.

Object exhibits a mixture of art, technology, collaborative projects by local designers and hand-crafted original furniture from around the world.

Currently on display at the Object showroom are works from Lacolli and Mcllister, Chad Haus, Aleksandra Pollner and The Good Flock, amongst others. Visit it at 2316 2nd Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121.

Planet Earth as colour inspiration

2012-01-20T04:16:00.000-08:00

In this time-lapsed sequence of photographs taken from the International Space Station, the thick texture of clouds and the opaque sea contrast with the glittering of man-made lights, showing our planet as a kinetic surface that is alive and ever-changing.

The vibrant hue of the iridescent airglow, combined with the patterns created by clouds and land traced with light, can be used to influence any creative practice. Subscribers can see how astronomy is used more widely as a creative direction in our report Brave Hue World.

A Table by Sebastian Bergne

2012-01-20T03:55:00.000-08:00

Sebastian Bergne’s A Table is by day an exhibition of Bergne’s work from the last 15 years, primarily based on the preparation and consumption of food. By night the exhibition will turn into an exclusive dining space for selected guests - showcasing Bergne's designs at their best by using them to host a series of three dinner parties.

The London-based designer has previously created cookware for Tefal, an Ice Cream machine for British chef Heston Blumenthal, and several series of dining objects for his own collection. A new project by Bergne will be showcased and used for the first time at the exhibition.

The guests invited are a mixture of professional and social creative food enthusiasts, while the seats remaining will be sold to the public. The three dinners are scheduled for Tuesday 28th Febuary, Friday 2nd March and Thursday 8th March at the Great Western Studios, and cost £50 per head. Read more about the rise of experience, especially in relation to food, in Experience Design.

HBL News: B&Q invests £12m in garden products

2012-01-19T07:17:00.000-08:00

The UK's biggest home and gardening retailer B&Q has made a £12m investment in its gardening department, strongly pushing horticulture with new products across garden care, equipment, power and structures.

B&Q realises the importance of the gardening market in the build up to Spring 2012, and has predicted that some of the major summer events including the Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee will have an impact on the stores sales.

Like B&Q, WGSN-homebuildlife has big predictions for the future of British gardening. Subscribers can click here to read our 2013 Gardening Trends Webinar, and our Outdoor: Design Direction 2013 report.

Jean-Jean by N°111

2012-01-19T06:48:00.001-08:00

Jean-Jean by N°111

French design studio N°111 has designed twelve limited-edition Jean-Jean shelving solutions for Galerie Gosserez. Each piece comprises two independent units which have been attached, by just two screws, to form a sculptural yet functional piece of furniture.

Jean-Jean by N°111

The shelving unit was designed by Sophie Françon, Jennifer Julien and Grégory Peyrache, two designers and an architect who together form St Etienne-based studio Numero 111. Jean-Jean, along with most of the studio's past designs, closely links its design to the process of manufacturing.

The individual units have been named Petit Jean and Grand Jean, and are available in colourways including cement grey, grey silk, shrub yellow and blue grey.

The World of Ribbonesia

2012-01-19T06:40:00.000-08:00

The mediums for producing art are never ending, but sometimes it is with everyday mediums that the most impressive outcomes are produced. Artist and illustrator Baku Maeda has taken ribbons, synonymous with gift wrapping and celebration, as the basis for his unique figures.

Detached from their regular wrapping usage, Maeda twists and and ties ribbon in an experimental way to produce 3D forms. His obsession with animals is clear in his creations, with ribbon art depicting a seal playing with a ball, a dressage horse and a gruff terrior to name just a few.

The sculptures are all one-of-a-kind, with Baku and his team producing by hand to fit client's desires for complexity and usage. Ribbonesia creations can be transformed in to brooches, used for elaborate gift packaging or can be boxed up and given as a token gift or favour.

The new feature wall: Bodie & Fou

2012-01-19T02:19:00.000-08:00

Bodie & Fou

Lifestyle boutique Bodie & Fou is giving feature walls a whole new lease of life. Framed floral prints and vibrant emulsion are banished, in favour of far more creative alternatives - including graphic wallpapers depicting household objects, and wall stickers for surfaces that require a re-vamp. Here's a selection of their latest product offer.

Bodie & Fou's Anglo-French online shop stocks ultra-modern Danish products as well as heavy industrial pieces. It is a haven for customers who like their home to be bursting with contemporary designers, but prefer a personal touch. The brand's variety of wallpapers and stickers suit homes of every taste; with cartoony rolls for children’s bedrooms and subtle designs for home studies and living areas.

The bookshelf wallpaper by Y&B is clean and minimal, but can re-invent a blank living or study area in to a creative zone. The Family wallpaper by Lisa Bengtsson acts as a striking pinboard, allowing users to affix photographs, drawings and memories in to a frame.

RCA's USB Wall Plate Charger

2012-01-18T14:29:00.000-08:00

A Wow Me idea fresh from the International CES in Las Vegas: RCA's USB Wall Plate Charger, the winner of this year's Best of Innovations award at the consumer electronics show. The Wall Plate Charger is a two port USB charger that plugs into any household outlet, and is the first USB converter that doesn't require replacing the face plate of the outlet. To add to its wow-factor, the device is a mere $19.99.

HBL Book of the Week: Living Architecture

2012-01-18T05:14:00.000-08:00

Living Architecture by Dr. Rachel Armstrong (TED Books, 2012) explores the idea that a city can be built organically, creating 'living' buildings that can develop their own eco-systems and help us out of impending environmental crises. A particular focus will be last year's Japanese tsunami; Armstrong says the book will "ask how different the outcome would have been if the buildings were equipped with living materials".

The book will be available on Kindle from 7 February; in the meantime, HBL subscribers can read our interview with Armstrong.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from IMM Cologne

2012-01-18T04:46:00.000-08:00

Jan Kurtz Mobel at IMM Cologne 2012

2012 sees IMM Cologne return bigger and better than ever, with high-profile new exhibitors including B&B Italia, and a rounded-out focus on interiors as well as furniture. Building on last year's direction, extreme comfort is the priority, with plump inviting forms and super-easy modularity on show across the fair.

Candy at IMM Cologne 2012

Contemporary comfort: Sofas incorporate generous proportions, physically cocoon the user, and are full of ingenious options for customisation - from adjustable back rests and side tables to sofas that split into two halves.

Minotti at IMM Cologne 2012

Skins and furs: Animal pelts adorn everything from flooring to seating, used as whole skins, fur coverings and accents to offer cosy and luxurious upholstery options for autumn/winter 2012-13.

