Cersaie - Elleci De Luxe Modulo Electrosink

As always, the first day of a show is a whirlwind and it has gone by so fast. We're thrilled to be in Bologna, Italy (pasta, yum!) and we've toured the “Green Street” area of the Cersaie show. Green Street, where we found the Electrosink featured below, is an outdoor exhibit showcasing a variety of artists and manufacturers of tile products, eco friendly solutions and innovations promoting outdoor spaces.

The Elleci De Luxe Modulo Electrosink is a new concept introduction for "the washing area" with precise controls for self regulating temperature and water flow as well as drawers with electromechanic guides so you just barely touch them and they slide away. There is a used oil aspirator that collects under the sink, making disposal or recycling a simple task. An ultrasound washing system adds an eco-friendly boost as it uses no chemicals to sanitize silverware or clean dishes. An incredible space saving feature, the garbage disposal is placed to the side of the sink linked directly to the drainage system, leaving much more room for storage below.

Trendspotting in Richmond - Where to Stay & Eat

Richmond is a town steeped in history, so it's only fitting that we found the best place to stay was a establishment welcoming guests since October of 1895. The Jefferson Hotel has been beautifully updated over the years but still retains an incredible history and breathtaking architecture that includes original Tiffany glass. It is one of 31 hotels in North America to hold both the Mobil Five Star and AAA Five Diamond awards. There is even an artifact museum which is filled with historical mementos that guests have sent in over the years.

Of course, all of the trendspotting and the walking will make you hungry... We were thrilled to find Richmond has a 300-year-old Farmer’s Market, perhaps the oldest in the country, co-existing with great new eateries representing the exciting food trends of this millennium. Mezzanine is a fantastic restaurant that won the 2009 Richmond Restaurant of the Year award, watch the Style Weekly YouTube video here. Their menu is built around local ingredients – they don’t even have a freezer, the chef buys fresh ingredients each morning so the menu constantly changes according to what is available at the farmer’s market that day. The decor is an eclectic mix of the urban and the earthy and the food is just plain delicious!

Tent Digital - London Design Festival

New for Tent London this year was the debut of Tent Digital, a resource and playground for all things interactive and digital in design. Gesture based displays followed our movements, sound filled our ears and light displays enticed us to come in, experience and touch the exhibits. This feature was definitely a crowd favorite with throngs of people gathering to see sky patterns transformed into light displays, a Digital Birdcage (All of the beauty, none of the mess!) and sensory environments you could touch, see and hear. For a video of the exhibit, keep reading, we included a great montage produced by Core 77 at the end of the post.

A video review of Tent Digital, via Core 77:

London Design Week 2009: Digital Design London from Core77 on Vimeo.

10 City Trendspotting Tour - Richmond, VA

Our 10 City Trendspotting tour continues as we cover the urban, authentic and historic Richmond, Virginia. This continually evolving city is successfully combining the old with the new as urban renovation takes its place within historic neighborhoods. The riverfront project is bringing new life to town, with trendy loft apartments, restaurants and shops along the Canal Walk. This new urban excitement coexists with national historic areas throughout the city such as Monument Avenue, Carytown and the Fan District; the later one of the nation’s largest Victorian and Edwardian neighborhoods.

One of our first agenda items upon arriving into Richmond was to head over to the Carytown district of town. Carytown is a residential and commercial area that generally consists of 1920s era homes and privately owned shops, clothing stores, cafes, and restaurants along Cary Street. The unique independent retailers and restaurants in this area all have a story to tell. These Four Walls is a furniture and accessory store whose offerings are constantly changing with the travels of the husband and wife owners.

Many of the treasures in this shop have been handmade by artisans across the globe and hand selected by the store proprietors for a well thought out collection of merchandise that tells a story as you comfortably peruse this unique store. These Four Walls celebrates Hank and Angie's interests and passions to create something innovative and interesting for the Richmond consumer.

Tent London - Rebecca Ellen

The east side of London becomes a hot bed of design, innovation and exclusive events during the week of the design festival. The biggest, and we think best, venue of them all is Tent London held in a former industrial site, the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane. Tent London is the ground-breaking show for forward-thinking design across all disciplines, delivering the very best contemporary and vintage design, architecture and interiors and the world of digital.

