Lane Crawford celebrates Chinese New Year in-store

Department store Lane Crawford worked with 12 creative talents to design ceramic horse ornaments to celebrate Chinese New Year in its stores across Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Bird feeder by Dorogaya

Design studio Dorogaya has created a bird feeder that attaches to windows so that the birds who visit it can be observed up-close.

Fendi Casa: 2014 collection

Cocoon sofa by Toan Nguyen 

The new collection by Fendi Casa includes a collaboration with architect Thierry Lemaire and new pieces designed by Toan Nguyen.

Lights made from recycled PET bottles

Researchers from Nottingham Trent University have created a lighting system using LEDs and made from recycled PET, which will be manufactured by Ona Product and initially sold in Sweden  for domestic and commercial environments.

The Imaginarium at Selfridges

Selfridges aims to encourage customers to explore the power of the mind with its latest initiative, a six-week program of inspiring talks, lectures and discussions at the London, Manchester and Birmingham stores.

Bourgie's 10th anniversary celebrated by Kartell designers

Philippe Starck

For the 10th anniversary of Ferruccio Laviani's iconic lamp Bourgie, Italian design brand Kartell has invited designers including Patricia Urquiola and Front to re-interpret the piece in a new and fun way, with the results forming part of a travelling exhibition.

Industrial chic by Marine Breynaert at Maison & Objet

The work of French lighting designer Marine Breynaert combines Constructivist forms and industrial inspiration. She mixes metallic pieces such as brass, steel, copper and perforated metal sheets together with other noble materials such as marble and glass. The resulting lamps are stacked compositions with a robotic yet sophisticated aesthetic. 

Brevi Manu: live from Paperworld 2014

German stationery brand Brevi Manu was a highlight at Paperworld 2014, with exhibition-style merchandising and a range of stand-out greetings cards, wrapping paper and other paper goods.

Black and neon lime stationery: live from Paperworld 2014

Le Typographe at Paperworld 2014

Black and neon lime is a key colour combination at Paperworld this year. Le Typographe's Me Myself & I card stood out using black font on solid neon lime ground.

Live from Maison & Objet: key trends

Jean Girel

This year's first edition of Maison & Objet sees designers embracing the elements, with landscape-inspired surface and pattern, precious natural materials and an emphasis on craft techniques.

Bed linen highlights: live from Maison & Objet January 2014

Kas at Maison & Objet, January 2014

Exhibitors at Maison & Objet reveal an inspiring mix of patterned bedding.

Four element candles by Tom Dixon at Maison & Objet

Tom Dixon has launched a new collection of fragranced candles inspired by alchemy. On show at Maison & Objet this week, the series of four candles are designed to evoke the four elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

Lasvit at Maison & Objet, January 2014

Lasvit has suspended some of its show-stopping lighting pieces above giant tilted mirrors for Maison & Objet, allowing visitors to see the bases and details of each installation.

HagenPur decorations: live from Christmasworld 2014

HagenPur is showcasing a range of beautiful tree decorations, made using an ancient Nepalese technique called ChadiKo, at Christmasworld 2014.

Live from Christmasworld 2014

Christmasworld 2014 opened today at Messe Frankfurt, the key trade show of the year for seasonal decoration, visual merchandising and gifting.

Maison Martin Margiela S/S 14: Arthouse couture

Photo by WGSN

The spring/summer 2014 Artisanal collection by Maison Martin Margiela continues the designer's avant-garde approach to fashion design, bridging the gap once more between fashion and interiors. Margiela's garments are all made from the most luxurious of found objects, reclaimed interiors and upholstery fabrics once elevated to art pieces. 

Geometric textiles from the 1950s by architect Frank Lloyd Wright are mounted onto corsets, prints by early 20th century Fauvist painter Raoul Dufy are turned into suits, while 1920s Bauhaus tapestries and original Fortuny fabrics also serve as raw material.

Irène Irène, Paris

Irène Irène

If you're headed to Paris this week for Maison & Objet's first edition of the year, make sure workshop/showroom Irène Irène is on your to-do list. The interiors brand opened a bricks-and-mortar space last December, one year after launching as an online shop, and stocks a range of contemporary design objects as well as offering interior design services.

Schneider Electric x Mathieu Lehanneur: smart energy

French designer Mathieu Lehanneur was commissioned by Schneider Electric to create a collection of smart devices able to measure and manage domestic energy consumption. With the issue of energy production becoming increasingly real, new regulations are implemented to raise consumers' awareness and encourage individual contribution to the collective energy-saving effort. Insulation and double-glazing are no longer enough.

Rendez-Wood? New concepts for wood by Icelandic design students

Gone Baking

Rendez-Wood?, a project by third year Product Design students at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, explores the current value of Icelandic wood and its possibilities as a production material in the near future.

The Book of Hearts by Francesca Gavin

In the lead up to Valentines Day, publisher Laurence King has released The Book of Hearts by Francesca Gavin, an image-driven exploration into representations and meanings of the heart universally.