B&B Italia at IMM Cologne 2012

Geometrics: An interesting new use of geometrics is emerging at the fair. Brands use the angular pattern to highlight design details and features, from Loehr's interlocking triangular tables to B&B Italia's 3D diamond-effect upholstery.

Top three exhibitors

Kvadra at IMM Cologne 2012

Croation design brand Kvadra makes its debut appearance at IMM this year after launching in late 2011. This first global appearance of the brand sees seven new collections launched, designed by both the in-house design team and specially invited studios.

Revolve by Numen/For Use for Kvadra at IMM Cologne 2012

Key direction: Contemporary, versatile upholstered seating which places the comfort of the user first and foremost.

Revolve by Numen/For Use for Kvadra at IMM Cologne 2012

Key item: Revolve, a sofa designed by Numen/For Use which converts into a daybed in one quick, easy motion.

Bullfrog at IMM Cologne 2012

German furniture brand Bullfrog designs and manufactures a wide range of upholstered furniture, from sofas and dining seating to rocking chairs.

Bullfrog at IMM Cologne 2012

Key direction: The company's stand at IMM demonstrates its specialism clearly and convincingly, showcasing a range of seating with innovative built-in functions to adapt to different scenarios and uses.

Bullfrog at IMM Cologne 2012

Key detail: Bullfrog's loose seat pads, which can be used to add backrests to bench seating or to enhance sofas.

Skitsch at IMM Cologne 2012

Italian design brand Skitsch was founded in 2009 and is known for its high-profile designer products.

Flamboyant by Alessandro Dubini for Skitsch at IMM Cologne 2012

Key direction: Bright, fun and modern furniture with a slight twist.

Fildefer chair by Alessandra Baldereschi for Skitsch at IMM Cologne 2012

Key item: The brand is launching a slouchy beanbag-style armchair at the fair, available in a choice of fabrics and suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

Selfridges opens pop-up library

2012-01-18T03:59:00.000-08:00

Selfridges' in-store library, photo by Andrew Meredith

Selfridges has opened a pop-up library at its London flagship, housing more than 15,000 of the world's most inspirational books.

Selfridges' in-store library, photo by Andrew Meredith

Set up within the basement's Ultralounge area, Selfridges’ dedicated arts and exhibition space, the library offers visitors the opportunity to browse and purchase from a selection of books, each one carefully chosen exclusively for the store by a host of publishing houses and celebrities.

Selfridges' in-store library, photo by Andrew Meredith

The library features floor-to-ceiling wooden bookshelves, displaying items in both colour-coded blocks and in a deliberately haphazard style. The room is given a retro-modern feel with classic Anglepoise lamps, old-fashioned typewriters, rocking chairs, step ladders and Arne Jacobsen-style egg chairs housed alongside iPads and eReaders.

Subscribers can read our full report here.

HBL Blog of the Week: Klat

2012-01-18T03:52:00.000-08:00

Klat (meaning Talk written back to front) is an Italian publishing project launched at the end of 2009 which focuses on contemporary art, design and architecture. The print magazine is made up exclusively of interviews, while the web platform investigates artists, designers, architects and other creative figures adopting the format most widely used on the internet - the blog. Both are published in a bilingual edition of Italian and English.

The special thing is that the bloggers are the artists, the designers, the architects and the other creative figures themselves, free at last to speak directly about their topics and to express opinions and judgments.

Key feature: the categories Necessary and Unnecessary.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from Formland

2012-01-17T10:39:00.000-08:00

Normann Copenhagen at Formland 2012

Ceramics and glass are the focus at Formland, Denmark this year - with both receiving an update for spring 2012. WGSN-homebuildlife reports live from the show.

Finnsdottir at Formland 2012

Rustic ceramics: Structured and decorated ceramic take on a more rustic look. Lace prints, flower patterns and geometric motifs signal a new development away from more clean minimalistic porcelain.

Urban Nature at Formland 2012

Plant Laboratory: Plants are kept inside in glass bottles and laboratory glasses for cleaner air and a healing effect. A wide range of upside-down plant pots are also presented at the show - suited for inside the home or outside.

Bloomingville at Formland 2012

Coloured glass: We note a trend for oversized bottles and wineglasses, in colours ranging from mustard yellow and orange to purple and green tones. Mix and match different tones for decorations or table settings.

Top three exhibitors

Finnsdottir at Formland 2012

Danish design company Finnsdottir is run by Thora Finnsdottir, who was born in Iceland and educated in Denmark's design schools. Her designs play with contrasts between nature and civilization, and between new and old.

Finnsdottir at Formland 2012

Key direction: Black and white lamps, vases and small objects with geometric structures. It’s a monochrome collection which works very well in groups of different sizes and shapes for artistic still-lifes.

Finnsdottir at Formland 2012

Key items: The Rutis flower vase collection in dusted pastel colourways, and the yellow table with long thin hand-carved legs.

Normann Copenhagen at Formland 2012

Founded in 1999, Normann Copenhagen specialises in Scandinavian design with a humorous twist. The brand has a big retail space in Copenhagen in an old cinema, and is known for its design-led direction.

Normann Copenhagen at Formland 2012

Key direction: There is a clear colour story for the kitchen products. Coffee pots are available in 6 colour combinations and whisks in 8 - giving a strong impression of confidence in their own product.

Key detail: The colour palette, which is unusual in its combinations, mixing pastel tones with brighter accents - for example, light purple with orange or pale pink with grass green.

Applicata at Formland 2012

Applicata is a Danish company selling design objects from European designers - both established names and up-and-coming talent. The company's focus is on innovative and minimalist design.

Applicata at Formland 2012

Key direction: Raw wood with painted effects in bright colours such as pink, yellow and turquoise tones.

Key item: The small house collection. You can mix and match your own collection of raw wood blocks with coloured roofs.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from Home & Top Drawer

2012-01-17T10:12:00.000-08:00


Leitmotiv at Top Drawer & Home 2012

Currently taking place at Earls Court London, Top Drawer and Home's joint showing is one of the leading UK destinations for traders to see and purchase the best in design-led accessories, gifts and homeware.

From glowing laboratory beakers to chrome-plated globes, we note the influence of science and early 20th century nostalgia in many of the stand-out collections at the trade-only show.

Scatter Box at Top Drawer & Home 2012

Worn and adored: Products are chipped, dented and appear to have back-histories of their own, implying a rich past life with previous owners.


Garden Trading at Top Drawer & Home 2012

Aquamarine: Used as a mood colour throughout the show, aquamarine inspires tableware, bedding and soft accessories that are calm and mature.

Seletti at Top Drawer & Home 2012

Laboratory: WGSN-homebuildlife spring/summer 2012 macro trend Laboratory is confirmed across a number of tableware and lighting collections.

