HBL News: H&M Home coming to the US

Previously available only in Europe, H&M Home will finally be coming to the US beginning Spring 2012. The collections, which launched in 2009, will be available only online for US shoppers - as is true for most of Europe, minus a handful of shop-in-shop experiences in selected stores including Stockholm.

Assemblage 3: Delicate Interference by Faye Toogood

Image courtesy of Phillips de Pury & Company

The new exhibition of British designer Faye Toogood’s third furniture collection Assemblage 3: Delicate Interference is now open at the Phillips de Pury gallery, for the 2011 London Design Festival. The pieces address the subjects of natural iridescence, voyeuristic fetishism, and obsessive preservation.

LDF 2011: LEGO Greenhouse by Sebastian Bergne launches in Covent Garden

The LEGO Greenhouse by Sebastian Bergne, which we previewed in an earlier post, has been unveiled in London's Covent Garden.

Mugtail

Mugtail by Kinto

WGSN-homebuildlife loves this porcelain mug, which doubles up as a tealight candle holder. A perfect example of our recent Creative Dining: Trend Analysis, Mugtail is designed by Japanese homeware company Kinto and is sold by Hong Kong’s Loveramics - one of the top exhibitors highlighted by HBL at Maison & Objet this week.

SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker by Bose

Electronics brand Bose yesterday launched the SoundLink® Wireless Mobile Speaker, a stylish portable music speaker which can connect wirelessly to any device enabled with Bluetooth.

Stolen From De Stijl: the autumn/winter collection by Darkroom

London retailers Darkroom will launch their first self-designed collection this month, to coincide with the London Design Festival and London Fashion Week. The collection will include accessories for men and women, and products for the home, and takes its influence from the De Stijl art and design movement of the 20th century - with an emphasis on angular shapes, bold colour and geometry.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from MoOD

Vanelli at Mood 2011

WGSN-homebuildlife reports live from MoOD 2011 in Brussels, highlighting the emerging trends from the influential fabrics fair:

Decorative ikat: Ikat is applied to decorative patterns and is given a contemporary update by blending contrasting colours together so that they shimmer across the fabric and through the designs.

Blurred geometric: A trend that softens the geometric, creating a more hand-crafted feel.

Kilim inspired: Turkish Kilims have had a revival and are recoloured and reinterpreted in jacquards and prints, as well as in cut velour velvet, as seen at Algemene.

Subscribers can read the full report here.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from Macef 2011

Rosenthal at Macef 2011

WGSN-homebuildlife reports live from Macef International Home Show in Milan, highlighting three emerging trends from the show:

Irregularity: Products that celebrate irregularities and flaws in their construction show a trend for unique, hand-crafted design.

Vintage: Nostalgic products from the past make a strong appearance and vintage tools are particularly prominent.

Do it yourself: Humble, lightweight and eco-friendly materials are used in inventive ways. Custom-cut cardboard objects and modular components can be easily tailored to meet the user's individual needs.

WGSN-homebuildlife subscribers can view the full live report here.

Edition Sous Etiquette at Maison & Objet

French design brand Edition Sous Etiquette were a highlight of the second edition of Maison & Objet this year, exhibiting a beautifully detailed rug made up of interlocking typographic characters in a monochrome colour palette.

Guilty, a Postmodernist luxury yacht by Ivana Porfiri

Photo by Andrea Ferrari; image via Yatzer

Greek Cypriot industrialist Dakis Joannou commissioned Italian designer Ivana Porfiri to create this luxury yacht in October 2005. Called Guilty, it features an external artwork by Jeff Koons and three decks of luxurious interiors, including white Corian floors, artwork from David Shrigley and many others, and statement pieces of furniture throughout.

HBL Analysis: Sustainable design for kids

Table Manners Set by FunFam

With the world’s population using natural resources faster than they can be replenished, the need for sustainable products has never been more urgent or more commercial. Kids' product designers are tackling this issue by using sustainable materials and increasing the longevity of their products, as well as taking care with packaging and distribution.

HBL Book of the Week: Menu Design in America, 1850–1985

Menu Design in America, 1850-1985 by culinary anthropologist Jim Heimann (Taschen, 2011) features nearly 800 of the best examples of its title, reproduced in full colour and accompanied by an essay on the history of menu design by graphic designer Steven Heller, and image notes by culinary historian John Mariani.