Hybrid radio by Mathieu Lehanneur

French designer Mathieu Lehanneur has designed a radio half-covered in woven rattan for Lexon. Available in two colours, white and graphite, and two sizes, the radio continues the trend towards natural tactility that we tracked at CES this year.

Hypnopompic: Contemporary wool by Kustaa Saksi

Kustaa Saksi

Amsterdam-based artist Kustaa Saksi will show Hypnopompic next month, a collection of striking and surreal artworks manufactured using jacquard weaving techniques.

Gola: Art and Science of Taste at Triennale Design Museum, Milan

SOPHIE CALLE, Le régime chromatique, 1997. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Perrotin, Parigi/New York

Opening January 31 at Milan's Triennale Design Museum, new exhibition Gola will combine art with science to explore the links between pleasure and nutrition in our relationship with food. Divided into five sections, the show will use artworks, videos and objects to communicate ideas on the topic from science, sociology and anthropology.

Displair: a touchscreen made of air

Made of an airstream containing tiny drops of water that images are projected onto, new innovation Displair is being billed as the touchscreen of the future.

Mosaic tiles by Paola Navone for Bisazza

Affresco 

Paola Navone has designed two striking mosaic patterns for luxury brand Bisazza called Affresco and Halo Halo.

Colour-blocking at CES 2014

Innovative Technology

Colour-blocking was a key direction for merchandising across CES last week, with vivid tones and different textures combined to create compelling displays for headphones, earbuds, phone cases and speakers.

Eclectic restaurant: 70s chic by Tom Dixon

Eclectic by Tom Dixon - Photo by Thomas Duval

The new Eclectic restaurant by Tom Dixon opened its doors in Paris this month. Fabienne and Philippe Amzalak, the duo behind many great names of Parisian restoration including Le bon and Ma Cocotte, asked the designer's Design Research Studio to create cosy and vibrant interiors. Eclectic thus mixes British eccentricity with Parisian chic in a tribute to the exuberant 1970s. Concrete and gold brass are warmed up with thick rugs, and the huge central chandelier dominates the room with its 124 metallic shades.

Sucabaruca coffee set by Luca Nichetto

Opening January 22, Toronto's gallery Mjölk is hosting the first North American solo exhibition by Italian designer Luca Nichetto, which will include the launch of his new coffee set Sucabaruca.

CleanPot: a washable humidifier

New humidifier CleanPot draws its water supply from the outside, reducing the build-up of bacteria and making it possible to completely disassemble and clean the device.

Objects and the Factory: exploring industrial heritage

Elisa Strozyk. Photos by Alexander Böhle

Running in Cologne until Sunday, Objects and the Factory brings together a collection of new furniture, lighting and tableware that references the city's industrial past and explores the materials, tools and processes that we associate with factories.

Das Haus by Louise Campbell at IMM Cologne 2014

Das Haus is the simulation of a home that takes place within the Pure Village hall at IMM Cologne, each year designed by a different professional. For the 2014 edition the fair's organisers invited Danish designer Louise Campbell to come up with a concept and define architectural elements and the furnishing for the interior and outdoor spaces of the "house".

Schönbuch at IMM Cologne 2014

Mille-Feuille by Emmanuelle Moureaux

German brand Schönbuch has launched its 2014 collection at IMM Cologne, which runs until January 19 in the city's Koelnmesse, including a rainbow spectrum chest of drawers, a bookcase with tilted shelves and a decorative accessory made for displaying special objects.

Steven Alan Stripes for West Elm

West Elm has announced an exclusive collaboration with fashion designer Steven Alan. The retailer introduced Alan to artisans in Indian, Haiti and Nicaragua, where he developed products that reference the country’s heritage.

The Sound of Taste: exploding spices by Schwartz

The Sound of Taste from Grey London on Vimeo.

Media agency Grey has created a video for Schwartz Flavour Shots that represents the product's flavour-packed taste using slow motion photography and a synchronised sonic landscape. Featuring music by MJ Cole, the film shows several tons of spices including black peppercorns, cardamom, ginger and turmeric exploding in sync with the music, with one note equalling one explosion.

Homebuildlife subscribers can read about the growing trend to use spices creatively across design in our materials report, Salt, Sugar & Spice.

Desigual: Spring/Summer 2014 Living collection

Desigual Spring/Summer 2014 Living Collection

Desigual released its Spring/Summer 2014 living range at Heimtextil last week.

Cosmic weaves: Live from Domotex 2014

German company Jan Kath is presenting a striking new collection at this year's edition of Domotex, the leading trade fair for floor coverings. It is during a trip to Nepal that the designer was blown away by the colours of the sky, far away from the light pollution of our modern civilizations.

With an astonishing 150 to 200 knots in every square inch, each handwoven rug represents a celestial scene complete with constellations and cosmic dust. Each individual knot is like the pixel of a digital photo and, although the rugs were totally handmade by the brand's most skillful artisans, the overall result is photorealistic.