Top three exhibitors


Culinary Concepts at Top Drawer & Home 2012

Culinary Concepts blend the themes of 20th century travel and cinema with modern finishes like nickel plating. The brand's finely-crafted carry cases, stage lamps and lanterns evoke a sense of heritage, through their historical styling, whist also built to a quality meaning they will become antiques in their own right in years to come.


Porthole lantern by Culinary Concepts

Key direction: Rejuvenating traditional styles of lighting and storage with modern materials and manufacturing processes.

Culinary Concepts at Top Drawer and Home 2012

Cotton Productions at Top Drawer & Home 2012

Chipped pastel paint and homely collections of objects make up the stand of exhibitiors Cotton Productions. The London-based company purposefully adapts worn surfaces to create a mood that is welcoming and familiar.


Cotton Productions at Top Drawer & Home 2012

Cotton Productions at Top Drawer & Home 2012

Key direction: The collection is made with materials and finishes that age well and will create a history of use.

Forma at Top Drawer & Home 2012

British design company Forma presents its biodegradable tableware collection, Zuperzozial. The plastic used to make the collection has a matte and subtly sparkling surface finish, giving it an earthy and tactile quality.

Forma at Top Drawer & Home 2012

Key direction: Forma does not overemphasise the Zuperzozial collection's sustainable credentials. The qualities of their products stand out in their own right, with ecological attributes being a thoughtful addition to the design's specification.

Forma at Top Drawer & Home 2012

Subscribers can access our further coverage from the show later this week.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from Domotex

2012-01-16T08:45:00.000-08:00

Carpetus at Domotex 2012

Domotex 2012 , the world's largest flooring tradeshow, is currently taking place at Hannover Messe in Germany. From stained wooden floors in all colours of the rainbow to technicolour, traditional kilim carpets, this year's Domotex is a particularly colourful edition. Exaggerated texture is also a key theme as designers find new and inventive techniques to create designs with depth and tactility.

Read on for our full live report, including emerging trends and the top three exhibitors.

Quick Step at Domotex 2012

Lace: Lace is imprinted onto tiles and used as inspiration for hand and machine-tufted carpet designs.

Jan Kath Designs at at Domotex 2012

Reinvented: The theme of taking traditional rug designs and re-working them into contemporary art pieces continues to be popular. German designer Jan Kath leads the way with his traditional Russian Kilim rugs revamped in electric colourways.

mat THE BASICS at at Domotex 2012

Eco Hedonism: WGSN-homebuildlife’s autumn/winter 12/13 macro trend Eco Hedonism was clearly confirmed at the show through the abundance of faux fur, rough hewn wooden flooring, texture and rhythmic pattern, delicate florals and nature-inspired designs.

Top three exhibitors

Bó Hamsa at Domotex 2012

A new arrival at the show, Bó Hamsa was set up last year by young German designer Julia Gèsine Stefan. Julia studied surface and textile design at the Bauhaus influenced school of KHB Weissensee School of Art and decided to embark upon a career in the carpet industry after spending several months in Marrakech.

Bó Hamsa at Domotex 2012

Key Direction: The first collection was designed in collaboration with Persian carpet dealer Mohammad Kazem Haghnegahdar in Hamburg. All handmade in Nepal, the designs combine bold, modern pattern with traditional carpet making techniques.

Bó Hamsa at Domotex 2012

Key detail: Brightly coloured diamond patterns and multicoloured fringing give Bó Hamsa’s rugs a bright, circus-inspired aesthetic.

Esprit at Domotex 2012

A division of the German Esprit Home brand, Esprit carpets creates designs for residential use and also a range of children's rugs.

Esprit at Domotex 2012

Key Direction: A bright collection of fifty relaxed, contemporary designs are based around five trends inspired by the cities of Berlin, Barcelona, London, New York and Paris.

Esprit at Domotex 2012

Key detail: The collection is accompanied by a brilliantly styled catalogue that explores a stylish interior within each city.

Bauwerk Parkett at Domotex 2012

Swiss company Bauwerk Parkett have been manufacturing wooden parquet flooring for 70 years. Their catalogue includes over 400 parquet floors from traditional finishes to trend-led designs.

Bauwerk Parkett at Domotex 2012

Key Direction: Bauwerk exhibited a range of vintage-inspired printed parquet designs with distressed finishes including lace and newspaper prints as well as stripy, beach hut-style colourways.

Bauwerk Parkett at Domotex 2012

Subscribers can access our further coverage from the show later this week.

Floating Homes in Dubai

2012-01-15T23:43:00.000-08:00

Atoll Floating Islands by Palmerston and Donald Starkey Designs

The Atoll Floating Islands by Palmerston and Donald Starkey Designs is a conceptual, Dubai-based floating structure that can be moved between the shore and The World to offer residents a home from home. Each fully sustainable home will be 32m in diameter with five bedrooms, a seawater pool and 1,400sqm of living space across two decks.

Wallpaper* Design Awards 2012

2012-01-13T09:42:00.000-08:00

Woodware Lounger by Max Lamb

Awards season continues today with Wallpaper* revealing the winners of their Design Awards 2012, which are judged by an expert panel and this year comprise more than one hundred accolades. Here's the HBL guide to the winners.

Armani Hotel, Milano

Winner of Best Branding, the Armani Hotel Milano continues a trend explored by WGSN-homebuildlife early in 2011 for Haute Hotels. Winning Best Reissue and Best Use of Colour respectively, Gubi's Mirror and Constance Guisset's Francis mirror both featured in our Mirrors inspiration report.

Francis mirror by Constance Guisset

Max Lamb's Woodware Chair, winner of Best Armchair, was launched at one of our top ten events from LDF 2011, while we showcased the winner of Best Control Panel, the beautifully minimal Kupu smoke alarm, back in March 2010.

Marbelous Wood by Snedker Studio

Our A/W 13/14 Materials Direction draws inspiration from Snedker Studio's Marbelous Wood, one of the winners of Best Faking It, and Carnovsky's RGB wallpaper, one of the stars of our Active Surfaces report, scooped Best Wallpaper.

Delicate Interference by Faye Toogood

Lastly, Faye Toogood's latest product collection Delicate Interference, featured on our blog when it launched and also as a highlight in our LDF 2011 preview, now it wins Best Use of Material.

HBL Retail: The Cake Is On The Table

2012-01-13T04:28:00.000-08:00

São Paulo cupcake shop The Cake Is On The Table is known to locals for both its authentic Brazilian recipes and stylishly curated interior - with each piece of vintage furniture used in the shop also for sale.