We saw many unique designers, collectives and experiences at Tent, the show floor was buzzing with young talent and established designers. A standout in the arena of wallcoverings and embroidery was Rebecca Ellen's combination of textile art and paper designs.

She creates "beautiful wallpaper and artwork by combining print with embroidery. Taking on a very illustrative approach, the embroidery incorporated in each piece suggests a sensitivity, which is met with a fun array of colours. The designs portray their own identity as stories unravel through stitch."

Her designs make a simple border treatment or a singular panel of wallcovering the focal point of a room and her bespoke creates ensure no two rooms will look alike.

The Dock - Tom Dixon & Shop

We scheduled in a little extra time this year when planning our trip to 100% Design. We wanted to make sure to take in as much of the off site London Design Festival exhibitions and events as possible. And, we weren't disappointed. After getting a grasp on the tube and the bus system, we zipped out to The Dock.

The Portabello Dock, in Ladbroke Grove, was a series of stand alone exhibitions, indoor and outdoor installations presented in over 40,000 square feet of space. Designer Tom Dixon brought together food, fashion, art, design and new media in an artistic explosion of talent. The exhibits could be found in the new loft living spaces designed by Derwent, the open air courtyard, cafe and lounge spaces. In addition to the 26 exhibitors from around the world, local artisans were invited to participate in the "Art Car Boot Fair" in the center of the venue, bringing authenticity and an urban vibe to the event.

Tom Dixon's new permanent space "Shop" at The Dock was a juxtaposition of intense color playing off of rugged and aged industrial materials. Chic press glass pendants in ethereal colors merged with heavy, cast iron candelabras. The Offcut stool, made from the waste cuts of oak collected during the manufacturing process, was shown in natural wood offset with an intense neon orange. Aged and distressed metalwork provided a backdrop for bright textiles on furniture pieces and elegant copper and bronze finished lighting. When in London, make sure to venture out to Ladbroke Grove to take in the experience that is "Shop".

100% Design - Materials, Toys & Fabric

We've made it through Earl's Court today (oh, our aching feet!), covering the 100% Design Show as part of our trip for London's Design Festival. (Follow us on twitter for our live tweets from the show!) We're headed over to Tent London in just a few minutes, but had a brief moment to share a couple of highlights of the show. We'll be back next week with more in depth coverage, so make sure to check back!

Concrete Lattice, from Materia, is a unique process in which high performance concrete is cast inside the lace shaped forms and suspended using different materials, such as the ribbon in these photos. Custom sizes, applications and atmospheres are available.

(Re)Design - Doing It For The Kids was a special feature this year at 100% Design that focused on sustainable solutions for children's toys. The eco-friendly exhibit showcased everything from vintage fabric sock aliens to repurposed cardboard playsets to sustainable wood doll houses with the obligatory solar panels and wind generator attachments.

With bright and cheerful names like Poppy, Rose and Dragon, Camilla Meijer's fabric collection was an enthusiastic end to our long day at Earl's Court. Her patterns reflect the beauty of nature with a modern and colorful approach to textile design.

At The Collective - Atlanta

More than just a retail space for artists, At The Collective has the feeling of a neighborhood gathering space. In fact, the day that we visited, there was a greyhound rescue there – right in the middle of the store! Their First Fridays, which showcase particular artists, turn into a neighborhood event. Currently, the shop is participating in Inman Park's restaurant week as well as hosting a special First Friday event, "An Asian Evening", featuring pottery, art and designs with an oriental flair.

Young Blood Gallery & Boutique - Atlanta

Wrapping up our week of coverage of all things collective and cooperative in Atlanta, we couldn't think of a better way than featuring the Young Blood Gallery and Boutique. It's another fine example of collective retailing, but it's also a great story of how a store can become part of the fabric of the community.

The boutique, in the Poncey-Highlands area, is dedicated to showcasing local talent and exhibiting emerging artists and DIY crafters. With art openings the first Saturday of each month, and Kraftwork, a crafts market featuring handmade merchandise crafted by rising designers and artists on the first Thursday of each month, Young Blood gives Atlantans the chance to find creations that can be found no where else.

Setting the tone for such a unique and independent retail venue is the design of the shop itself. With it's raw, unfinished ceiling, time-worn hardwood flooring and industrial walls, the space allows featured art and design to flourish and take center stage.