Felipe Bronze: Brazilian food innovator

Friday 29 November 2013

Squid on compressed watermelon at Oro; photo by Daniella Duarte


At 35 years of age, Felipe Bronze is one of the most important names in contemporary Brazilian gastronomy. This year he opened Pipo, a bar and restaurant in Rio which he describes as "a carioca bar with avant-garde food".

Fiona Barratt-Campbell opens shop in London

Interior designer Fiona Barratt-Campbell has opened a shop in London's Belgravia, FBC London. The first collection of 32 pieces, all manufactured in England, sit alongside a selection of soft furnishings, hard accessories and lighting sourced from around the world.

Shelter lamp by Normann Copenhagen

Thursday 28 November 2013

Danish design duo HolmbäckNordentoft has designed the Shelter lamp for Normann Copenhagen. Made of lacquered steel, it is available as both a table and floor lamp, in classic black or limestone grey.

Donna Wilson for Mamas & Papas



British designer Donna Wilson has collaborated with kids' lifestyle brand Mamas & Papas on a range of textiles, strollers and toys inspired by her fox leaf patterns.

Chocolate Paint by Nendo

Wednesday 27 November 2013



Design studio Nendo has created a set of chocolate paints for Seibu department store in Japan. Styled to look like a box of oil paints, the chocolate shells each contain a different flavoured syrup, shown by the colour on the label.

Seasonal gifting 2014 at Waitrose:
flowers and food

Tuesday 26 November 2013



Supermarket brand Waitrose previewed its seasonal food and gifting ranges for 2014 last week, including mallow hearts for Valentine's Day, Danish twists for Easter and frilly tulip bouquets with platters of Yumdoughs for Mother's Day.

London landmarks made from LEGO

Duncan Titmarsh, founding director of British design studio Bright Bricks, has built a giant snow globe in Covent Garden, filled with 14 London landmarks made of LEGOThe installation took 75 days to build and uses 120,000 bricks.

Inside the inflatable globe, snowflakes fall onto Big Ben and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, and LED lights illuminate the London Eye.

Lanzavecchia + Wai at Secondome Gallery

Monday 25 November 2013

Circus

Rock It!, a new exhibition at Rome's Secondome Gallery, is dedicated to design studio Lanzavecchia + Wai. Within the space of the gallery's new headquarters at Via Giovanni da Castel Bolognese, the designers present a selection of their most significant projects from recent years, and two new works commissioned by gallerist Claudia Pignatale, called Rocker n°1 & Rocker n°2.

Also making its debut is Circus, a collection of glass pieces that will become part of the catalogue editions of the gallery.

Urban Outfitters campus, Philadelphia



Housed in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, the Urban Outfitters corporate campus is home to the Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain and Urban Outfitters offices along with the shared Building 543.

Automobile: Landrover by Studio Job

Photo by Zero40, fashion by Viktor & Rolf


Studio Job have created a custom Landrover Defender 90 decorated with materials including Swarovski crystals, satin lining, silver and gold leaf, stained glass and leather. Called Automobile, the model is on show at art fair PAN Amsterdam until 1 December.

For more art and automobile crossovers, Homebuildlife subscribers can see our report, Designer Concept Cars: key launches.

Chocolate Box of Treats by Heston from Waitrose

Friday 22 November 2013



Heston Blumenthal has expanded his Waitrose range to include confectionery: a new chocolate box created by the chef with the supermarket brand launches in-store next week.

Diluted colour by Alissa + Nienke

Photo by Ellen Mandemakers
Dutch designers Alissa + Nienke explore the boundaries of the porcelain material in an experimental collection of handmade cups and bowls. 

Business Playground by
Mathieu Lehanneur for Pullman

Thursday 21 November 2013



French designer Mathieu Lehanneur has created a meeting space for hotel brand Pullman that blurs the lines between private and professional life. The room includes wall-mounted boxes of curiosities, a leather-edged meeting table inspired by poker tables and a bubble-shaped ceiling alcove with forest canopy views inside.

Agnès b opens lifestyle flagship in Hong Kong

Wednesday 20 November 2013



French brand Agnès b has launched its second lifestyle flagship store, which for the first time globally includes a music shop and a bookstore, as well as a florist, travel concept store, cafe and chocolate boutique.

Spring/summer 2014 collection
by French Connection


French Connection has previewed its spring/summer 2014 home collection, which includes textiles, lighting and furniture pieces. The collection is inspired by 'chic loft style living', with bold prints offset with muted earthy tones.

