Up-and-coming designers showcased at La Rinascente

Adobe desk tools in terracotta by Ilaria Innocenti

Eleven SaloneSatellite 2013 participants have been selected from over 700 designers under the age of 35 to be have their work sold at department store La Rinascente's Design Supermarket in Milan in the run-up to Christmas.

World Architects sideboards by Malabar

Portuguese design brand Malabar's World Architects collection includes sideboards inspired by architects including Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe and Norman Foster.

Elevated Vases by Muuto

Designed by Thomas Bentzen for Scandinavian design brand Muuto, this two-part vase is made of blown glass and solid ash.

Cersaie 2013: the shower experience

Makro at Cersaie 2013

Inspired by Turkish baths and relaxation rituals, bathroom furnishings brands are launching modern shower boxes, a trend seen at this year's Cersaie.

Blanks In Between by Workshop For Potential Design

Roughed Out Soldiers by Peter Marigold

One of the most interesting exhibitions during the London Design Festival this month was Blanks In Between, a project by speculative design practice Workshop For Potential Design in which six designers considered negative space, unused potential, and the ideas that come from blankness.

Anastasia Cederstrema at 100% Design

Featured as an emerging designer at 100% Design last week, Anastasia Cederstrema uses metal, leather and mirror LED light panels to create her bespoke surfaces.

Modular furniture by Cubiix at 100% Design

British furniture company Cubiix showcased its modular furniture collection at 100% Design in Earls Court last week. The lightweight range is made from plastic and can be used as shelving, TV stands, coffee tables, room dividers or to make a versatile work space.

Madeline Weinrib pop-up shop at CoutureLab

Madeline Weinrib's collection of Ikat woven cushions and luxurious home accessories are currently on show at a pop-up shop at COUTURELAB in Belgravia, London.

Lookalike tiling at Cersaie 2013

Vives at Cersaie 2013

One of the first important trends spotted in the tiling halls of Cersaie this year is one where tiles are made to look like wallpaper or carpeting. Floral prints, panelling, faded motifs, woven effects, stone and porcelain are multiplying the possibilities of tiling, taking it outside of the bathroom and kitchen and into the realm of full interior decoration.

The Nesfield Collection by Liberty

London department store Liberty has launched a new range of interiors furnishings, fabrics and paints. The Nesfield Collection features both archive and new Liberty's designs, and is divided into five colour groups, each borrowed from England's most famous landscapes.

Antolini at 100% Design

This collection of natural stone by Italian brand Luigi Antolini was illuminated and framed at 100% Design last week, and is designed to add a luxurious feel to surfaces.

The Weaver of Dreams by Kit Kemp at Decorex 2013

Interior designer Kit Kemp has created the feature entrance for luxury interiors trade show Decorex this year. Inspired by The Silk Route, the show's 2013 theme, Kemp's design uses a palette of hot spice colours and a luxurious range of textures including embroidered felt, boiled wool and silk.

OverNight by Odd Matter

Currently on show at west London's Vessel Gallery, this series of lighting by design studio Odd Matter is made of stained glass panels held together by electro-plated copper.

Loose Thread by Okay Studio & Friends

Shai Akram

London-based design collective Okay Studio invited a group of their friends and fellow designers to exhibit in Mod_ular Blanc, Ben Sherman's gallery space, during the London Design Festival this month.

The show's title, Loose Thread, is reflected in pieces that explore nut and screw mechanisms, clothing-inspired details, and ideas of balance.

Studio Skandium at LDF 2013

Sketch development by Emma Lonsdale for Studio Skandium

Design store Skandium introduced four new products to its in-house range, Studio Skandium, last week. A mini exhibition at its Brompton Road store showed the making process of the pieces, displaying samples and original sketches next to final fabrics, and foam and paper models next to production ceramic pieces.

Floral Friday Competition: creative uses of Instagram

Photo by @annettabosakova

Emily Quinton of The Startup Wife blog started the Floral Friday competition on Instagram as a way of engaging fans of flowers, while at the same time building up an ever-changing moodboard of gorgeous blooms created by the Instagram community.

Phillip Henderson Studio at 100% Design

Phillip Henderson Studio exhibited four pieces from its collection of bespoke wooden furniture at 100% Design last week.

Dry: cocktails and pizza in Milan

Following the success of their restaurant Pisacco, chef Andrea Berton, architect Tiziano Vudafieri, lawyer and sommelier Diego Rigatti, and entrepreneur Giovanni Fiorin have launched Dry, a new cocktail bar and gourmet pizzeria in Milan.

