HBL Profile: Élitis

Mise en scene by Élitis

French textile company Élitis specialise in high-end, beautifully made fabrics, wallpapers and wall coverings - and are widely considered to be leaders in their field. Here, WGSN-homebuildlife takes a look at the highlights from their current collections.

HBL Book of the Week: Decorate

'Decorate: 1000 professional design ideas for every room in your home' (Chronicle Books (US)/Jacqui Small (UK), 2011) is written by Joanna Copestick and Holly Becker - with Becker being the driving force behind popular interior design blog decor8.

HBL loves: the practical guidance provided by the authors to spur on readers with home renovations - including floor plans, checklists and step-by-step walk-throughs.

HBL Analysis: Brimfield Antique & Collectables Show

Brimfield Antique & Collectables Show in Brimfield, Massachusetts, is one of the largest and best-known vintage markets in the US. WGSN-homebuildlife padded to every corner of the field, finishing the day with aching feet and a full memory stick. Here are some highlights from this season's market - including key colours and themes.

HBL Retail News: Ikea tailors range for UK market

Planet Retail and The Guardian reports that Ikea plans to tailor its range for UK customers. The range looks to introduce darker woods, higher beds and 35cm deep wardrobes designed for the compact living conditions in the UK. The new measures were prompted by customer research; Ikea's Country Manager for the UK & Ireland, Martin Hansson explains: "People are furnishing some of the smallest living spaces in Europe. The average house has 85 square metres of floor space and in new builds, it's just 76 square metres".

Click below to read the full articles.
Planet Retail: IKEA to tailor range to UK consumers
The Guardian: Ikea's new British furniture range: darker woods, shallower wardrobes, higher beds

HBL Blog of the Week: Arts Thread

London-based website Arts Thread aims to "bridge the gap between education and the creative industry", offering online portfolio presentation, networking and access opportunities for students, graduates and employers. The Arts Thread blog acts as an extension to the main website, keeping readers up-to-date on interesting events happening across the fashion and design industries.

HBL loves: the blog's coverage of the work of students and up-and-coming designers.

HBL Analysis: Room dividers

Clouds by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Kvadrat

As children stay at home longer and more people work from home, peace and privacy can be in short supply. So it is little wonder that room dividers are enjoying a sharp rise in popularity. Sales increased by 36% over the last year, according to a survey by Spaceslide, and it looks like they might grow further.

HBL Retail: The Lollipop Shoppe pops up at Selfridges

Interiors retailer The Lollipop Shoppe has collaborated with Danish brand HAY to launch a pop up shop in London's Selfridges. The venture will remain in place for two months, selling textiles and furniture by HAY alongside a selection of other key pieces stocked by TLS.

HBL Analysis: Fontable

Designed by Alessandro Canepa and Andrea Paulicelli, the Fontable is a table made from sheet steel with anodized aluminium legs, available in each letter of the alphabet, both lower and uppercase, and in the numbers 0-9.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from Interior Lifestyle Tokyo

Equology at Interior Lifestyle Tokyo 2011

WGSN-homebuildlife highlights the key trends seen so far at this year's Interior Lifestyle show, Tokyo:

Silicone: Silicone emerges as the strongest new material direction for kitchenware in a wide range of colours and shapes.

Eco: The desire for reused and recycled products is stronger than ever, and designers step up to the challenge creating outstanding and resourceful products (pictured above).

Japanese heritage: Designers embrace their roots, celebrating traditional crafts while adding just a hint of contemporary design.

Plumen photos

Interior stylist Poppy Norton and photographer Ian Nolan have created a series of photos for Plumen which show the award-winning, energy-saving lightbulb in a domestic context.

HBL Colour: Your Rainbow Panorama by Olafur Eliasson

Studio Olafur Eliasson

Artist Olafur Eliasson's latest installation, Your rainbow panorama, is a viewing platform set on the rooftop of the ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Denmark.

HBL Analysis: Japanese stationery

Dessert eraser set by Iwako

As back-to-school time fast approaches, we take inspiration from the latest stationery trends emerging from Japan, where cute faces reign supreme, and graphics are clean and friendly.