HBL Analysis: Strada redesign by De Matos Ryan and The Intro Partnership

Strada Royal Festival Hall, London

British restaurant chain Strada is undergoing a £5 million redesign by architects De Matos Ryan and brand consultants The Intro Partnership. The new look is being rolled out across the 70 existing UK restaurants, and has now been extended to five new-build fit-outs, which will include sites at Heathrow’s Terminal 3 and Westfield Stratford City.

HBL Retail: Cappellini's Milan showroom rebooted

Cappellini showroom, Milan

Cappellini have sent us photos of their newly renovated Milan showroom, which now features a bright yellow interior at the request of Giorgio Cappellini.

HBL News: iPads take over iPhones in web traffic

Smartphones and tablets were the route for 6.8% of web traffuc in the US in August, Mashable Tech reports - with iPads are now driving more web traffic than iPhones.

Using stats from analysts comScore, Mashable also report that 56% of tablet owners used their device to research product or price information from a specific store, with almost half of owners completing a purchase on their device. Read the full article here.

Textile Visualizations

Aiding designers battling the economic recession, Textile Visualizations saves the financial and timely burden of fabricating print and textile designs onto wallpapers, upholstered furniture and soft furnishings for potentially poorly captured photo-shoots, by creating photo-realistic computer-generated renderings. With a turnaround of 24 hours, Textile Visualizations ensures designers are communicating and showcasing the full potential of their designs and importantly, their portfolio stands out.

From Trash to Treasure: Designing Upcycling Systems

From Trash to Treasure book by Community Museum Project

Keeping the work alive: experimental creations from a workshop-generated exhibition, which reversed the consumption model of Take > Make > Waste to turn unwanted materials into new products, has been documented in a book.

HBL Retail: Monbento

French brand Monbento, designers of the lunchbox range which mixes French style with traditional bento objects, launched a number of new products at last month's Maison et Objet. These include miniature sauce cups, portable cutlery and a bright new colour option for the MB Original lunchbox.

HBL Retail: Raw Dice pop-up shop

Online design boutique Raw Dice moved offline too for the duration of last month's London Design Festival, setting up residence in the first floor of a building in Shoreditch, east London - one of the more experimental districts of the festival.

HBL Events: Les M creates giant Pillow for children's workshop

For a children’s workshop at the Centre Pompidou-Metz, Celine Merhand and Anaïs Morel of Les M Design Studio have created an environment which is soft and bright, with the introduction of Pillow - an interactive, giant floor cushion.

HBL Book of the Week Louis Vuitton: Architecture & Interiors

Louis Vuitton: Architecture & Interiors (Rizzoli, 2011), which hit bookstores in the US last Tuesday, explores the dynamics of the luxury brand's famous stores - from the spaces themselves to the merchandising and styling within (read our preview here). The video above takes you on a journey through the book, from initial sketches, plans and renderings to the finished spaces.

HBL loves: The limited edition, which features three different cover photographs and is available encased in a fabric slipcase bearing a silver, gold or copper monogram. These special editions will be sold exclusively in Louis Vuitton stores, with a pricepoint of $130 as compared to $85 for the regular edition.

Micro gardening by Midorie Design

Frame by Midorie Design

The micro gardening trend, seen by WGSN-homebuildlife at Tokyo's Interior Lifestyle 2011 expo, is spreading to Hong Kong, as ECOLS (profiled as one of the top ten interior shops in Asia in our recent report) is now stocking the space-saving Frame and Komidori plant by Midorie Design.

HBL Analysis: Bobble

Bobble water bottle

Bobble, the reusable water bottle that filters as you drink – designed by Karim Rashid – is now available in two new sizes; a mini-sized (13.oz/385ml) version intended for children and a larger-sized (34.oz/1L) version ideal for sports enthusiasts. WGSN-homebuildlife subscribers can click here to view a report with the latest trends for flasks and water bottles (where the original-sized Bobble was first featured).

HBL Analysis: Little Luxe

Little LUXE by Little Steps and LUXE City Guides

Little Steps and LUXE City Guides have collaborated to launch the Little LUXE series of city guides designed for families on the go. Currently available for Hong Kong and Singapore, the guides are packed with recommendations on the best family friendly restaurants, activities, shopping and hotels.

WGSN-homebuildlife subscribers can click here to view a trend analysis report on playful hospitality interiors aimed primarily at children.