Ole Jensen for Room Copenhagen

Room Copenhagen has launched a collection of kitchen utensils designed in collaboration with Danish designer Ole Jensen. The collection includes products for storage, cooking and serving, all with a soft rounded design and shape and size variations that prioritise functionality. The ceramic pieces are all handmade.

Seletti's 2014 collection

Sauria by Carolina Grassi + Lilli Bertoni

A playful lifestyle and a new idea of beauty are the driving forces of the new Seletti collection, which launched at trade shows Maison & Objet in Paris and Macef in Milan this season.

Ice cream clouds by Front

Häagen-Dazs has just released its new Christmas dessert, a collaboration with Swedish designers Front. Two soft and playful clouds, sprinkled with snowy flakes, are filled with icecream and biscuit. 

Parris Wakefield Additions at Tent London

Parris Wakefield Additions presented a wide range of accessories and textile for the home during the latest edition of Tent London, part of the London Design Festival.

California Sunshine by Andy Martin

London-based artist and architect Andy Martin is displaying a series of cast polyester resin furniture at Northington Street Gallery this week. California Sunshine is the artist's first solo exhibition in London, and showcases the vivid light effects of each piece by placing them in a minimal, white-walled room.

Kind + Jugend Innovation Awards

Mingo multifunctional toy by Educational Toy Design

Kind + Jugend 2013 in Cologne opened yesterday and showcased the innovation and extraordinary design available in new products for babies and children, with the presentation of the Kind + Jugend Innovation Awards. Stand-out products organised in eight categories embraced multi-functionality and sustainability, two strong themes at the fair.

From The Floor Up by Tai Ping and Fabrica

Fields by Valentina Carretta

From the Floor Up is the result of a collaboration between rug manufacturer Tai Ping and Fabrica's team of emerging talents under the creative leadership of Sam Baron. The eight designers transformed Tai Ping rungs into unique works of art, inspired by different themes such as raindrops, curtains, fallen trees, frames and dogs.

KidsroomZoom! at Kind + Jugend 2013

Studio delle Alpi at kidsroomZoom!, Kind + Jugend 2013

Cologne-based fair Kind + Jugend included a special design area this year to reflect the increasing importance of individuality and lifestyle trends within contemporary children's design. kidsroomZoom! was curated by Paulo Noé from Milan-based design project Unduetrestella, and featured 40 independent brands from Europe as well as newcomers from countries such as Argentina and Poland.

Jakob+Macfarlane x Ricard: the power of two

Ricard Duo by Jakob+Macfarlane

Ricard has recently commissioned architecture and design duo Jakob+Macfarlane to create a new carafe for the brand. The pair chose to develop two carafes, to symbolise the strong union of Ricard and water - the two indissociable components of the famous drink.

Tarantella rug collection by Luke Irwin

St Fazzio rug by Luke Irwin

Luke Irwin has launched a new collection of Tibetan and Persian hand-knotted rugs called Tarantella. The collection is inspired by a rare manuscript dating back to 1876, celebrating regional Italian design and traditional Neapolitan folk dance.

Sooncho Textiles at 100% Design

Toronto-based textile artist Soon Cho is showing a collection of handmade lighting designs and art installations at 100% Design this week. The lights are handmade from materials such as crystals, acrylic beads and poly organza fabric to create a magical dreamlike atmosphere.

Desktop accessories by Industrial Facility

British design studio Industrial Facility is showing a preview of its new desktop range for Herman Miller this week. The brand's retail pop-up, Retail Facility, displays the new items next to other pieces in its collection as well as giving a glimpse into the design and development process involved in making them.

Mini Moderns Remix at East London Design Store

British design brand Mini Moderns invited a selection of other designers to 'remix' its products for the London Design Festival this year. The results, on show at the East London Design Store this week, range from lavender pillows by Daniela Gargiulo, made in the brand's C60 cassette tape print, to patterned glassware by Rimmington Vian.

Josiah bluetooth speaker: Live from 100% Design

Josiah Speaker by Anythingby

100% Design opened today at Earls Court, with halls dedicated to interiors, ecological design, kitchens and bathrooms, offices, emerging brands and international designers.

British brand Anythingby showed the ceramic Josiah bluetooth speaker, designed by Yair Neuman, which combines style with a clever dual purpose: cutouts at the top mean that users can store keys, phones or even small plants in it.

Ace Hotel, London

The first Ace Hotel outside the US has opened its doors in east London. The hotel occupies the building that was once home to the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Shoreditch High Street, connecting Old Street with Hackney and the City.

London Design Guide 2014-15: the best of the city's design in your pocket

Max Fraser has released the new version of his London Design Guide to coincide with this year's London Design Festival. The 2014-15 edition includes more than 150 shops, galleries and museums, as well as Fraser's pick of the city's best design-led restaurants, bars and cafes.