Dirty Little Secrets by Sarah Rosado



New York-based illustrator and photographer Sarah Rosado has made a series of installations from soil and dirt.

StreetHub: click-and-collect for independent retailers

Tuesday 19 November 2013



Launched yesterday, new online retail platform StreetHub was set up with the aim to bring customers back into brick-and-mortar stores.

The platform partners with independent retailers across fashion and homewares, offering customers the convenience of shopping online with the personal touch of collecting goods in-store.

Pop Art Design at the Barbican

Marshmallow sofa by George Nelson Associates Inc, 1956


The Barbican's major Pop Art Design exhibition provides great colour, VM and commercial design inspiration. The show includes posters, art works, furniture and magazines from the late 1950s to early 1970s, showing how each form of pop art confronted the status quo.

Milano 1909: temporary Members Club by Chivas Regal


Milano 1909 is an exclusive old-fashioned whisky club for modern gentlemen, a temporary members-only circle that Chivas Regal is running in Milan's Via Tortona until December 5th.

The Bear & The Hare: John Lewis windows

Monday 18 November 2013



John Lewis' windows re-enact The Bear & The Hare Christmas advert narrative with characters created from everyday household items that are all stocked in-store.

Christmas collection by Rowen and Wren

Autumn leaves boxed gift tags and twine

Rowen and Wren presents a nature-inspired Christmas collection full of home accents and charming decorations. The collection includes felted acorn garlands, ceramic pinecone decorations, carved wooden Plume bird decorations, hand printed winter berries cards and gift tags.

Homebuildlife subscribers can see our UK Christmas retail preview here.

Patternology by Mamas & Papas



British kids' brand Mamas & Papas has launched an interiors collection called Patternology. With products aimed at babies, toddlers and older children, the collection includes quilts, bedding, cot bumpers, lampshades and wall stickers.

Freshness burger wrapper by Dentsu Inc

Friday 15 November 2013

Japanese stationery and packaging is continually looked to for its innovative and experimental design, so it is no surprise that Dentsu Inc have created the Liberation wrapper for graceful burger consumption.

Flavour trends for 2014

Sesame Ginger popcorn by Popcorn Palace


US flavour developer Comax has announced the four flavour trends that it believes will impact in 2014, Confectionery News reports.

Fresh flavours that will add a healthy feel to snacks include coconut lime and pineapple cucumber; sultry sweet flavours are led by cola cappuccino nut and ginger sesame caramel; heated flavours to add a touch of spice include honey wasabi and habanero maple; and creative mixology flavours include mojito macaroon and Shiraz truffle.

Patterned homewares by Dana Finnigan



Dana Finnigan's patterned homewares range includes plates, cups and saucers, cushions, wallpaper, tiles and bathroom suites.

Giant advent calendar at the Southbank Centre

Thursday 14 November 2013



The Southbank Centre Shop in London has installed a giant Advent calendar designed by Ffion Harman, who has filled the shop's 7m window with house-shaped packing crates covered with patchworks of bright, patterned fabric.

Scentee: scent by smartphone

Wednesday 13 November 2013



Launching this Friday in Japan, new device Scentee releases bursts of scent as and when users program it to - when their alarm goes off, or when they receive a message, for instance. The white orb plugs into the earphone jack of a smartphone and is fuelled by replaceable cartridges that carry the scent of strawberry, mint, coffee or lavender. The company is reportedly planning a bacon scent next, so that users can wake up to the smell of a bacon sandwich.

Homebuildlife subscribers can read our report on The Olfactive Project - a similar concept by Le Laboratoire - here.

Wick & Tallow: luxury scented candles

New candle brand Wick & Tallow has recently launched its first range of brightly coloured scented candles.

Handcrafted type in New York



With a focus on hand-drawn signage and painted messages, original typographic inspiration is all around in Williamsburg, New York.

PearsonLloyd wins three Focus Open awards

Business Class Seat by PearsonLloyd for Lufthansa
London-based product design studio PearsonLloyd has won three Focus Open awards: the Business Class Seat and Cabin project for Lufthansa was awarded Gold, while the Docklands office system for Bene won Silver and the Bay chair (also for Bene) received a Special Mention.

Neon lighting by Rolf Sachs

Tuesday 12 November 2013

Neon Immersion by Rolf Sachs


London-based designer Rolf Sachs is renowned for finding surprising uses for standard materials. His sculptural lighting designs combining neon with laboratory equipment have an unsettling, otherworldly quality.

Fragrant Supper Club by Louise Bloor



London-based perfumer Louise Bloor uses scent to enhance the taste and experience of food at her supper club series, Fragrant Supper Club.

