HBL Exhibitions: Meet Design, Turin

The outdoor: Dror Benshetrit (Tron Armchair for Cappellini) and Philippe Starck (Archimoon for Flos)

After a successful exhibition in the breathtaking scenery of the historic Market of Trajan in Rome (as pictured here), Meet Design is coming to Turin. From 4th November 4 until 25th January 2012, at Palazzo Bertalazone di San Fermo in Turin, the exhibition will take place - coinciding with celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy.

To Make A Tree by Fabio Novembre at Qubique

Fiat and Fabio Novembre's To Make A Tree installation is currently on show at Qubique, the next-generation tradeshow taking place in Berlin's disused Tempelhof airport this week.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from Qubique

Welter at Qubique 2011

WGSN-homebuildlife highlights the emerging trends from the first-ever Qubique, held at Berlin's disused Tempelhof airport and billed as a "next-generation trade show":

Show your working: Qubique's organisers have dedicated a section of the fair called Qubique Factory to exposing the manufacturing process of esteemed companies such as Thonet, which is showing a steam-bending machine. Other brands and designers show artisans at work within their stands or have installed working machines in their spaces.

Pleating: This traditional technique is applied to materials including paper and wood veneer to imbue solid materials with the flexibility usually associated with fabric and create a surprising contrast.

Imperfection: The flaws and one-off quirks that cause an object to be deemed imperfect or damaged are celebrated as desirable features. These range from the patina of aged and weathered metals to patched and darned rugs, unfinished ceramic surfaces and a timeworn wooden table encased in resin to preserve its appearance.

Subscribers, read the entire live report here.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from Dutch Design Week 2011

Rachel Griffin at Design Academy Eindhoven, Dutch Design Week 2011

WGSN-homebuildlife reports on the emerging trends at Dutch Design Week 2011 in Eindhoven:

Haptic experiences: Soft surfaces and unusual textures that invite the user to touch and play are found on the most unexpected of objects. Lighting designs that are draped in fabric, unexpectedly soft surfaces and highly textured hard surfaces are all popular design features.

Design that cares: A prominent theme throughout the exhibitions is design for the sick, disabled and elderly. Designers address specific illnesses such as dementia and diabetes, while others seek to improve social conditions and create a more inclusive society through the manufacturing and making of objects.

Post digital: Many designers explored what kind of design will emerge in the post digital age. While 3D printing, social networking and urbanisation were popular themes, other designers such as Rachel Griffin are exploring how traditional craft and new industrial processes and materials can be intertwined.

Subscribers can read the live briefing here, and can access the full report from the fair early next week.

WELOVEART presents BOOM-box

Taking the concept of a boom-box to the extreme, 1024 Architecture has teamed up with arts events consultancy WELOVEART to install BOOM-box at the Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris. It is an electronic stage that they say will "make u freak".

Paul Smith for Maggie's Centre

Paul Smith has designed the interiors of the newest of the 15 Maggie’s Centre buildings, situated in the grounds of Nottingham City Hospital. The building, which has been designed by architect Piers Gough, will offer support and care for those affected by cancer.

HBL Retail: Clements Ribeiro for John Lewis

Design duo Clements Ribeiro have launched a limited edition cushion for John Lewis. The new design draws inspiration from vintage trends mixed with dip-dye detailing to give the cushion what the pair refer to as a "confident edge". It is available in blue and chocolate brown, and is priced at £75.

HBL Book of the Week: Gaveta de Bolso

Gaveta de Bolso by Juliana Cunha and Luda Lima

Gaveta de Bolso by Juliana Cunha and Luda Lima (Ed. Prólogo, 2011) is a book with a plus: it allows the reader to be part of it. With words by 23 year old Brazilian journalist Juliana and illustrations by 27 year old Ludmila (also Brazilian), Gaveta de Bolso (something like "pocket drawer") is an interactive book, suggesting ideas and lists to be completed by the reader in a playful and quirky way.

Design Academy Eindhoven: Top five graduation projects 2011

The Synergy of Colour by Yannic Alidarso, Design Academy Eindhoven, Art Direction by Petra Janssen, Photography by Femke Rijerman

WGSN-homebuildlife is currently visiting Dutch Design Week 2011 in Eindhoven, a highlight of which is the graduation show at the prestigious Design Academy Eindhoven. This year the presented projects are organised under the categories of Human, Nurture, Delight, Useful, Conscious, City, Nature and Masters. As explained by Academy Chairwoman and curator of the exhibition Ilse Crawford, the themes are "deliberately ordinary because design is at its best when it addresses real needs. These are all projects that have a firm connection to life and a desire to make sense of it."

