Losanges by the Bouroullecs for nanimarquina

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec will be showing their new rug collection, Losanges for Spanish brand nanimarquina at Maison & Objet this month. The rugs, which are a beautiful example of artisan work steeped in tradition with a contemporary feel, are inspired by traditional Persian rugs and are made by craftsmen in Pakistan.

HBL Tradeshows: Live From CES

Toshiba Glasses Free 3D TV at CES 2011

This week WGSN has been reporting live from the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Three of the hot technology trends to emerge so far include:

Glasses-free 3D TV: With consumers often complaining about the need to wear glasses to experience 3D content in the home, several manufacturers are showing large TV displays that work without them. There is still work to be done but the technology has taken a big step forward

Tablets: After the huge success of Apple’s iPad, rival tablets are one of the hot stories of the show. Key devices include Motorola’s Xoom, Samsung’s Sliding PC 7 Series and the new BlackBerry PlayBook

The connected home: Alongside the more traditional PCs, TVs, and portable devices connecting to the internet, now home appliances are getting in on the act, pointing the way to a future where all kinds of items in the home make use of the power of the web

HBL Loves: West Elm and Etsy

Vintage Canning Jar Lamp by LampGoods

In the interest of handmade and mass market collaborating for the better design good, we love West Elm's collaboration with Etsy. Visit the West Elm favorites on Etsy page to see the American furniture company's favorites. WE also regularly features some of their Etsy favorites in the pages of their catalog.

HBL Analysis: Buffet Relevo by Fernanda Brunoro

Brazilian design retailer Novo Ambiente's latest collection of furniture includes this laminated cabinet by Fernanda Brunoro. The lacquered detail taps into the current trend for patchwork effect furniture: mixing materials and surface effects to create an interesting and unusual pattern. Subscribers can read the full report on the trend here.

MADE of NEW YORK

WGSN-Homebuildlife loves the new MADE of NEW YORK furniture collection, a collaboration between John-Michael Ekeblad, former creative director at IKEA, Jonathan Locke and Brian Kane.

HBL Analysis: Laundry room bathroom

As seen on My Ideal Home

In recent years, we have been seeing and experiencing interesting merges and design influences between spaces: a few examples being indoors and outdoors, home and office, kitchen and dining room. During the last few interiors trade shows, WGSN spotted another interesting transitional trend: the laundry-room-bathroom.

HBL Inspiration: The Deep

WGSN-homebuildlife loves this stop-motion animation which turns a collection of old metal tools into a shoal of beautiful sea creatures. Created by stop-motion artist PES, it's one of a series of shorts commissioned by US broadcaster Showtime for their online offering.

HBL Analysis: Packaging as product

Freemood by TAÇ

As consumers look for simpler, greener products, designers are keen to find clever solutions for what was previously destined to be disposed of. With one third of our rubbish coming from packaging, more and more designers are not only using recyclable or biodegradable materials, but are also looking for ways to transform the packaging into a functional product in its own right. WGSN-homebuildlife's latest packaging report highlights the most successful approaches.

Design studio Orhan Irmak Tasarım won the Design Turkey award for their solution: by creating patterned metal boxes for Turkish textile brand TAÇ's latest bedding range to be sold in, they have given the packaging an afterlife. TAÇ encourage customers to reuse the boxes in a variety of ways.

HBL Analysis: King-Size Beds Outsell Standard Doubles for the First Time

Headboard by Alexander, Engan bed by Ikea, pillowcases by Ralph Lauren Home. Source: Living Etc, November 2010

Figures from John Lewis and Tesco reveal that king-size beds are outselling double beds for the first time, with consumers favouring a 60-inch width over the standard 54 inches. In the UK, space is becoming increasingly precious, bedrooms are becoming smaller and single living is on the rise. So it is particularly interesting that customers are choosing to sacrifice floor space for bed space.

The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan, speaking on BBC Radio 4 this morning, spoke of the bedroom’s shifting functionality: ‘The boundaries are breaking down and [people] are taking their laptops in there to do some work, they’re watching telly... You need a big bed because it’s become another living room.’

Interior designer Alan Hughes, also speaking on the BBC, said: ‘The balance between function and aesthetics is what actually matters in terms of interior design.’ The bedroom is ‘a space for yourself...a sanctuary.’

HBL Colour: Hella Jongerius - Misfit

300 Coloured Vases by Hella Jongerius; photo by Gerrit Schreurs Fotografie

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam are hosting the first retrospective of the work of Dutch designer Hella Jongerius, which takes an interesting approach to curation: pieces are mainly shown attached to the walls, and are grouped by colour rather than chronologically or thematically.

WGSN-homebuildlife subscribers can also view our tailormade colour directions: for spring/summer 2012 click here, and for autumn/winter 2012/13 click here.

HBL Inspiration: Bridget Riley: Paintings and Related Work at The National Gallery

London's National Gallery is currently showing a small but inspirational exhibition of the work of British artist Bridget Riley. Described by the gallery as one of the most significant and original painters of our time, the exhibition focuses upon Bridget Riley’s most recent paintings and investigates how Riley’s work relates to the National Gallery Collection.

HBL Events: Patrick Jouin: Design & Gesture

The Museum of Arts and Design in New York City is hosting Patrick Jouin: Design & Gesture until February 6, 2011 as the latest edition of MAD Projects. Design & Gesture is the first solo exhibition in of the work of the 42-year-old French designer Jouin.

The exhibition incorporates Jouin’s landmark objects in a multimedia installation, with videos conceived and produced by him, which explore the relationship between object and gesture.

Read HBL's full exhibit review here.