Petbit: activity tracking for pets

Shipping from March this year, Petbit is part of the fast-growing market for health and activity tracking for pets. The small device clips to a collar and monitors daily activity using motion detection, an accelerometer, and temperature and brightness sensors.

Editor's picks: print & pattern from Heimtextil

Engineer Nature Trend Forum, Heimtextil 2014

Florals take on a new exciting direction at this year's Heimtextil. Digitally printed photographic florals in vivid saturated colour are more prominent than ever before. A lush green, garden flower print is spotted at S.Oliver by Ibena and a vibrant peach blossom at Essenza. An illusional effect is created at Pip Studio with a photographic climbing floral wall covering superimposed with real flowers, it's tricky to tell the difference between what is real and printed.

Live from Heimtextil: trend forum

Mehmet Akten at 'Progress!', Heimtextil 2014

Heimtextil kicked off this year's trade show season with an impressive interactive trend forum curated by London’s FranklinTill design agency. Creating 4 trend worlds based on the 2 overriding themes of ‘Progress!’ and ‘Revive!’ that define the forecast of the future of home interior textiles.

Aid to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan by Kenneth Cobonpue

First Light by Kenneth Cobonpue. Photo by Paolo Konst

Filipino furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue has created a limited-edition candle holder set to help the victims of typhoon Haiyan, which devastated huge regions of the Philippines last November. Developed in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and the Habitat Youth Council, the majority of proceeds will be donated towards the rebuild. 

3D printed food at CES 2014

3D Systems' new ChefJet 3D printer, which uses edibles such as chocolate and flavoured sugar as its raw ingredients, is the talk of CES this week. Scheduled to go on sale later this year, both the ChefJet (which prints in monochrome) and the ChefJet Pro, which can produce full colour, are printing samples live at the fair for visitors to taste-test.

Bike collection by Pijama at Pitti Immagine Uomo

Italian brand Pijama is presenting its new Bike collection at men's apparel and accessories fair Pitti Immagine Uomo in Florence this week. The range includes seat pockets, pants savers, roll ups and bags, and sits alongside the brand's A/W 2014/15 classic cases collection.

Audi Sport Quattro Laserlight at CES 2014

On show at CES this week, Audi's Sport Quattro Laserlight uses lasers in place of LEDs. The concept hybrid also features a sleek, branch-like wheel structure and a bright red exterior finish.

Fishtank TV at CES 2014

Hisense is showcasing a screen concept that turns a fishtank into a TV at the International Consumer Electronics Show this week. An LED screen is fitted onto a normal fishtank, which is then backlit so that the fish can be glimpsed swimming around behind the colours and imagery on the TV.

Plumen 002 launches today

After the huge success of Plumen 001, the first designer energy-saving light bulb, launched in 2010, the same creators are launching Plumen 002. This new version is a dimmer bulb specifically created for ambient, wind-down rooms and spaces that need a warmer light effect and softer atmosphere.

Colour changing spheres by teamLab

"The internet has spread throughout the world. Individuals are connected to closely related people, and information spreads back and forth freely between them", says Tokyo-based group of ultra-technologists teamLab. 
This collective of programmers, engineers, designers and artists have created giant spheres, which are suspended from the ceiling and hovering above the floor. All balls are connected through a wireless network, so when an individual one is touched by people and they gently start bumping into each other, they all progressively change hue to modify the whole atmosphere of the room.

Pattern at Polaroid: live from CES 2014

One of the highlights for print and pattern at this year's CES is Polaroid, who are showcasing a range of speakers decorated with colourful geometrics: irregular chevrons, 3D-effect checks, diamonds and pixellated triangles.

CES 2014: snapshot from day one

Ricoh at CES 2014

The world's biggest consumer technology trade show, CES, opened its doors to industry specialists today in Las Vegas. Here's a snapshot of some of the happenings across the fair - from personalised flipbooks to a large-scale TV marathon.

H launches its first collection at Imm Cologne

London-based company H will launch its very first collection next week during IMM Cologne, the first international furniture trade show of the year.

The collection comprises three different ranges: Brick, combining wood and brick; Leather, a seating collection inspired by mid-century Scandinavian design; and Corner, which plays with geometry, angles and stained wood.

LaCie: 2014 design collaborations

LaCie Sphère by Cristofle

Leading manufacturer of data storage devices, LaCie has been collaborating with influential design brands and designers since 1992. This January, the company is launching two new products, a silvered external hard-drive by Cristofle and a fun USB key by French designer Constance Guisset. More than mere storage solutions or functional accessories, they were both created to act as qualitative decorative accessories and add prestige to all desks, at home or in the office.

Pivot tap by Dornbracht

Dornbracht's new Pivot tap has a 360° radius of activity, meaning it can reach all areas of a kitchen island. Water can thus be poured directly into a pot boiling on the stove or sitting on the work surface, turning cooking times into a fun and effortless experience.

Homebuildlife subscribers can read more on the latest kitchen trends here.