Co-owner Marilia Simões is responsible for sourcing all of the furniture, and also works to commission to salvage and update vintage pieces brought in by customers.

Picture frames are showcased on walls in styled displays, while floral decals, button embroidery and painted details on furniture add a light, feminine feel to the shop.

The Cake In On The Table can be found at Rua Amaro Guerra, 264 and is open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from Heimtextil

2012-01-13T02:37:00.000-08:00

Hinterveld at Heimtextil 2012

Reporting live from Heimtextil 2012, we see all things natural and handmade coming to the fore, with sustainable production techniques, shades of green and handcrafted details dominating the show. Read on for our full live report, including the key emerging trends and top three exhibitors.

Green Exhibition – Let it Grow at Heimtextil 2012

Colourful sustainability: Sustainable textiles continue to be important, but cease to be restricted to neutral natural colours and instead embrace contemporary, expressive designs that use vibrant colour.

Passamaneria Italiana at Heimtextil 2012

Shaded irregularity: Multiple dyeing processes create irregular shades and fulfil the trend and demand for products to look handmade.

Kas at Heimtextil 2012

Shades of Kelly green and teal: Kelly green has made an impact in fashion and the trend continues into interior textiles paired with shades of forest green and teal accents.

Top three exhibitors

Hinterveld at Heimtextil 2012

Hinterveld is a mohair specialist based in South Africa that produces luxurious mohair blankets, scarves and throws. It was established 18 months ago, but benefits from the expertise and experience, by being part of the Stucken Group, an international leader in mohair buying, trading and processing since 1951.

Hinterveld at Heimtextil 2012

Key direction: Hinterveld presents its new collection A Beautiful Story, evoking the style of South Africa, at the show as well as launching the first machine-washable blanket that is 80% Mohair and 20% Wool.

Key item: The brightly coloured wide striped blankets.
Average price point: A travel size blanket (150/180cm) sells at wholesale for 55€.

Curious Boy at Heimtextil 2012

Established in 1998 and based in Munich, Curious Boy specialises in digitally-printed wallpapers, flooring and products, especially for the office and contract market. Their signature is creating imaginative and colourful, optical illusionary environments, where patterns and graphics appear three-dimensional.

Curious Boy at Heimtextil 2012

Key direction: Curious Boy presents its Joongle collection inspired by the forest and its mystical atmosphere.

Curious Boy at Heimtextil 2012

Key design: Strings, in greyed hues of blue, which creates a fantasy landscape.
Average price point: The wallpapers sell at 33€ per square metre (wholesale).

Unseen Products at Heimtextil 2012

Based in Holland and now in its fifth year, Unseen Products offers exclusive designer home accessories made in collaboration with small artisan craftsmen in developing countries. As a member of Fair Trade, its aim is to create work and promote ethical design.

Unseen Products at Heimtextil 2012

Key direction: Although the brand presents a varied and diverse collection, its signature is its use of felting - including felted three-dimensional applications onto cushions.

Unseen Products at Heimtextil 2012

Key items: The stone and pebbled-effect felted cushions, seating and rugs.
Average price point: Priced at the high-end of the market, felted cushions sell for 260€ and pebble rugs for 2000€ (retail).

Subscribers can access our further coverage from the show early next week.

Target launches The Shops at Target

2012-01-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

The Candy Store, San Francisco

Target has announced a new design program, The Shops at Target, an ongoing program where the American big box retailer partners directly with shop owners of speciality stores and boutiques to co-create affordable, limited-edition collections for Target stores worldwide. The first collections to launch the series will hit national Target stores on May 6, and will span five product categories including pet, home and candy.

Polka Dog Bakery, Boston

Privet House, Warren, Connecticut

The Candy Store, San Francisco

Target is launching the initiative with five different U.S. specialty stores: The Candy Store, Cos Bar, Polka Dog Bakery, Privet House and The Webster. The collections reflect each shop owner’s unique perspective, offering Target’s guests the opportunity to experience each shop’s distinct aesthetic simply by visiting their local Target store or Target.com. With prices ranging from $1 for a nail file to $159.99 for an online-only pouf for the home, the five collections total nearly 400 exclusive products.

Mudd by Cordula Kehrer

2012-01-12T09:39:00.000-08:00

Muud is a small collection of garden stools by German designer Cordula Kehrer, each of which is designed to serve as both seating and African and Atzec-inspired sculpture. Made from unglazed, frost resistant stoneware, the stools are for both indoor and outdoor use.

In the summer, the sun heats up the stoneware and keeps them warm into the evening, while in the winter they can be arranged into striking geometric sculptures.

English Hedgerow by Andrew Tanner

2012-01-12T03:48:00.000-08:00

British designer Andrew Tanner will launch English Hedgerow, an app which brings augmented reality to his latest range of Royal Winton tableware, at new tradefair HOME next week.

The app, designed in collaboration with Jason Jameson and James Hall of animation studio Unanico Group, shows woodland birds and animals scurrying around the hedgerow and interacting with the designs. Tanner says of the project, "this brings together the past, present and future in ceramic design."

Rainbow Trivet by Normann Copenhagen wins Good Design Award

2012-01-12T03:11:00.000-08:00

Normann Copenhagen's Rainbow Trivet, designed by German studio Ding 3000, is one of the winners of the 2011 Good Design Awards.

Rainbow is Ding 3000's first product for the Danish tableware brand; 2012's tradeshows will see the launch of their second, a whisk called Beater.

Other winners of the award include Toshiba's Portable DVD Player, the Jawbone JAMBOX by fuseproject, Bodum's colourful Table Grill and Jaime Hayón's FAVN sofa collection.

The award, established in Chicago in 1950 in collaboration with Charles & Ray Eames, Florence Knoll and other design pioneers of the era, is awarded retrospectively to designs which show the highest standard of form, function and aesthetics across 25 categories including Furniture, Electronics and Tabletop.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from Première Vision Preview

2012-01-12T02:30:00.000-08:00

Miroglio Textile Srl at Première Vision Preview spring/summer 2013

Nature-inspired prints go into hyperdrive for spring/summer 2013 at Première Vision Preview, New York as bright tropical digital prints are flaunted on sheers and lightweights. Open structure tweed-like fabrications add a touch of textural interest for summer.

Supernatural prints: bright digital prints featuring hyper-coloured florals, tropical imagery and birdlife are key for summer, seen on lightweight cotton voiles, silk satins and sheer polyesters.

Lanificio Campore at Première Vision Preview spring/summer 2013

Textured surface: surfaces takes on a new focus for spring/summer 2013 as fabrics are treated, coated or woven irregularly using fine high spun yarns to create lighter crepes, or crude thick yarns in open structures for a summer tweed effect.