Here are our top five projects from the show. Look out for the top twenty projects, which will be published on WGSN-homebuildlife next week.

HBL Retail: The Lollipop Shoppe's new store

British retail brand The Lollipop Shoppe have sent us photos of their new Brighton shop, which opened last week after relocating to The Lanes, a thriving shopping area known for its independent and off-beat stores.

HBL News: The State of World Population 2011

Quinta Monroy housing project by Alejandro Aravena: houses which residents can complete themselves. Image via Elemental

British broadsheet The Observer reported on Sunday that the United Nations' major forthcoming report, The State of World Population 2011, will warn that "the world's population could more than double than 15 billion by the end of this century". Read the full article here.

Meanwhile, with perfect timing, design critic Justin McGuirk's latest column takes as its starting point Gary Justwit's latest documentary, Urbanized, and goes on to consider what makes a city habitable, and the rising popularity of "citizen participation" - from houses which residents complete themselves to community gardens in abandoned areas of Detroit. Read it here.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from High Point

Jonathan Adler at High Point 2011

Decorative accessories are refreshed with the revival of nested product, while black and white colour combinations see no sign of fading for the interior market. Here's our edit of the emerging trends from High Point Market's Fall 2011 edition.

HBL News: Floormaker launch

Floormaker is a website that has been recently launched to offer consumers a rare chance to buy a range of flooring online for both commercial and domestic flooring projects. Floormaker’s purchasing manager, Michael Evans, said: “Flooring sold on the internet is a rapidly growing market. These days, people are just as happy to choose their flooring online as from DIY and stand-alone flooring stores, so launching this website to make our extensive range of products available directly to the consumer makes good business sense.”

HBL Blog of the Week: Margaret & Joy

Run by two professional tabletop directors and food photographers, Margaret & Joy is the perfect example of a great lifestyle blog. Photo-montages of culinary adventures, roadtrips and fresh produce are updated regularly, and everything relates to the local food movement. "Farm to table, local, organic, real, delicious, beautiful and textural are the things that inspire us," the pair state.

HBL loves: the series of posts which look to films for inspiration - including, most recently, The Wings of the Dove.

Daniel Buren for Hermès at Villa Panza

Once home to the famous Italian art collector Giuseppe Panza, Villa Panza is now one of FAI Fondo Ambiente Italiano’s properties – where Hermès is currently presenting its new wearable art project realized by the French artist Daniel Buren.

HBL News: Ikea to build eco-homes for Olympics

Ikea has announced that its first British housing development will be located in Stratford, next to the Olympic Park, the London Evening Standard reports.

The Strand East development, built by the investment arm of the brand Inter Ikea, will comprise 1200 homes, with 40% of the properties planned to be three-bedroom homes. Read the full story here.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from Bangkok International Gift and Homewares Fair

WGSN-homebuildlife reports live from Bangkok International Gift and Homewares Fair, Thailand, highlighting the emerging trends from the show so far:

China girl: Products referencing specifically Chinese styles abounded both in terms of colour palette and motifs. Footed woven baskets in glossy lacquer red or purple, birdcage-inspired tasselled hanging lanterns in black or white as well as ceramics, batik prints and embroidery depicting fish, butterflies and flowers.

Dark side: Mixing materials within a single design came to the fore on both furniture and accessories this season. Natural finishes contrast with man-made and engineered components, frequently combined with black gloss, matt black metal or a sleek, black stain.

Tribal brights: Ethnic-inspired woven rugs, baskets, vessels and textiles and rustic glazed ceramics are seen in a vibrant palette of red, yellow and orange tempered by blues and greens representing the natural elements.

Subscribers can read the full piece here.

San Pantaleo, Sardinia: print & pattern inspiration

In the second round of our photo highlights from Sardinia, we focus on print and pattern - with vibrant examples found on everything from fabric to tiles.

San Pantaleo, Sardinia: surface inspiration

On a recent trip to Sardinia, WGSN was inspired by the surfaces, textures, colours and patterns of San Pantaleo. In the first in a series of photo highlights, we focus on the sun-baked surfaces, worn and rough textures, and sandy colour palettes of the local area.

