Norway's National Tourist Routes

Stegastein lookout, National Tourist Route Aurlandsfjellet. Architect: Todd Saunders, Saunders Wilhelmsen. ©Photo: Todd Saunders

Eighteen scenic routes around Norway's countryside allow visitors to explore the country's beautiful landscapes from north to south. Along many of the routes, isolated houses and architectural vantage points emphasise the contrast between the manmade environment and its natural predecessor. In advance of WGSN-homebuildlife's A/W 12/13 macrotrend, Eco Hedonism, the routes embody "the pleasure that the tactile beauty of nature brings".

LDF 2011: Wood & Woad at Few & Far

Pinch

London lifestyle boutique Few and Far will host a celebration of British craftsmanship during London Design Festival 2011. A show within the shop, called Wood and Woad, will feature a mix of handmade products including furniture by Pinch, ceramics by Billy Lloyd, preserves by Wendy Brandon and decorative accessories from Jane Baven.

HBL Blog of the Week: The Closet

Founded by Monica Bogliolo and Marco Russo, Italian blog The Closet covers design, art, fashion, architecture and lifestyle. Its grid format presents a snapshot of each story, so that you can browse quickly and easily until you find something that you want to know more about.

HBL loves: the unusual content. You will find things on The Closet that you haven't seen featured anywhere else - which is an increasingly rare trait for a design blog to have.

HBL News: London retail counts cost as looting and arson spread

Retailers are today counting the cost of a wave of looting, vandalism and violence that spread across London for a third day on Monday. Stores are also upping security as the danger of further looting and even arson remains high. WGSN reporters have seen groups of local shopkeepers standing guard outside stores armed with baseball bats.

Good-looking and responsible design

Zartan, a biodegradable chair designed by Philippe Starck & Eugeni Quitlet for Magis

Design critic Alice Rawsthorn's latest column for the New York Times focuses on the ever-present issue of sustainability within design. In an interesting analysis, Rawsthorn contrasts designs which succeed aesthetically with those that succees ecologically - and asks why the two qualities so rarely meet in one product.

Read the full piece here.

HBL Retail: Hemingway & Pickett, Los Angeles

Hemingway & Pickett, LA

WGSN-homebuildlife highlights one of the latest additions to the boutique retail culture in Silverlake, Los Angeles. Founded by Toby Burke Hemingway, Hemingway & Pickett offers striking art, design and furniture from Australia alongside local curated items.

LDF 2011: Salon by Lee Broom

Salon by Lee Broom

British designer Lee Broom will launch a new collection of furniture, Salon, at London Design Festival 2011. Comprised of an armchair, dining chair, sofa, footstool, drum seat and cushions, the collection is Broom's fifth, and the first one to be upholstered.

The BMW Guggenheim Lab

The BMW Guggenheim Lab has opened in New York City on Houston St at 2nd Ave. The Lab is a mobile laboratory traveling to nine major cities worldwide over six years. Led by international, interdisciplinary teams of emerging talents in the areas of urbanism, architecture, art, design, science, technology, education, and sustainability, the Lab addresses issues of contemporary urban life through programs and public discourse. Its goal is the exploration of new ideas, experimentation, and ultimately the creation of forward-thinking solutions for city life. It is on view in NYC through October 16, 2011, before travelling to Berlin and a city in Asia, to be announced later this year.

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.