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.

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.

Herman Miller launches two new office systems

Public Office Landscape by Yves Béhar for Herman Miller

As part of its Living Office concept, Herman Miller has launched two new office systems: Locale, designed by Sam Hecht and Kim Collin of Industrial Facility; and Public Office Landscape, designed by Yves Béhar and fuseproject.

Manhole covers and gratings win the 2014 Compasso d'Oro design award

Founded in 1954, the prestigious Compasso d'Oro design award has been awarded this year to the Sfera collection of manhole covers and gratings, designed by Giulio Iacchetti and Matteo Ragni.

Gato, New York by David Rockwell

David Rockwell has designed the interiors, lighting, furniture and fixtures for Gato, a new bar and restaurant in Manhattan by chef Bobby Flay.

The Perfectionist’s Café by Heston Blumenthal opens at Heathrow

Heston Blumenthal's new restaurant, The Perfectionist’s Café, has opened this week in Heathrow's redeveloped Terminal 2. Designed by AfroditiKrassa, the interior takes inspiration from the golden era of travel, chiming with the 1960s and 1970s influences of Blumenthal's menu.

FR\AME: America's West Coast in Paris

A new brasserie in Paris combines fresh Californian flavours with a subtle French twist, a view of the Eiffel Tower and interiors designed by Christophe Pillet, who has drawn on natural and tactile materials including wood, marble and leather.

Football goes pink: Benefit's pop-up pub

To coincide with the World Cup, Benefit Cosmetics will open a pop-up pink pub called Gabbi's Head on 12th June. Serving pink cocktails and canapes while showing all of the major games, the pub will also be home to Benefit beauty artists, who will offer complimentary brow waxes, skin care sessions and make-up.

Stainless steel architecture, Amsterdam

Architecture studio Maccreanor Lavington has recently completed the refurbishment of a metro station, originally built in 1970, in Bijlmermeer, Amsterdam. The stainless steel façade, a material chosen for its durability and low maintenance, is decorated with an intricate floral design.

The laser cut motifs allow natural light to flow through the entrance and create lace-like projections on the floor and walls, turning a regular metro station used by over 100,000 residents every day into an inspiring, stimulating place.

The Urban Gin Garden at Clerkenwell Design Week

Portal restaurant on St John Street will be turned into an urban gin garden for Clerkenwell Design Week this year, which runs 20th to 22nd May. The garden will include a special installation by multimedia artist Lauren Baker, a grow-your-own cocktail workshop and mini garden fair hosted by Grow London, and tasting workshops by British gin brand Sipsmith.

La Trésorerie: Paris' new concept store

Literally named "the place of treasures", Parisian concept store La Trésorerie just opened its doors in the 10th arrondissement. Faithful to the beliefs of its three founders, it offers "beautiful, useful and respectful" objects for the home, made with love, sold at fair prices and environmentally conscious.

When Mac Met Cheese

Pop-up restaurant When Mac Met Cheese - tag line "this love affair just got saucier" - has opened for three months in Bayswater, London. Offering comfort foods with a twist, the restaurant's menu serves up three varieties of classic mac'n'cheese, macancinis (mac'n'cheese balls), deep fried Oreos and a select cocktail menu.

Specials like mac'n'cheese toasties are also promised to pop up during the restaurant's run.

Flexible storage: Islands by Jordi Blasi

Accessories such as hooks, shelves and boxes can be slotted into this multifunctional unit, designed by Jordi Blasi for Spanish contract brand Vilagrasa.

Homebuildlife subscribers can see more examples of flexible storage and DIY display in our emerging trend report, Pegboard Design.

Upcycle: bicycle & food culture in Milan

Housed in an abandoned garage, new Milan hotspot Upcycle is a cafe and restaurant dedicated to bicycle culture. Customers can repair their bike while relaxing with a meal: the Northern European-inspired menu changes daily, normally with one main meat dish as well as a selection of quiches, salads and soups.

Homebuildlife subscribers can read more about the trend towards combining cafes and stores with recreational spaces in our Retail report, Store Experience.

Ceresio 7: rooftop dining in Milan

Ceresio 7 Pools & Restaurant, Milan

Overlooking the new Milan, surging upward among the skyscrapers, Ceresio 7 is DSquared's Dean and Dan Caten's bar-and-grill. The designers chose to set it on the rooftop of the label's headquarters, located in the historical ENEL building. The chance to admire the venue is reason enough to visit, but here you'll also find chef Elio Sironi, formerly of the Bulgari hotel, serving delicious Italian fare.

Crafted materialism by Christopher Jenner

Luxury bathroom manufacturer Drummonds collaborated with designer Christopher Jenner for the interiors decoration of its new showroom in Notting Hill, London.

The space is beautifully crafted, to do justice to the brand's handmade bathroom collections and reflect its artisanal heritage and commitment to quality.

Spun: space age sweets in Covent Garden

Photographs by Quintin Lake

Sweet shop Spun has opened in London's Covent Garden, with a design that mixes traditional sweet-making processes with stainless steel, copper pipes and space age geometrics.

Patchworked in Canada by Dear Human

Patchworked in Canada is a public project by Dear Human. During a trip to Portugal, the designers sourced vintage ceramic tiles from a farm on the outskirts of Lisbon. Hundreds of thousands of discontinued tiles from Portuguese ceramic factories made up the collection of Mr Cortico, a life-long collector.

They were all cleaned and shipped off to Canada, refired and transformed. The back of each one was tagged with a magnet and they will now be scattered in subway stations, bus stops, cafes, and placed on all sorts of magnetic surfaces. They are also printed with a number, leading to the Dear Human website and where one will be able to read the story of the project, and add stories of how they found their own tile.

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.

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.