Grayson Perry at Louis Vuitton New Bond Street

British artist Grayson Perry has created an installation for the Louis Vuitton New Bond Street Maison to coincide with Perry's exhibition at the British Museum, The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman. The installation touches on ideas of craftsmanship, identity and contemporary culture, further exploring topics from the exhibition.

HBL Exhibitions: Ascent by Barber Osgerby

Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby © Barber Osgerby, 2011. Courtesy Haunch of Venison. Photo: Peter Mallet

Haunch of Venison's latest exhibition, running until 19 November at their Burlington Gardens gallery, showcases a new body of work by London design duo Barber Osgerby. The project, called Ascent, includes eight new pieces which were informed by the structures of movement. The designers drew from their childhoods for the project - where boat design and aeroplanes, respectively, were a source of fascination.

Microbial Home by Philips Design

Microbial Home by Philips Design

Philips has launched Microbial Home, a design project which explores sustainable solutions to energy, waste, lighting, food preservation, cleaning, grooming and human waste management. The project is a proposal for an integrated cyclical ecosystem where each function's output is another's input - entirely recycling what would normally be considered as waste.

HBL Retail: Cire Trudon, London

The French candle manufacturer has opened its first permanent boutique outside of France, choosing London's Chiltern Street - an area that is currently getting a lot of retail attention thanks to a number of niche boutique and cafe openings.

Swallowable Parfum by Lucy McRae

SWALLOWABLE PARFUM® from Lucy McRae on Vimeo.

With the help of biologist Sheref Mansy, body architect Lucy McRae has developed Swallowable Parfum: a digestible capsule which consists of synthesised fragrant lipid molecules that mimic the structure of normal human fat molecules.

HBL Tradeshows: Super Design 2011

Super Design 2011, London

WGSN-homebuildlife presents the key trends from the fifth edition of Super Design, the annual design-art show, which brings together a selection of international galleries during London's Frieze Art Fair.

HBL Analysis: 72 hours in Berlin - Kids' lifestyle focus

Image via writingthroughthefog.com

Berlin has long been an essential destination for style aficionados, who are drawn to its progressive, inspirational and creative energy. WGSN's Kids' Lifestyle team visited to report on the best locations for retail and vintage inspiration.

HBL Analysis: TREEKids

Image Copyright: TREE

Hong Kong-based sustainable furniture company, TREE launched a kids range that is designed to grow with children through the years. The bedroom sets include bunk beds, single beds with hidden pull out trundle mattresses, work desk sets and storage solutions.

HBL News: Trump Tower Manila to be furnished by Hermès

Rendering of the library at Trump Tower Manila

Century Properties have announced that Trump Tower Manila, an upcoming condominium project in Manila, Philippines, will be the first project of its kind to feature Hermès home collections in the amenity and common areas.

HBL Blog of the Week: Design China

After spending the past few years working with the Chinese design industry, blogger Zarah Arshad decided to set up Design China. Through this blog she aims to document exactly what is happening in the world of design in China, after she noticed a distinct lack of information on the industry.

After two years preparation, she has just launched the fantastic Design China blog, providing a great platform for China's flourishing design industry: "It has become increasingly apparent that so much is happening in the field of design here, yet there is not one place to access the information for it. Design China aims to fill that gap," she explains.

HBL loves: The recent blogpost on Li Naihan, a designer whose latest collection explores solutions for modern, mobile living.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from Manila FAME International 2011

Hacienda Crafts at Manila FAME International 2011

The WGSN-homebuildlife team reports live from Manila FAME in the Philippines, highlighting three trends to emerge from the show so far:

Indigo: Filipino craftsmen create products in a variety of indigenous and recycled materials that pay homage to spiritualism, tribal ikats and the sea. Bamboo, raffia, abaca, abalone, capiz shell and driftwood are are coloured in a palette of blues and whites.

Graffiti: Inspired by the handicraft movement, products are geared towards self-expression, blending pop culture and cosmopolitan city life.

Naturalist: Targeting today’s environmentally aware consumers, products are inspired by nature and created from raw and indigenous materials from the Philippines.

Subscribers can see our full live report, including the top three exhibitors, here.