Easy biking: Lucetta lights by Palomar

Monday 11 November 2013


Smart and simple, Lucetta is a set of portable magnetic bicycle lights designed by Emanuele Pizzolorusso for Italian company Palomar. The small LED lights attach with magnets, so they can be used for a bicycle or any metallic surface.

Curtain Cabinet by Martin Hirth



German designer Martin Hirth has made a cabinet that conceals its contents with a fabric drape instead of traditional wooden doors. Called Curtain Cabinet, the piece is made of beech wood, okumé wood, textile and steel.

Neon Christmas at The Conran Shop

Friday 8 November 2013

The Conran Shop has embraced neon for this season's festivities, confirming our Christmas 2013 trend Radical Light. Fluorescent pink walls, laser cut perspex ceiling hangings and oversized props in bright shades complete the look.

3D printed art by Joshua Harker



These intricate sculptures by Joshua Harker are all 3D printed. Harker uses the technology to create delicate surface pattern, articulated parts and forms inside forms. The art works are currently on show at the 3D PrintShow, which runs at London's Business Design Centre until tomorrow.

New pieces from Brabbu

Furniture and accessories brand BRABBU has launched two new pieces, a brass sunburst wall light called Soleil wall light and a walnut, oak and velvet sofa called Hermes.

PROOFF: furniture for the progressive office

EarChair by Prooff
Dutch design brand PROOFF develops innovative and flexible office furniture that encourages interaction and allows privacy. The brand's pieces allow users to add fun combinations in to structure open-plan work environments.

Exclusive posters for the National Theatre's 50th anniversary

Michael Craig-Martin
Silk screen printed posters created by renowned designers are on sale at a pop-up shop to mark 50 years of the National Theatre, illustrating each of the five decades.

UNI/VERSE - Woven Poetry by Kinnasand

Thursday 7 November 2013

Kinnasand's new curtain collection, UNI/VERSE – Woven Poetry, is designed by creative director Isa Glink and plays on opposing ideas such as transparent and opaque, lustrous and matt, and still or moving.

Experiencing design: Designerbox.com

Glass candlestick by Arik Levy
Designerbox.com is a new concept for monthly surprises. Starting at €29 a month, customers choose a subscription from 3 to 12 months to receive a design object directly into their letter box. 

Special Spoons by Royal VKB


Designed by Ineke Hans for Royal VKB, Special Spoons is a stylised cutlery collection that's supplied as an attached model kit. Ideal for picnics and parties, the product comes in four different colours: red, black, fuchsia and yellow.

Boulangerie François: an artisanal bakery by Grey Goose

Wednesday 6 November 2013



Premium vodka brand Grey Goose will open an artisanal bakery in London's Soho this month. Running for three days, the Boulangerie François will be serving freshly baked bread made from the same Picardie wheat that is used to make Grey Goose vodka.

OCÒO: the beauty drink



Launching in the UK on 15th November, OCÒO is a low-calorie beauty drink that is formulated with the ingredients of a multivitamin tablet.

2014 surface collections by Bisazza

Tuesday 5 November 2013

Affresco glass mosaic pattern by Paola Navone

Bisazza has announced two new collections, including designs by Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel Interiors and Marcel Wanders, as well as innovative mosaics by Paola Navone.

Do babies dream when they sleep? Nezo art by Queenie Liao



Queenie Liao, artist and mother of three, captures her youngest son's dreams in these creatively styled photographs.

Healey and James

Monday 4 November 2013

A visit to Healey & James in Hampshire reveals an exquisite display of hand crafted textiles and artefacts from India. In amongst the cut-back appliqué quilts, jacquard woven throws and decorative accessories lies the studio of artist Rachel Healey, who uses a mixture of oil paint and pastels to achieve the deep, warm rich colours of her work.

Chambord desserts at the WGSN Global Fashion Awards 2013



Guests at last week's WGSN Global Fashion Awards were treated to chocolate spheres shaped to resemble the bottles of dessert sponsors Chambord, complete with golden crowns.

Pumpkin Parade at Kew Gardens

Sunday 3 November 2013



The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is celebrating the Halloween and Thanksgiving season with a colourful Pumpkin Parade. A feast of different types, colours, shapes and sizes of pumpkin have been on display at the London gardens, arranged into pyramid totems and rainbow-coloured fields.

New furniture collection by Capo d'Opera

Friday 1 November 2013

The new collection by Italian furniture brand Capo d'Opera features storage units designed by Silvana Pierdona.