Royal Selangor’s Five Elements by Freeman Lau

Royal Selangor's Five Elements by Freeman Lau, 2011

Renowned Hong Kong designer, Freeman Lau adds desk and home accessories to his designer collection for Malaysian pewter gift and homeware specialist, Royal Selangor. Taking inspiration from the traditional Chinese philosophy of Five Elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water - the monographic swirls on each product symbolises “balance; leading to harmony, growth and prosperity”.

HBL Analysis: Pinch Food Design

Pinch Food Design

New US catering/entertainment company Pinch Food Design is setting out to re-imagine entertaining. Founded by chef Bob Spiegel and designer TJ Girard, Pinch have so far launched a range of "food furniture" which aims to solve many of the everyday problems of catering scenarios.

Lindsey Adelman and Darcy Miro Collaboration

Seen at NoHo Design District is a haunting collaboration between lighting designer Lindsey Adelman and sculptor Darcy Miro. An early confirmation of our Eco Hedonism macrotrend, these tabletop objects combine Adelman's handblown glass with Miro's rough metallic textures.

Hüttenpalast: Berlin's caravan hotel

Hüttenpalast

The Hüttenpalast in Berlin is a new hotel concept, created by Silke Lorenzen and Sarah Vollmer. Situated in a former vacuum-cleaner factory are a cluster of renovated old campsite caravans, each available to stay in for the night.

HBL Profile: Karolin Schnoor

Karolin Schnoor

WGSN-homebuildlife speaks to London-based illustrator Karolin Schnoor about her design process, sources of inspiration and plans for the future.

The top 10 independent European magazines

Apartamento issue 07

Angelo Cirimele, editor of The Style Press 2011 Book, gave us a rundown of his top ten independent magazines from Europe: here's a sneak peek at two of his choices.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from the National Stationery Show 2011

Banquet at the National Stationery Show 2011

WGSN-homebuildlife reports live from the National Stationery Show in New York City, with three emerging trends:

Nautical nostalgia: Large masted ships, simplified anchors and nautical themes were given the retro treatment.

Vintage bicycles: Simple bikes are an important graphic in vintage shapes, paired with handlebar baskets and flowers.

Bold geometries: Graphic and colourful zigzags are a geometric trend, joined by rectangular trompe l'oeil repeats.

Subscribers can read our full live report, including the top three brands from the show, here.

The Evolution of the American Consumer

Harrison Group and American Express Publishing

The Wall Street Journal reports that although luxury goods such as Bentleys and Hermès bags are selling again; wealthy American consumers have changed.

The affluent are less trusting of brands than a few years ago and are redefining luxury as things that have an emotional quality as well as a high price tag. Ikram Goldman, owner of the Ikram store in Chicago, explains that clients now covet things that aren't mass-produced. Citing Rodarte as a perfect example due to its artful designs in limited quantities, Goldman explains, "They don't feel like they're a dime a dozen," she says. "Our customers are desperate for that."

London Design Festival 2011 preview

Amanda Levete Architects extend the V&A entrance for London Design Festival 2011

This year's edition of the London Design Festival is set to be better than ever, with a host of innovative installations and exhibitions planned to take place this September. WGSN-homebuildlife has a sneak preview of the highlights, as revealed this morning by co-founders John Sorrell and Ben Evans.

Amanda Levete Architects have been commissioned to create an extension to the main entranceway of the V&A Museum, which traditionally acts as the hub of the Festival. Called Timber Wave, it will be a sculptural installation made of American hardwood, with each segment calibrated to maximise its structural capabilities.

HBL Retail: Curious Collections by Mariëlle Leenders

Curious Collections by Mariëlle Leenders

Curious Collections is the brainchild of Dutch designer, photographer and consultant Mariëlle Leenders. Feeding into WGSN’s A/W 11/12 macrotrend Faux Real, the collection offers nature-inspired photodesigns for textiles and wallpaper.

Colourware by Sebastian Bergne and Sophie Smallhorn

Last week, designer Sebastian Bergne and colour artist Sophie Smallhorn presented a new collection of stacking tableware called Colourware at the Collect Contemporary Craft Fair in London. The project was inspired by the desire to challenge the traditional creative process: "The colour was the starting point for the project; we found a selection of colours we really loved and everything else followed on from there."

HBL Book of the Week: The Design Work of Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby

The Design Work of Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby

'The Design Work of Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby' (Rizzoli, 2011) was officially launched at ICFF in New York this week, and is the first monograph of British design duo Barber Osgerby's work to date.