HBL Retail: New lighting by Baroncelli

Rex wall light by Baroncelli

Italian lighting brand Baroncelli, specialists in Murano glass techniques, have launched a new lighting series - including Decorex International 2011's Best Contemporary Product, the Rex wall light, which provides an interesting preview into how lighting design will adapt to the phasing out of the incandescent bulb.

HBL Retail: Hobo, Indonesia

WGSN-homebuildlife takes a look at new brand Hobo's first store, which has recently opened in Seminyak, Bali. The store presents a collection of furniture and homeware that celebrates the crafts and skills of local Indonesian artisans.

Curisma, a flash sale site for tech junkies

In the spirit of Gilt Groupe and Fab.com, Curisma is a new flash sale site that concentrates on tech. The name is a hybrid word from curiosity, curates and charisma, and the members-only shop also functions as a tech social media site, with features that allow members to rate items and choose products that go on sale. Products include the coolest, and newest gadgets in technology, including the solar charging tree featured in our recent Wow Me! report.

WGSN-homebuildlife subscribers can read Wow Me!, our latest report on the ten most exciting products that have hit the home market.

HBL Exhibitions: Wild at Home by Robert Stadler

WGSN-homebuildlife takes a look at the pieces designed by Robert Stadler for Wild At Home, held at Triple V gallery in Paris from 9th September - 15th October.

Stadler's aim was to explore how an object can alter the place it is given to live in. As he explains, "With few exceptions, like for example the popularity of open-plan kitchens, the layout of our apartments rarely changes. Objects are always found in the same place and individual experiments remain rare: the electric outlet in the ceiling determines the position of the lamp beneath which a table is placed, around which chairs are positioned, and further on a television opposite a sofa."

HBL News: Monocle launch 24-hour radio channel

Monocle 24 studio

Magazine and retail brand Monocle launched their new radio service last night. Called Monocle 24, the service sees contributors record four live shows each day, 365 days a year, in a purpose-built, state-of-the-art studio located in the London headquarters of the brand.

HBL Events: Carte Blanche at Silencio

Wire Chair by David Lynch

David Lynch's new Parisian night club, Silencio (previewed on WGSN-homebuildlife here), is to host a programme of events called Carte Blanche. The first, week-long edition will take place 21-27 October and will see a limited edition of 25 Lynch-designed Wire Chairs sold exclusively at Colette - as well as curated film and literary programs to be held within the club itself.

HBL Book of the Week: Forty Six Square Metres of Land Doesn't Normally Become a House

Forty Six Square Metres of Land Doesn't Normally Become a House (Thames & Hudson, 2011) by Melbourne-based architect Stuart Harrison focuses on, as the title suggests, tiny houses. Harrison explains that, "Australians have the biggest houses in the world, and these are often both big and pretty bad, so I was keen to show how smaller compact housing could be good, well-designed and part of a more shared idea of the city." Through case studies of 45 small dwellings, Harrison does just that.

Enza

Image Credit: i-am Associates

Enza is a new Turkish lifestyle brand launched in Istanbal. The store’s retail concept - created by ‘i-am’ Associates - features isolated browsing areas and various experience zones, each aiming at different customer types.

HBL Retail: 2011 collection by Pigr

Photosyntesis Lamp by Meirav Peled Barzilay

From the world to Milan: Italian retailer Pigr is not yet 2 years old (it was officially presented at the Salone del Mobile 2010), but it makes itself heard. Headquartered in Milan, Pigr asks young designers around the world to present their projects, which it then sells through an online boutique.

Studioware exhibition at Gallery Fumi

Studioware at Gallery Fumi

Studioware: articles made in the studio for domestic use is the current exhibition hosted by Gallery Fumi, showing work from designers Max Lamb, Johannes Nagel and Studio Glithero.

HBL VM: Contemporary artisan since 1837 by Hermès

Hermès, London

Hermès' contemporary artisan since 1837 ad campaign is translated in its windows this month, in a similar style to Neville Johnson's display in July: black thread is looped and woven around strategically placed pins to create a striking image against the white backdrop.

HBL Analysis: Tyvek

Phrena 2 by Karl Zahn

WGSN-homebuildlife takes a look at Tyvek's properties and many uses within construction, personal protection, interior products and print and packaging.

Benjamin Hubert for De La Espada

Quarry by Benjamin Hubert

British designer Benjamin Hubert, who has been shortlisted in the International FX Awards for Breakthrough Talent of the Year 2011, has launched five new products for design firm De La Espada.

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.