HBL Retail: Tok&Stok sustainable shopping bags

Ave Eva Ave by Joana Lira

Iconic Brazilian interiors retailer Tok&Stok has launched a collection of shopping bags made from 100% recyclable raffia, available in 8 different designs.

Tiny Houses by Tumbleweed

WGSN's US editors love the tiny houses designed by Jay Shafer, founder of the California-based company Tumbleweed. The houses range in size from 874 square feet all the way down to a truly tiny 65 square feet, the smallest of which use puzzle-like configurations to fit appliances, and functional spaces such as sleep lofts and kitchens.

Playground Closes at Dusk: the first outdoor collection by Nacho Carbonell

Spazio Rosanna Orlandi presented Playground Closes at Dusk, Nacho Carbonell's first collection of furniture designed specifically for outdoor use, at Art Basel Design Miami last month. Comprising five pieces, the limited-edition collection makes strong use of Carbonell's signature primal forms and tactile surfaces.

Milk Series by Ellen Thomas

Milk Series by Ellen Thomas

The single gold leg sported by these stools from designer-maker Ellen Thomas is intended to draw attention to the craftsmanship involved in wood-turning - and corresponds to a gold-painted cow pattern which decorates the underside of each stool.

Kingston University at New Designers

This year's product and furniture design graduates from Kingston University took a bold approach to their stand at New Designers Part 2 last week: an entire wall was bedecked in dozens of bright orange flowers, each held in a different small stem vase.

LDF 2011: Tent preview

Glass Concrete Bench by Ivanka 

Held at the Old Truman Brewery in East London during the London Design Festival, Tent is a reliable place to find exciting design talent and innovative new ideas. This year's show will see more than 200 companies exhibiting their latest projects; here's a preview of what to look out for this September.

HBL Retail: D&M's Winter 2011 collection

Belgian tableware brand D&M have sent us images of their winter 2011 collection, including new ranges of table linens, serveware and dining accessories.

Design Within Reach Opens Stamford, Connecticut, Showroom

After moving its headquarters from San Francisco to Connecticut in the past year, Design Within Reach has opened its Stamford Studio, located at 711 Canal Street, in the Harbor Point area of Stamford’s historic South End. The studio is the storefront of the building where DWR has its corporate offices.

From Here For Here by Ariane Prin

Pencils made from waste collected at RCA by Ariane Prin

Royal College of Art graduate Ariane Prin caught our attention at Show RCA last week by exhibiting pencils made from residue collected from inside the school.

American Folk Art Museum

Harriet Rutter Eagleson

This week is New Yorkers' last chance to visit the American Folk Art Museum in its current form at West 53rd Street, a building designed by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien. The building's new owners, MoMA have yet to announce its plans for the building.

Hampton Court Flower Show

WGSN-homebuildlife has just returned from the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show, the largest flower show in the world, running from July 5-10 just outside of London. Show gardens and conceptual gardens animate the landscape while plant, flower and garden product developers offer a huge array of living ideas for avid gardeners and amateurs alike. Here are the first few glimpses of some key elements at this year's Hampton Court.

HBL Book of the Week: Chroma

Line judge, Wimbledon, London; from Chroma: Celebrating colour in photography

Chroma: Celebrating colour in photography by Michel Pastoureau (Thames & Hudson, 2010) does exactly as its title states: through 336 photos, Pastoureau demonstrates again and again the power of colour. The book is divided into six sections - by colour of course: red, blue, green, yellow, white and black.