First Light by Dana Cannam for Another Country

UK manufacturer Another Country will launch its first lighting collection during Maison & Objet in Paris this September. Designed by Dana Cannam, the First Light pieces are made of brass and ceramics and will be available in three versions (pendant, table and floor) and three colours (black, natural and terracotta).

Homebuildlife subscribers will be able to see our full coverage of Maison & Objet in September.

Mad Men collection by Waterford

Mixology collection by Waterford

Waterford is paying tribute to the Mad Men television series, which will air its final episodes in the spring of 2015. The brand's collection of barware accessories celebrates the indulgently daring style of the late 1950s and early 1960s, when conformist looks gave way to bolder attitudes and fashion. Deep cut patterns and large gold or platinum bands decorate the fine crystal, making for luxurious yet timeless pieces.

Creative pop-up concept: Marimekko x Common Ground, Hong Kong

Finnish interiors brand Marimekko redecorated Hong Kong's Common Ground tea show as a Finland-themed pop-up cafe to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its Unikko print. The combination of branding and hospitality created a surprising experience that generated word-of-mouth.

Homebuildlife subscribers can see our full report on creative pop-up concepts in Asia here.

A bathroom designed for men by Falper

Italian bathroom brand Falper is focusing on the mens' market with the development of its George collection, a line designed for men that aims to evoke a sense of luxury with a virile strength.

Barock by Renate Buser at the Bellelay Abbey Foundation

Protagonist of this year’s edition of the Bellelay Abbey annual art exhibition, Swiss artist Renate Buser presents Barock – a monumental photographic installation that celebrates and highlights the baroque architecture of the abbey.

The Color Condition: designer interview

Homebuildlife caught up with the creators and designers from The Color Condition to find out more about their vibrant paper streamers.

Text prints and patterns

Quick Brown Fox wallpaper by Identity Papers

Single-letter and initial prints, handwritten script designs, calligraphic letters as well as bold graphic fonts and statement slogans are increasingly applied to a variety of home interiors. From cushions, rugs and bedding to wallpaper, ceramics and lighting, modern or classical typographies are used as the basis for exciting prints and patterns.

Subscribers can see our full report on text patterns here.

Scribble wallpaper by Maison M

Parisian design store Maison M is launching a collection of colourful wallpapers by French interiors stylist Veronique Villaret. Each design is the blown up version of a simple scribble made with crayons. Spontaneous childlike squiggles are thus turned into contemporary wall art, to be hung as a one-off statement width of paper, or to cover entire walls with rainbow-like colours.

Beyond Smart: A Quest For The Humane by Arash Eskafi

Arash Eskafi - Beyond Smart from Konstfack on Vimeo.

For his graduation project, Konstfack Industrial Design student Arash Eskafi imagined a world in which 'smart' products have taken on human-like behaviours and tendencies: carpets wiggle when walked on and fruit bowls tilt towards their owner to offer them a snack when they get home.

Lifelike reactions are increasingly being built into technology and homewares. For more examples, Homebuildlife subscribers can see our graduate show trend report, Appliances & Electronics.

Unboxed by Made.com

Interiors e-tailer Made.com has launched its very own social network, Unboxed. The online community enables users to connect with other Made.com customers in their area, and take a virtual house tour to see how they've styled the products purchased from the website.

Drawing tables by Tian Tiang

Come & Draw table by Tian Tiang

Chinese, Stockholm-based designer Tian Tiang creates versatile furniture for children. Her main motivation is to nurture their creativity and stimulate their imagination. She thus came up with two types of drawing tables, the Sketch coffee table and the Come & Draw table. Each comprises a stack of colourful sheets of paper, encouraging spontaneous games and wild brainstorming.

Summer 2014: the outdoor life by Seletti

Seletti’s summer 2014 advertising campaign is focused on a special way of outdoor life, conceived to present the brand's new Festival collection using a selection of traditional products with a contemporary twist.

Flowering Transition by Marcin Rusak

For his graduation project, Royal College of Art student Marcin Rusak created an installation exploring flowers, including a vase made of petals and a series of scents comparing the strong smell of flowers from a garden to the weaker scents of those sold at a florist or a supermarket.

Alchemical jewellery by Sofie Boons

Jewellery and scent designer Sofie Boons has developed a collection of scent objects that disperse or preserve fragrance in innovative ways.

New stationery collection by Christian Lacroix Maison

Christian Lacroix Maison continues its collaboration with stationery manufacturer Libretto, started in 2010, and has launched a new range of products in bold and colourful prints.

