Journal
London Design Festival usually means not much sleep and long days on your feet, so something called “Cozy Shelter” was always going to go down well. The installation was originally designed for the Design Musuem in Helsinki as part of an...
Journal
I am fascinated by how things are made, so I was very excited to see X3 at Super Brands London as part of this year’s London Design Festival. London-based branding and graphic design studio Creative Research and Development commissioned three...
Journal
Dominic Harris and Cinimod Studio have created Ice Angel – an interactive installation that you can see as part of London Design Festival 2012 at the V&A. Stand in front of the screen, move your arms up and down as if you’re flying, and your...
Journal
It’s no secret that I am a big fan of the Southbank Centre, and a little bit of a geek when it comes to design, so it came as a big surprise to me to discover a whole area of the Southbank Centre I knew nothing about! I was recently given a tour...
Journal
The current focus on We Heart is on British Design, in celebration of the Olympics, and where better to find the future of British Design, than at “the UK’s most important graduate exhibition” (if they do say so themselves!), New Designers....
Journal
A recent trip to the South West has reignited my desire to go up North. No, I’m not talking about the proliferation of Northern accents in Cornish tourist traps, but a love of Barbara Hepworth. The Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden...
Journal
Not being a sporty type, I thought I’d look into the role the creative industries have played in the preparations for the Olympics. University College Falmouth Fine Art graduate, and medal maker, Natasha Ratcliffe has designed a commemorative 50p...
Cheltenham
I was recently very lucky to be offered a complimentary night at The Montpellier Chapter in Cheltenham in order to see what I thought of it. I love my job! Well, I can report back that it was very nice indeed. But rather than showing off about the...
The Edit
While in Basel, I spent a delightful afternoon at Foundation Beyeler. Designed by Renzo Piano to accommodate Ernst Beyeler’s art collection, it houses Monets and Rothkos, which were very exciting to see in the flesh, as well as temporary...
Journal
I was in Basel last week for Art Basel and without doubt, one of the most interesting installations was in an area called Art Unlimited. It was Open Universe by Ricci Albenda. It was entirely constructed from willow and hung from invisible nylon...
Journal
Pulse is a design-led gift, homewares and accessories trade show, held every year at Earls’ Court. This year I was their official blogger and so I had a stand on which I was selling my book and conducting ‘live interviews’ with designers. I...
Journal
I love concrete. I think it’s inbuilt in design geeks to love concrete; something to do with the Barbican and brutalism. But concrete is a lot less brutal than it once was, as this collaboration from Timorous Beasties and Graphic Relief Ltd shows....
City Notes
“A masterclass in conceptuality,” a hotel that “takes you on a fuzzy trip of vague recollection,” and “a paradise of inimitable escapism.” That’s what we said about Port de Sóller’s impressive Bikini Island & Mountain Hotel three...
City Notes
Hidden in the quiet heart of rural Spain, La Torre del Visco Hotel offers unrivalled luxury and adventures walking in a shepherd’s footsteps across the ancient Aragonese landscape that once inspired Picasso… In the early 20th century,...
City Notes
The world’s first StandardX hotel has opened in Fitzroy, Melbourne, the offshoot of the renowned global The Standard hotels, officially touted as the brand’s “rebellious younger sibling” with an offering of “intuitive hospitality without...
Stuff Crush
See captivating, never-before-published photographs of 1970s and '80s USA cultural hotspots including New York City, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Miami Beach and more in Street Walker, a new publication from revered street photographer and...
Dispatches
Paintings have transcended their origins as the crown jewels of galleries and museums. Today, they hold a central place in homes worldwide, where they not only decorate but also communicate personal taste, style, and emotion. Whether chosen for...
Dispatches
When it comes to your child’s health, dental care is often the one that gets overlooked. After all, baby teeth fall out so why bother? But establishing good habits and visiting the dentist from an early age is crucial for your child’s health and...
Dispatches
When buying a used car, you need to know the car’s history. The last thing you want is to buy a car with hidden problems, whether it’s been in an accident, has outstanding finance or has been stolen. A full car history check can make or break...
Dispatches
Escape rooms are a popular team building activity, but they’re more than just an hour of fun. They create a high pressure environment where communication is key. Working together fast, sharing ideas and solving problems under time pressure shows...