Uni Textile Co Ltd at Première Vision Preview spring/summer 2013

A hint of lace: this season sees modern interpretations of lace inspired by traditional designs found on silk jacquards, technical nylon fabrics or flock printed mesh. Subscribers, read more about the new interpretations of lace in our Lost in Lace: exhibition review.

Lexus LF-LC Concept: Design details

2012-01-11T09:51:00.000-08:00

The Lexus LF-LC Concept has scooped the EyesOn Design best concept car award at the Detroit Auto Show 2012, and it’s fair to say it's been one of the most popular concepts unveiled so far. This is, according to its design team, the next step for the L-Finesse design language.

Where previous Lexus concepts and production cars have sometimes fallen short, the LF-LC is well resolved, beautifully surfaced and with contemporary details and graphics. Lexus has refined the grille so it’s quite distinct and the combined lamp and DRL signature is original. Most notable is how, particularly in the interior, the design is cohesive: there’s an almost French flair on show as well as an opulent, rich material palette.

Watch out for our full coverage from the show, in partnership with Car Design News, over the coming week - and see our previous live post on the Ford Fusion here.

Designs of the Year 2012 shortlist

2012-01-11T09:09:00.000-08:00

Lightwood chair by Jasper Morrison, nominated in Furniture

London's Design Museum has announced the nominees of this year's Designs of the Year awards, which are divided into seven categories - fashion, product, furniture, architecture, digital, transport and graphic.

The awards celebrate the outstanding projects of the last 12 months, including the Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and the London 2012 Velodrome by Hopkins Architects. Read on for the Homebuildlife guide.

Alexander McQueen, Voss, spring/summer 2001; image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art © Sølve Sundsbø / Art + Commerce

Digital projects we have previously reported on include the Beck's Green Box project, and Tesco Homeplus's revolutionary virtual store, which allowed subway users to shop on their morning commute and receive their order at home that evening.

The Alexander McQueen exhibition Savage Beauty takes pride of place in the Fashion category, having been deemed "astonishing and inspirational" by our Arts & Culture team back in May.

Chassis by Stefan Diez for Wilkhahn, photo by Robert Fischer

In Furniture, nominees include Stefan Diez's Chassis chair (read how he was inspired to make it using technology from the automotive industry in our interview) while two RCA graduates feature: NSEPS (Not So Expanded Polystyrene) by Attua Aparicio and Oscar Wanless was one of the standout projects in our RCA graduation show report and Solar Sinter by Markus Kayser was our materials pick from the graduation shows.

Bethan Laura Wood at Gallery Nilufar, photo by James Harris

Bethan Laura Wood is nominated twice - for Moon Rock Tables and Totem. View our interview with the designer here, and then take a look at how she is leading the Post-Postmodernism movement.

London 2012 Olympic torch designers Barber Osgerby are honoured both for their TipTon chair for Vitra, and Ascent - read about the exhibition here. Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec's Textile Field is also nominated in Furniture - and was one of our top 10 events of LDF 2011.

Botanica by Forma Fantasma at Milan Design Week 2011

Studio FormaFantasma's project Botanica is nominated in Product, and was one of our top ten exhibits at Milan in 2011, while Bertjan Pot is nominated for Heracleum - read an interview with the designer here, and then see why Moooi CEO Casper Vissers calls it's the most exciting product he's seen recently here.

Heracleum by Bertjan Pot for Moooi

Wider issues are addressed in the Transport category, with a number of electric cars nominated - as well as the Helen Hamlyn Centre's redesign of the emergency ambulance. Read about the project, alongside other big ideas for our future, in our coverage of If Conference ideas.

Read the full shortlist here.

Animal studies: the shared space between species

2012-01-11T03:03:00.000-08:00

Detail of Duplex by Constance Guisset

As the New York Times reports on the increased interest in Animal Studies courses, we investigate how pet habitats are becoming more integrated with our own, and speak to industrial designer Constance Guisset about how best to share our space.

Detail of Duplex by Constance Guisset

Guisset has twice considered the living space of animals. Her Duplex and Mezzanine designs place fish and birds alongside one another, creating a surprising species mix. In Mezzanine, the fish bowl lives within the bird cage while in the freestanding Duplex, birds can fly up into the fish's environment.

Duplex prototype by Constance Guisset

Guisset was driven to create the pieces because, "It is very clear to me that we share the same world, and we as humans need to respect animals and their worlds. I was interested in the idea of mixing two worlds - creating visual surprise."

"Duplex is the story of an impossible encounter, of feathers and scales being superimposed, of two strangers being reassembled occasionally. Animals living in two different elements embody extreme difference. And yet, they are vectors for the imagination because they are in places no human can reach easily."

Another example of our increasing interest in animals and just how they fit into our lives is the rise of small-scale aquaponics - food production systems which uses plants to filter fish tanks and fish waste to fertilise plants.

Matthieu Lehanneur's Local River was one of the first design-led adaptations of the process, while Eric Jourdan's Castle separates each element, creating a pared-back design which directly references human architecture.

Castle by Eric Jourdan

Subscribers can read more about the integration of fish scapes into interiors, and view the full interview with Guisset in Constance Guisset: poetry for pets.

HBL Book of the Week: Voyage au coeur d'une bulle de champagne

2012-01-11T02:26:00.001-08:00

Photo: Beaumont/Liger-Belair/Polidori, via Luxury Culture

Reminding us that champagne is to be drunk year-round, not just at the holidays, this week's book choice is Voyage au coeur d'une bulle de champagne (Travel to the heart of a bottle of champagne), published by Odile Jacob, 2011.

Photo: Beaumont/Liger-Belair/Polidori, via Luxury Culture

Written by champagne connoisseur Gérard Liger-Belair and fluid mechanics expert Guillaume Polidori, it takes a rigorously scientific approach to the art of champagne - focusing on the journey taken by the bubble as it makes its way to the surface of the liquid.

Photo: Gérard Liger-Belair, via Luxury Culture

HBL loves: The breathtaking photographs of champagne, which fuse science and art in line with our S/S 13 macro trend Wonderlab; and the sparkling facts found throughout. A single bubble measures 0.5mm; there are up to 2 million bubbles in a flute; and the pressure contained in one bottle is three times that found in an inflated car tyre.

The must-see exhibitions of 2012

2012-01-11T02:26:00.000-08:00

WGSN-homebuildlife rounds up the best exhibitions around the world in 2012 - a taster here includes London colour inspiration provided by David Hockney, an exploration of dust as material in New York, a study of illusion in Paris, and Helsinki's exhibition program during its year as World Design Capital. (Subscribers, read the full report here).