Donna Wilson's 10th anniversary pop-up

British designer Donna Wilson is celebrating the tenth anniversary of her company with a pop-up shop and exhibition, which opened tonight and runs until Sunday. The pop-up houses an interactive photo booth, where visitors can guest star alongside huge versions of the brand's famous knitted creatures, a raindrop installation that will grow as the week goes on, and the launch of the autumn/winter 2013 collection.

Lee Broom launches Electra House

Photo by James Harris

Lee Broom will open his first retail space, Electra House, in Shoreditch today. The showroom will be filled with new pieces, including an upholstery collection called Quilt, a collection of glass candlesticks called Fulcrum and a light fitting called Carousel.

BoConcept chairs re-styled for Kids Company

BoConcept Imola chair re-styled by Melanie Porter

Danish design brand BoConcept has teamed up with ten designers, including Timorous Beasties, Melanie Porter and Nina Campbell, to re-style its Imola chair for charity.

The results are currently on show at the company's Tottenham Court Road store and will be auctioned off this Thursday, with proceeds going to Kids Company, a charity that works with children and young people.

Harvest Festival at Luna & Curious

East London design boutique Luna & Curious has been transformed into a hay-strewn harvest festival for the London Design Festival this year.

Time is a treasure by Nacho Carbonell

Interested in revitalising the tradition of the Decorative Arts, Parisian Gallery BSL commissioned designers to create works from wood, hard stones, and copper, brass or bronze - the original materials of the historic movement.

Nacho Carbonell chose to create a collection of clocks out of bronze and agate, the original materials used in clock-making.

The saMPLE Collection by Label Aleph

The saMPLE collection colour palette

For the saMPLE Collection, Chinese design studio Label Aleph invited nine Dutch designers to create products complementing its Unique Series - a collection of coloured porcelain cups and carafes designed by the studio's founder, Carola Zee.

Endless Stair at LDF 2013

The London Design Festival's Landmark Project this year is Endless Stair, a timber installation by dRMM that is inspired by the optical illusions of Dutch graphic artist M. C. Escher.

Ladurée's first ever Parisian honey

Renowned sweets and gourmandises maker Ladurée has launched a new collection of honey, 100% made in Paris. The bee hives are located in the heart of the 7th arrondissement, where the 600, 000 bees are protected from any pesticides, right in the busy capital. 

Deus Ex Machina: motorbikes & coffee in Milan

Recently opened motorcycle shop/cafe/bar/barbershop Deus Ex Machina is located in Milan's up-and-coming Isola neighbourhood. Hip motorbikes, fixed-gear bikes and surfboards are displayed in the industrial space, mismatched reclaimed furniture, freshly brewed coffee and a relaxed atmosphere guarantee the cafe-bar is packed throughout the day.

Subscribers can see our latest picks from Milan's cultural scene here, and read about other stores designed for the Millennial generation here.

MoOD 2013: technology and upcycling

Reeve Massey at MoOD 2013

Thinking textiles and fabrics made from recycled and re-purposed materials were the key trends presented at this year's MoOD’s innovation platform.

Fishspace: DIY fish environments made of LEGO

Currently raising funds on Kickstarter, Fishspace is a fish tank that can be customised using LEGO blocks. The building blocks can be attached to the top, underneath and inside of the tank, so that elaborate structures can be created.

Revelations at Paris Design Week

Jean Gazdac at Revelations

Revelations, the first international biennial crafts fair, is currently taking place in the nave of the Grand Palais as part of Paris Design Week. Craftspeople from all sectors are presenting their contemporary creations, symbols of refinement, luxury and French elegance and excellence.

Generation Modification: Materials for 2050

Photo courtesy of Shamees Aden

Curated by materials expert Chris Lefteri, Generation Modification will include materials displays and talks by the designers who are developing the materials of tomorrow. The event will include new materials developed from crab shell and milk protein, developments in synthetic biology and a 'living' material called Protocells.

A bedroom fit for a Dane: Kids Room

Danish-based kids' lifestyle blog Kids Room is a great resource for inspiring bedroom decor, contemporary toys and party decorations for style-conscious kids (and their parents).

See all of our blog recommendations here.

World's thinnest touch surface by CSR & Atmel

CSR and Atmel showed off an ultra-thin touch surface at tech trade show IFA this week. The inkjet-printed, paper thin surface can perform text input, touch control and stylus recognition.

AppMachine: easy app building

New Dutch company AppMachine aims to open up the app creation process to anyone, whatever their experience of digital design and coding.