Jeff Koons retrospective: Whitney Museum, New York

A playful retrospective showcasing the full scope of artist Jeff Koons' work is currently on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.

Pigeon Toe 2014 collection

Portland-based homewares brand Pigeon Toe has launched its 2014 collection, which is a 'celebration of life-long learning and traditional handcrafts' according to founder and designer Lisa Jones.

Fungi design: The Future of Plastic

Italian designer Maurizio Montalti has created a series of objects made using fungal mycelia, which he proposes as a tangible alternative to plastic.

Salon de Parfums: Harrods to launch new fragrance space

High-end British department store Harrods will unveil a brand new fragrance retail concept in September. Salon de Parfums will feature exclusive bespoke perfumes and personalised services in an elegant, immersive retail space.

Homebuildlife subscribers can read our preview of the space here and see our report on how the fragrance retail experience is evolving here.

Couleur Café by Carte Noire

Coffee brand Carte Noir has released a series of colour-coded videos documenting the making process of different desserts. Called Vert, Jaune and Rouge, the videos tie into growing consumer interest in 'going backstage', as explored in our trend report, Storytellers.

Funfair VM: A/W 14/15 trend

Oasis

Traditional summer themes were reworked for the forthcoming season at this month's autumn/winter press previews, where the funfair emerged as a key trend for VM.

Patchwork Present: crowdfunding gifts

Gifting company Patchwork Present applies the idea of crowdfunding to buying gifts. Users create a goal that their friends and family can all contribute money to, so that instead of getting lots of little presents, they can save up for the one big thing they really want.

La Cerise sur le Gateau: collection preview

Launching in September, the new collection by French textile brand La Cerise sur le Gateau is a fresh take on the minimal look. Blue grids seem traced with a pen directly onto the surface of a linen and cotton mix. The simple design is lifted by an embroidered line of vivid colour or gold thread.

Marble Eyewear collection by Budri

Budri, the marble inlay's Italian atelier, has launched a collection of marble eyewear.

Miniature art gallery: Saks Fifth Avenue, New York

New York department store Saks Fifth Avenue has transformed its windows into an art gallery, where miniature 2D figures peer at photographs of luxury products.

Beyond Repair by Beatrice Brovia and Nicolas Cheng

Beatrice Brovia and Nicolas Cheng have created a collection of tableware and vases that are repaired using 3D printed reconstructions of their missing or damaged parts.

O Artista e a Bola: World Cup inspiration at Oca Museum, São Paulo

Marcia Xavier

To celebrate Brazil hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Oca Museum in Parque do Ibirapuera, São Paulo, is honouring the ball with an exhibition called O Artista e a Bola (The Artist and the Ball).

Salvaged wood furniture by John-Michael Ekeblad

Designer John-Michael Ekeblad has created a range of furniture made from salvaged wood, retrieved from a 19th century cottage in Sweden.

Mathias Kiss by Pierre Frey

During Milan Design Week 2013, Mathias Kiss presented his Igloo sofa, covered in a blue marbled fabric. The designer had found inspiration for it in his background as a Compagnon de France, when he restored the marbles of ancient monuments.

The fabric was created through a collaboration with French textile company Pierre Frey, which has now adapted it to make it available to the general public as part of its 2014 collection. Named Portor, from the original black marble with golden veins, the fabric is available in four sophisticated yet modern colourways.

Character coffee: Licensing Expo 2014

One of the stand-out trends from Las Vegas' Licensing Expo this month was that of character coffee licenses - including Grumpy Cat's 'Grumpaccino', Popeye the Sailor's 'Popeye Energy' coffee, and Krispy Kreme's ground coffee.

Paul & Joe x Madura: new home range

Parisian fashion brand Paul & Joe and textile company Madura have teamed up to create a collection of linens and soft accessories to dress up the home with.

Shanley Farms: Live from The Summer Fancy Food Show 2014

One of our top picks for exhibitors at this year's Summer Fancy Food Show is California-based Shanley Farms. With three products on display - Citriburst Finger Limes, Morro Bay Avocados and Sierra Sweet Kiwis - the brand wowed visitors with its high quality and innovation.

Photo-real renders by Apparent Reality

Italian studio Apparent Reality applies 3D technology to interiors, creating images with an extraordinarily photo-realistic value.

Vintage and Floral patchwork quilts

Log Cabin by the Sea quilt

Vintage and Floral handcrafts luxury patchwork quilts, combining English country style with vintage American patchwork patterns dating from 1759 - 1950.