David Hockney RA: A Bigger Picture

Although this exhibition at London's Royal Academy will span 50 years of Hockney's career, it is perhaps his more recent works that will prove most interesting from a colour perspective. Deep, saturated hues of violet, forest green and yolk yellow bring an amped-up sense of hyper-realism to his landscapes, making them feel unnatural and other-worldly. Also on show will be Hockney's series of iPad drawings and video works. The exhibition runs from 21 January to 9 April 2012.

Flora by Phoebe Cummings (2010); photo by Sylvain Deleu

Swept Away: Dust, Ashes and Dirt in Contemporary Art and Design

Continuing its investigation into the use of subversive and alternative materials in design, MAD Museum New York looks at artists and designers who work with dust, ash, sand and dirt. Exploring disintegration, decay, loss and the ephemeral nature of art, the exhibition takes on a transient feel with dust chandeliers created by Jodie Carey and ash sculptures by Zhang Huan among the fragile and fleeting works on display. The show runs 14 February - 12 August.

Trompe-l'oeil: Limitations, Pastiches and Other Illusions

Les Arts Decoratifs examines the art of illusion with an exhibition to be held in its Study Gallery. Looking at how artists and designers have used tromp l'oeil to create visual tricks and pastiches, the collection will begin by examining the roots of the trend in the 18th century when wigs, bustles and drapery were first employed to create illusions. Opening 2 February 2012, the exhibition runs until 15 November 2013.

Design Museum, Helsinki

Design 12

In the year that Helsinki celebrates holding the World Design Capital title, it is fitting that the city's Design Museum will host a series of exhibitions and events putting the spotlight on future creative forces, as well as celebrating the Finnish design legacy. The line-up of events will include a look at new product innovators, retrospectives from some of Finland's biggest design collectives (including Helsinki youth culture exports, CTRL) and an exhibition of new and seminal work by members of the Fiskars Cooperative.

HBL News: Smartphones replacing point-and-shoot cameras

2012-01-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

British broadsheet The Guardian reports today that 2011 saw camera sales fall by 30%, as smartphones became the most popular device for taking photographs.

Apple's iPhone 4 has been the most popular way to upload photos to Flickr since summer 2010, and is now used to upload more than 73,000 photos to the site each day. It may however only be the midmarket that suffers - as "higher quality camera models are booming". Read the full piece here.

Ford Fusion: Live from Detroit Auto Show 2012

2012-01-10T04:53:00.000-08:00

Ford Fusion at Detroit Auto Show 2012; photo courtesy of Car Design News

The Ford Fusion (née Mondeo) is the latest step in the company’s One Ford strategy, which sees (virtually) the same products sold across American, European and Asian markets. The new Fusion will replace the existing Fusion in the US, and a slightly tweaked version of what you see here will replace the Mondeo in Europe.

As well as being probably the most important new car to be unveiled in Detroit this year, the Fusion illustrates Ford developing their design language toward the premium end of the mainstream. Its language is recognisably Ford and clearly still belongs to the world of Kinetic design, but it's also much calmer than before.

WGSN-homebuildlife will present full coverage from the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, in partnership with Car Design News, over the coming week.

Re-cycle: strategies for architecture, city and planet

2012-01-10T02:23:00.000-08:00

Fernando and Humberto Campana

Eighty drawings, models, photographs, videos and objects. Two site-specific installations by Fernando and Humberto Campana and raumlaborberlin. One photographic exhibit, Permanent Error by Pieter Hugo. Not only an exhibition, Re-cycle at Rome's Maxxi Museum aims to teach us to consider recycling as "one of the greatest generators of creative innovation".


Haworth Tompkins

Until April 29, the Maxxi Museum is dedicated to the architecture of the third millennium and to its most innovative practices. Re-cycle is curated by Pippo Ciorra, senior curator at MAXXI Architettura, together with the architecture museum’s curatorial staff and an international scientific committee.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Piet Oudolf

The exhibition features both very recent projects, produced in real time by the new environmentalsensitivity pervading the work of the designers, and more consolidated and even historic examples, testifying that recycling is a practice deeply-rooted within the artistic and design professions.

raumlabor

Among the most well-known and spectacular works on show are: the original model of the High Line in New York; a drawing by Peter Eisenman for Cannaregio in Venice, those of Superstudio for the raising of the Colosseum, images of the Palais de Tokyo in Paris by Lacaton & Vassal, and videos with recycling of works by Frank O. Gehry and Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates.

Superstudio

In the museum’s external space, site-specific projects will provide a demonstration of thepotential of recycling. Maloca by Fernando and Humberto Campana, curated by Domitilla Dardi, is a large-scale installation in wood and synthetic raffia, based on a Brazilian tradition revisited in a contemporary key and located so as to cover the museum entrance. The objective is to welcome visitors within an intermediate space recalling the communal structures of the Amazon Indians while at the same time dialoguing with the fluid and ultra-modern forms of Zaha Hadid's museum structure.

lüderwaldt architekten

spillmann echsle architekten

Piero Portaluppi

HBL Blog of the Week: Colossal

2012-01-10T01:35:00.000-08:00

Offering a fresh perspective on the visual arts, Colossal showcases anything from street art and music videos to folded-paper sculptures and sticker-splattered rooms. Web designer and founder Christopher Jobson describes it as "a blog that explores the intersection of art, design, and physical craft". We recommend it for an instant pick-me-up.

HBL loves: The recent post on photographer Markus Reugels' Liquid Planets - refracted landscapes caught by camera in suspended water drops.

Dragon’s Incubator

2012-01-09T15:31:00.000-08:00

Dragon's Incubator by David Chan. Image Courtesy of Harbour City, Hong Kong

In an attempt to rediscover, revive and promote Chinese art, culture and values to an international audience, Hong Kong Calligraphy artist David Chan celebrates 2012 - the year of the Dragon under the Chinese Lunar calendar - with a timely exhibition held during Chinese New Year (14 - 29 January).

Located at Hong Kong’s Gallery by the Harbour at Harbour City Shopping Mall, the exhibition showcases Calligraphic work in multi-dimensions as well as a glass mosaic with hidden secret greetings – viewable only from a particular angle.

Dragon's Incubator by David Chan. Image Courtesy of Harbour City, Hong Kong

HBL-subscribers can click here to read how premium coffee brand Nespresso has collaborated with luxury lifestyle brand Shanghai Tang to launch a limited-edition collection inspired by and timed to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Dragon.

