Nilufar presents Squat #3 in Beirut

Milan's Nilufar Gallery has collaborated with Galerie Balice Hertling to present the 3rd edition of its Squat exhibition concept - which combines design, art and architecture - in Beirut, Lebanon. The ongoing project takes place in a different location each time, interacting with different audiences and environments.

Wayfarer Furniture

New British design brand Wayfarer Furniture specialises in flatpack wooden furniture that's easy to assemble at home and more sustainable to package and transport.

Christmas 2013: shop window trends in Milan

De Padova 

At Christmas, Milan’s window displays are even more stunning than usually. This year, three trends emerged from the decked-out windows of the city's most stylish streets, such as Via Montenapoleone and Corso Venezia.

India-inspired homewares by Meera Lee Patel

Artist Meera Lee Patel creates illustrative homewares and stationery inspired by her native India, quiet stories and the mysteries of nature.

Portrait 360 by Gianluca Traina

Inspired by the warp and weft of fabric construction, Gianluca Traina printed a series of 3D portraits onto woven paper. Standard portraiture is transformed into a disjointed experience, causing us to question our assumptions: eyes and ears move to the back or bottom of the head, while noses protrude out of hair.

Objets Ostentatoire by Mathieu Frossard

Mathieu Frossard's vessel series, Objets Ostentatoire, explores the build-up of material to create layers of colour and texture. In line with our spring/summer 2014 macro trend, Neo Geo, the crafted objects resemble artefacts unearthed by future archaeologists.

Happy Holidays from Homebuildlife

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to all our readers!

Homebuildlife subscribers can see all our Christmas and Holiday reports, including our photo file of London's best festive lights - by clicking here. For more festive inspiration, you can also browse all of our Christmas-related blog posts.

Chic & Basic Mayerling hotel, Madrid

Part of the Chic & Basic family, the Mayerling hotel lives up to its name by providing minimalistic accommodation in the heart of Madrid.

The Natural Home by Hans Blomquist

Written by Swedish stylist Hans Blomquist with photos by Debi Treloar, The Natural Home guides readers through different ways to bring nature inside, with sections such as Still Life, Texture, Colour, and Plants and Flowers. A final section called Homes presents in-depth case studies of houses and apartments that epitomise the natural ideal.

Homebuildlife subscribers can explore natural interiors more in our trend report, Natural Structures & Materials.

Colour Capturing Cube by SwatchMate

SwatchMate has created a handheld device that is able to capture an exact colour. Users place the Cube on any coloured surface, where it pairs up with the Bluetooth on a smartphone and records the colour directly into Photoshop. Up to 20 colours can also be stored on the smartphone.

Italian food curated by 4COSE

Created by artists Cullinan Richards and Andrea Sassi of Dispari & Dispari Project, 4COSE sells a curated selection of the highest quality produce from Italy.

Four different products are available each month, chosen by Andrea, with the first exhibition showcasing salami and parmesan cheese from Reggio Emilia, Andrea's home town, and olive oil and pasta.

Illustrative children's rugs by Zugs

London-based children's rugs company Zugs will launch its first collection in March 2014. Made using 100% pure wool pile, each rug features a colourful character - there are eight designs in the range.