LDF 2011: Royal College of Art events

Solar Sintering by RCA graduate Markus Kayser - Sustain exhibition at the RCA

Tutors and students of London's Royal College of Art have lined up a whole itinerary of events during 2011's London Design Festival, from interactive installations and exhibitions to a collaboration with Italian fashion brand Fendi. Here's the complete HBL guide.

HBL Retail: Vintage wallpaper by Hemingway Design for Graham & Brown

Loopy Lines by Heminway Designs for Graham & Brown

Vintage is a capsule wallpaper collection created by Hemingway Design for UK brand Graham & Brown to celebrate the Festival of Britain's 60th anniversary (read our previous blog post to see how the South Bank is marking it). The range includes four designs, each of which takes its inspiration from a different decade of British creativity.

HBL Analysis: Soft accessories

Clochette Bed by En Fil D’Indienne

Cushions and throws are an ideal accessory with which to update and accessorise the home. Soft accessories add splashes of colour and texture to the domestic interior and offer customers an affordable way to experiment with the latest trends. WGSN-homebuildlife profiles the key trends across these product categories and offers interiors inspiration.

The Eden Project Bakery

The Eden Project bakery; photo: WGSN-homebuildlife

The Eden Project in Cornwall is a huge horticultural project founded by Tim Smit, an environmental activist who wanted "to create a place like nothing anyone had ever seen before; a place that explored human dependence on plants and the natural world; a place that demonstrated what could be done if people who wanted to make a difference got together."

Its many achievements include creating the world's largest manmade rainforest, building three awe-inspiring Biomes using sustainable construction techniques, and upholding a Waste Neutral program. The entire project uses sustainable, responsible and often groundbreaking systems and processes - and its in-house catering is no exception. All of the baked produce is created freshly on-site each day, in full view of visitors, and tableware is rustic and authentic.

LDF 2011: LEGO Greenhouse by Sebastian Bergne

London-based designer Sebastian Bergne will construct a life-size greenhouse, made entirely out of LEGO pieces, for the 2011 London Design Festival. The piece will be on display in Covent Garden, an area historically known for its garden trade, and will be a fully functioning greenhouse, housing a selection of real plants which will be lit up at night.

Rain by Andere Monjo

Photo by Emilie Lindsten

Dyes extracted from plants and vegetables are used to create the patterned tabletops of Andere Monjo's Rain series.

Masterpieces by Georg Jensen featuring Alfredo Häberli

Masterpieces by Georg Jensen featuring Alfredo Häberli

Celebrating the process of design, creative director Thomas Lykke of OeO created a film showing Alfredo Häberli at work, as he designs a range of kitchen accessories for Georg Jensen - launched at this year's Salone del Mobile.

Agnetha Sjögren's dog sculptures

Mr Globetrotter by Agnetha Sjögren

Swedish artist Agnetha Sjögren creates life-size sculptures of dogs, standing alert, using a base structure of wire and plaster and then a different surface material each time. These range from leathers, vintage fabrics and recycled materials to other, more unusual surfaces - such as Rioja, a dog who is made from the corks of wine bottles. Here are some of WGSN-homebuildlife's favourites from the collection.

HBL Events: Adhocracy

A new festival called Adhocracy takes place in London's Bethnal Green this weekend, promising "creative thought and activity celebrating D.I.Y. cultures, collective action, creativity and can-do". Organised by New Work Network, the event includes a series of talks by artists and activists, designer-maker stalls and workshops and an evening programme of films, music and performance.

HBL News: 500,000 of UK population will be over 100 by 2066

The UK's Department for Work and Pensions has issued new figures regarding the life expectancy of today's population, the BBC reports, including the startling estimation that by 2066, there will be at least half-a-million people aged over 100.

"A girl born this year has a one-in-three chance of reaching 100 years old and boys have a one-in-four chance. [Pensions Minister Steve] Webb said: 'The dramatic speed at which life expectancy is changing means that we need to radically rethink our perceptions about our later lives'."

HBL News: Third of adults use smartphone - Ofcom report

The BBC reports this morning on the findings of a new study by British regulator Ofcom, the Communications Market Report, which gives an overview of how the UK as a whole is using internet, radio, TV, and phone devices.

58% of adult males were found to use a smartphone, compared to 42% of females. Apple's iPhone is the favourite device, used by 32% of adults, however this was not the case for the teenage demographic, who prefer the BlackBerry (37% use one). Read the full BBC article for more.

On Display, Roomscapes of the Imagination at Barney's New York

"Love Me and Leave Me" by Rafael de Cárdenas

Barney's New York has dedicated the windows of its Madison Avenue flagship to "Roomscapes of the Imagination". On display are four installations that feature the works of designer/architect Rafael de Cárdenas, contemporary artist Joe Grillo, architects Peter Shelton and Lee F. Mindel of Shelton, Mindel & Associates, and interior designer Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz. The purpose of the display is to "blur the boundaries of design, and to create a cohesive work of art that reflects Barneys’ unique take on aesthetics," says Creative Director Dennis Freedman.