S/S 13 CMF: Surface innovations

2012-01-09T07:44:00.001-08:00

Bloomimg Structures by Sivan Royz

Working alongside the WGSN-homebuildlife team, industrial designer Soojin Kang has taken an in-depth look at new developments of surface and materials to coincide with our spring/summer 2013 macro trends: Idiomatic, The Story of Now and Wonderlab.

NonLin/Lin Pavilion by Marc Fornes & THEVERYMANY

By matching the latest innovations in colour, material and finish to the design directions of each macro trend, we provide a clear navigation through product development - presenting four workable break-downs of each trend.

Subscribers can access the full report here.

Chesapeake Bay Candle: S/S 12 collection preview

2012-01-09T07:25:00.000-08:00

The Happiness Collection by Chesapeake Bay Candle

US fragrance brand Chesapeake Bay Candle will launch its spring/summer 2012 range in March. Called the Happiness Collection, the new range comprises six scents - each inspired by a different aspect of happiness and available as either a candle or a diffuser.

Wink by Chesapeake Bay Candle

Mei Xu, president of the brand, says of the collection: "As sunny and bright as those lazy days of summer spent blissfully at the beach, we created this collection to evoke that same type of perfect, carefree feeling."

The Happiness Collection flower diffusers by Chesapeake Bay Candle

Six uplifting shades denote the scents. Bright orange Cheer uses tones of lemon, mandarin, blackcurrant and musk; fresh turquoise Delight draws on tangerine, pink grapefruit and water flower; apple green Glow is reminiscent of melon, iris and geranium; raspberry pink Wink evokes strawberry, rhubarb, pear and sugar; purple Bliss makes use of white tea and waterlilies as well as eucalyptus; and sunshine yellow Smile is infused with the scent of cherry, fruity florals and amber.

The Happiness Collection candle jars by Chesapeake Bay Candle

Candle jars retail at $12 each while the flower diffusers have a price point of $14. The collection is available from March 2012 at Hallmark stores throughout the US, and online via the Chesapeake Bay Candle website.

Read about Chesapeake Bay's 2011 Holiday edition in our previous blog post.

Crystallized Project by Tokujin Yoshioka

2012-01-09T02:56:00.000-08:00

Tokujin Yoshioka has been crowned now! design à vivre 2012 Creator of the Year by Maison & Objet.

In honour of the accolade, Yoshioka will display a new exhibition called the Crystallized Project at the first Maison & Objet of 2012. The show will include Venus, a crystallized chair, a series of crystal paintings which have been grown using the vibrations of music, and a selection of as yet unshown works.

The exhibition continues Yoshioka's investigation into our relationship with natural phenomena, as the designer urges us to "rethink our future".

Yoshioka is the first Japanese designer to win the award, which is given by Maison & Objet each year to the creator they consider to be the most influential on the world's creative scene.

The first edition of Maison & Objet 2012 runs 20-24 January.

Fashion as food: VM trend

2012-01-09T02:31:00.000-08:00

Declic, Melbourne

Our latest VM global overview sees the Fashion as Food trend continue across the globe. At Declic in Melbourne, a picnic theme is apparent with men's neckwear placed on colourful paper plates with plastic cutlery in contrasting hues.

Declic, Melbourne

Country Road shows scarves wrapped around tableware, and men's folded shirts are displayed with rolled-up ties inside a small fridge.

Country Road

Subscribers can read the full overview here.

QR codes in design: emerging trend

2012-01-09T01:45:00.000-08:00

Babel Vessel by Michael Eden

The influence of the QR codes on sales and advertising is having a visual and conceptual impact on the design industries. Designers are exploring the connections between primary function and graphics and the possibilities these offer.

The Babel Vessel is an experimental project by Michael Eden, who is interested in the relationship between traditional craft skills and new digital tools. The piece has a recognisable period ceramic shape, and is produced using 3D printing. The built-in QR code allows the vessel to be scanned.

QR code crossword puzzle by Christian Svanes Kolding

Christian Svanes Kolding explored the visuals of a QR code to create a crossword puzzle. Available to download as a PDF file, the puzzle was created to celebrate the participation of Christian's short film, The Things We Keep, in MoMA's Talk to Me exhibition.

Subscribers can read our full report here.

"Today’s chair is yesterday’s love seat" - the rise of comfort

2012-01-06T09:02:00.000-08:00

Le Corbusier's LC2 armchair (1928) as seen at The Lollipop Shoppe

An article in yesterday's New York Times, called Relax. There's plenty of room, examines the increased proportions of furniture in recent years. The piece begins, "Home stores these days, especially mass-market retailers, are filled with enormous furniture: coffee tables big enough to land an airplane on and 'luxe depth' sofas with sink-in cushions that could easily double as guest beds."

Locus Chair by Anastasija Mass

Michelle Enders, senior buyer at Raymour & Flanigan, is quoted saying, “People want the furniture to be more comfy", while interior designer Annie Elliott confirms that her clients are increasingly requesting extreme comfort.

WGSN-homebuildlife has been tracking this lifestyle shift over several seasons. The idea of extreme comfort is examined in recent WGSN-homebuildlife reports Chairs that hug and Cocoon furniture. The increasing proportions of the modern-day sofa are explored in The contemporary Chesterfield, while the trend for softness in areas of furnishings other than seating is reported on in Soft storage, and the evolving function of the sofa is examined in The new sofa-scape.

Subscribers can also see how our preference for emotive, comforting furniture will develop over the next few seasons in our A/W 13/14 macro trend, Living Design.

Sir Paul Smith designs stamps for London 2012 Olympics

2012-01-06T08:13:00.000-08:00

British fashion designer Sir Paul Smith has designed a range of stamps for the
Isle of Man postal service, each themed around an event in the London 2012 Olympics.

The designer commented that he wanted to make the collection positive, colourful and with a strong graphic style. He is a lifelong fan of competitive cycling, having been prevented from following a career as a racing cyclist at the age of 17 after a road accident.

The Cycling Road Bike design from the collection is directly inspired by Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish - an Isle of Man native and good friend of the designer.

The 70-day Olympic Torch Relay will begin on 19 May in Land's End, Cornwall, to arrive at the opening ceremony in Stratford, London on 27 July 2012.

Subscribers can see Sir Paul Smith's poster designs for British thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and also read about the impact of the London 2012 Olympics on British retail collections in our S/S 2012 retail preview.

Hepsi rugs at Loom, Melbourne

2012-01-06T02:40:00.000-08:00

Loom Rugs and Textiles opened its doors in 2006, but the brand has a much deeper heritage. The owner and creator, Doan Bilgis, comes from a family of rug-makers in Turkey, and says that he "fell into this business". It is fair to say that he has taken the tradition quite a few steps further: Loom is the avant-garde of the rug world.

