Para at Proposte 2012

Para at Prosposte 2012

Italian brand Para is presenting a mix of ethnic, British-inspired and graphic contemporary designs, all digitally printed onto natural fibres, at Proposte this week.

Digital printing: Live from Proposte 2012

Magniarredo at Prosposte 2012

Digital printing is the future, is the key message to emerge from Italian textile fair Proposte this year. The technique is considered to be a faster and easier method than flat screen and rotary printing techniques.

Live from: Brimfield Antique Market

Brimfield Antique & Collectables Show in Brimfield, Massachusetts, is one of the largest and best-known vintage markets in the US. Vendors bring their best, most relevant wares to the show, and designers, decorators, retailers and enthusiasts from around the country flock to the small rural town to dig for treasure. Here are some of the key trends to emerge from this season's market.

Pretty Ugly: Visual Rebellion in Design

Pretty Ugly: Visual Rebellion in Design by TwoPoints.Net (Gestalten, 2012) explores an emerging design approach that spans product design, print, art, graphics and visual communication. The new book profiles the "trailblazers of tomorrow's design" - who use dragging, pixellation and otherwise digitally-inspired techniques to create a visual mash-up of styles and references.

Davide Groppi at Milan 2012

Italian designer Davide Groppi showed a new outdoor lighting system at Salone del Mobile 2012 last month, displayed in the historic atmosphere of Chiostri dell’Umanitaria alongside furniture by Paola Lenti.

The Tale of Two Craftsmen

For Issue 3 of Boat Magazine, filmmaker Miles Langley has documented a very special collaboration between two men passionate about keeping traditional craft practices alive. The short film follows Jake Burger, founder of London's Ginstitute and creator of Portobello Road Gin, as he works with ornamental glass artist David A. Smith to create a series of bespoke mirrors for the institute's gin museum.

WGSN-homebuildlife subscribers can read more about contemporary drinks culture in our recent report, Coffee to Cocktails.

The Shops at Target: Polka Dog Bakery

Polka Dog Bakery for Target

Polka Dog Bakery's founders, Rob Van Sickle and Deb Gregg, launched their pastry shop 10 years ago in honour of a one-eyed rescue dog named Pearl, and have been feeding the Boston dog population ever since.

Now part of the The Shops at Target initiative, which launched over the weekend, they talk to WGSN-homebuildlife about their inspirations and the collaboration that is set to make their brand a household name.

Patricia Urquiola for Baccarat

Patricia Urquiola for Baccarat

Crystal brand Baccarat has collaborated with Patricia Urquiola on Variations, a new collection of stemware and vases. Each piece is made of hand-crafted cut crystal and features a different configuration of 6 core shapes, inspired by Urquiola's memories of her father composing music at the piano.

HBL Blog of the Week: Loveliness

Loveliness

Great for print inspiration, Loveliness gathers together a diverse selection of illustration, photography, art, and pop culture memorabilia; the most recent posts on any given day can range from EP covers to animated GIFs, pencil sketches and watercolour paintings.

Four chairs by JAILmake

Pictured left to right: Evening, Afternoon, Noon, and Morning by JAILmake

London-based studio JAILmake has designed a series of four solid ash chairs which encourage increasing stages of relaxation throughout the day; from narrow chairs to work from in the morning to a rocking chair for the later stages of the afternoon, and a lounge chair for the evening.

Paper Music by Molo Design

Softwall by Molo at Milan Design Week 2012

Understanding the possibilities a material like paper has when removed from its primary purposes provides a realm of creative opportunities for designers. Canadian design company Molo took hold of this at Milan Design Week, creating an installation for MOST made entirely from paper.

The Sill brings houseplants to New York City

The Sill is a new retail website focused on houseplants in unique, high style containers. The Brooklyn-based company, founded by Eliza Blank and Gwen Blevens, aims to make owning and giving houseplants as easy as ordering a pizza in New York City by offering delivery to Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn beginning mid-May.