Hepsi kilim at Loom Rugs & Textiles, Melbourne

Loom's three key ranges each revitalise vintage rugs and craft traditions for a contemporary market. Hepsi rugs are patchworked creations made from vintage pieces. These rugs employ the simple technique of patching together rugs originating from diverse locations and historical backgrounds.

Hepsi rugs at Loom Rugs & Textiles, Melbourne

Each piece reveals the collective expertise of the rug makers involved and the result is a striking abstract composition of shape and colour.

To read about the other styles in Loom's range, subscribers can click here.

Grød, Copenhagen: reimagining porridge

2012-01-06T02:19:00.000-08:00

Grød, Copenhagen

Grød (which simply means porridge) is a cafe in Nørrebro, Copenhagen that specialises in homemade porridge. This sole product is offered in a number of variations. Grød is part of the new gastronomic wave of Nordic food; renowned Copenhagen restaurants Noma and Geranium also have porridge on their menus, as the humble comfort food enjoys a resurgence.

Porridge options at Grød

At Grod, porridge is composed as a menu, with tasteful toppings and spices available to enhance and customise the meal. Grains and oats are locally sourced, and some are even milled in the cafe.

Chalkboard menu at Grød

Choices of flavours to add to the porridge include apple sauce, carrot juice, ginger syrup, seeds, cranberries, pear, cinnamon and caramel. The atmosphere is that of a very local cafe: regular customers come for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Subscribers can read about more of Copenhagen's growing number of monofood concepts in our full report: click here.

Mobilier National at Demisch Danant

2012-01-05T13:53:00.000-08:00

Rene Jean Caillette, Trefle Folding Chair, 1981

Demisch Danant has brought an important era in the history of French decorative arts and design to New York City. Mobilier National is the first American exhibition devoted exclusively to the 20th century furniture created under the Mobilier National, an institution of the République Française conceived to decorate the official palaces and residences of the Republic and to promote the highest levels of beauty, originality and technical innovation in French decorative arts and design.

Mobilier National

Alain Richard, Desk Chair, Series AR, 1972

Claude Lalanne, Chaise 'grains de cafe', 1971

The exhibit presents more than 20 rare examples of furniture realized under the historic program between 1964 and 1981. Mobilier National is on view through February 2012 at 542 W 22nd Street in Manhattan.

Luxury stone finishes by Q-BO

2012-01-05T08:23:00.000-08:00

Italian surface brand Q-BO has launched a new luxury finish, available across many of its range of stone surfaces including White Carrara marble and Crema Luna limestone.

With this new finish the 3D carved pattern of the product, and the tactile difference between the smooth top surface and the rougher stone exposed beneath, are emphasised.

Subscribers can see how this pattern technique is also applied to candles in our recent Parable collection review, and can read about wider surface trends in Prints on hard surfaces.

Maison Hermès, Milan: showroom launch

2012-01-05T04:45:00.000-08:00

Maison Hermès showroom, Milan; photo courtesy of Hermès

Entirely dedicated to its home collection, the first Maison Hermès showroom in Italy is located in the centre of Milan and designed by RDAI, the Parisian architecture studio responsible for the concept of Hermès boutiques around the world. RDAI has enhanced the space with elegant furnishings, using beige stone for the first floor room and bamboo flooring on the mezzanine.

Maison Hermès showroom, Milan; photo courtesy of Hermès

Highlights of the new collection include the Métiers Collection by Enzo Mari and the Matières Collection by Antonio Citterio, as well as new editions of furniture designed by Jean-Michel Frank in the 1930s.

Maison Hermès showroom, Milan; photo courtesy of Hermès

Subscribers can read the full review here.

Mondrian Hotel, Los Angeles

2012-01-05T04:12:00.000-08:00

Situated on Hollywood’s world famous Sunset Boulevard, the Mondrian Hotel, Los Angeles looks out over downtown LA, Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

The 189,000sq ft space was conceived by hotelier Ian Schrager, designed by Philippe Starck, and is part of the Morgans Hotel Group, which also looks after Miami's The Delano, London's Sanderson and St Martins Lane and The Hudson in New York.

The 245 guest rooms and suites are large and light with floor-to-ceiling windows. Beds vary between queen and king size, and rooms come equipped with iPod speakers, huge TV screens that double as mirrors and white chaises longue in the lounge area.

Furniture is a high-design mix of bespoke pieces by Starck, classics by designers including Antonio Gaudi, Charles and Ray Eames, Patrick Chia and Vincent Beaurin, and contemporary design houses such as Droog and Taiko.

WGSN-homebuildlife subscribers can read the full report here.

Bell by Northern Lighting

2012-01-04T04:20:00.000-08:00

Bell by Northern Lighting

Norwegian lighting brand Northern Lighting has launched Bell, an elegant pendant lamp by German designer Mark Braun which channels the colours of Scandinavia's natural landscape.

Bell by Northern Lighting

Made of porcelain, glazed with colour on the outside and pure white on the inside, the lamp is available in four colours: milky white, grass green, pale duck egg blue and light charcoal.

Evergreen by Northern Lighting

The brand has also launched Evergreen, a mouth-blown glass pendant lamp by Vibeke Skar and Jens Praet, and Grid, an industrial-inspired pendant designed by Danish architect Tom Stepp.

HBL Book of the Week: ADI Design Index 2011

2012-01-03T07:59:00.000-08:00

ADI Design Index is the annual publication of the ADI Associazione per il Disegno Industriale. It includes a collection of the best Italian design to go into production in its given year, chosen by a permanent jury known as the Osservatorio Permanente del Design ADI.

The selection includes products or product systems of every kind, theoretical study and critiques, studies into processes or business applied to design. This year the book has a new look and contents, with Italian and English texts.

For the first time, the publication includes written contributions as well as the selected pieces, so that it becomes something to be read and not simply looked at and examined. All selected products are published on the ADI website, which also houses the documentation that could not be made available to the public in the printed edition.

HBL loves: the graphics, also new, which have been assigned to Zup Associati, recent winners of a Compasso d'Oro award. An innovative layout includes QR coding for easier consultation and improved communication to the advantage of those selected.

HBL Blog of the Week: Desire to Inspire

2012-01-03T07:44:00.000-08:00

Desire to Inspire is an international correspondence between two self-confessed "interior design junkies", Jo and Kim, who share with each other (and the blog's many readers) great decor tips and design finds. Writing from their native Australia and Canada, they founded the blog after discovering their mutual obsession on Flickr in 2006. Read it for personal touches, palpable enthusiasm, and varied interior inspiration.

HBL loves: the blog's approach to welcoming in 2012, with a round-up of the best pets on furniture posts from last year.