We get terribly excited in April, there is no better time of year for the furniture and homewares industry as the week of Salone del Mobile in Milan, Italy. Our man on the ground (David) managed to whizz his way around many stands whilst he was in Milan and met some superb designers and industry officials trying to get the latest news on upcoming designs. Salone is a time for new product launches but also a time for thinking about what’s next and what’s coming from great designers as they showcase prototypes and sketches. This feature is all about our favourite brand Kartell.

A White Room are amazed by Twig & Foliage by Patricia Urquiola, the prototypes for the Shanghai vase and we are also finding the Taj mini rather intriguing!!

We’ve tried to highlight as many new designs as possible for you here rather than re-treading old ground from previous years, what do YOU think about the new products? we would love to hear your thoughts.

Zoom extending table in white by Piero Lissoni

Zoom table in black by Piero Lissoni

Shanghai vase/vessel by Mario Bellini shown as a prototype

Oui long table by Ferrucio Laviani

Oui round table by Ferucio Laviani

Only Me mirrors by Philippe Starck, we’ve fallen in love with the pink and turquoise!

One more, One more please stools by Philippe Starck are AVAILABLE NOW!!

Ok by Rodolfo Dordoni, summer by the pool just got even cooler

Mini Taj table lamps by Ferrucio Laviani, smaller versions of the Taj table lamp

The Masters stool by Philippe Starck, have you seen the masters chair?

Light Air tablelamp by Eugeni Quitlett, a nod towards the Tati lamp but with more finesse (in my opinion)

Jelly vessels by Patricia Urquiola, similar to the Matelassé vessels

Jelly Plates by Patricia Urquiola, anyone else thinking granny chic and also spirograph?

Ice by Philippe Starck, storage & display with museum like proportions

Foliage chair & twig table by Patricia Urquiola, quite simply WOW! (totally in love with this)

Comback chair by Patricia Urquiola, a choice of colours and bases makes for a uniquely personal chair

Archive storage by Starck

Abbracciaio candle holder by Philippe Starck, 2 halves that will only work when supported by the other, how poetic?

Alessi Phylum lamp

Well Alessi certainly kept it under their hat that they were working on a new collection of…. wait for it… LIGHTING! Well to be honest with the break away pieces of furniture that they had been producing its hardly surprising to see Alessi venturing further in their home wares design quest. The new pieces are unusual, of course very design-led but not wholly Alessi heritage, you’ll see why.

The collection is small and its niche and its cool, with 4 designs and then a couple of variations within those you can’t say its a collection for the masses. Alessi fans though will of course love every bit of it, once Alessi is under your skin you really need your nearest Alessi anonymous meetings just to keep the habit at a publicly and purse friendly level. Alessi is not cheap, thats just the way it is but its definitely worth every penny.

I love Animals

The ‘I LOVE ANIMALS’ bird lamp is a genius idea with a changeable appearance. The lamp comes with a choice of patterned skin but this is removable and there is also a simple white skin included with each lamp allowing for choice or indeed a change over for ‘wash days’

Alessi Amanita

The Amanita lamp is reminiscent of fossils and jurassic creatures in its shape but with an earthy rattan construction it is certainly a different take from Alessi, Standing at 60cm tall it is happy on a floor or raised on a table too.

The Phylum lamp is most distinctly Alessi engineered with its stainless steel finish and construction. The shape is very organic and the undulating patternation in its surface adds to its contemporary appeal.

scirocco lamp

The final piece is the La Stanza Dello Scirocco lamp, this is the most familiar because it is a re-jig of bowls of the same design. The scattered shard appearance of the lamp projects shadows onto its surroundings adding atmosphere to a space not just flat light.

The winter sale has now started and will continue during January, we aim to bring you great bargains from the standard ranges on brand new items but also a whole host of ex-display and overstocked items in the clearance section.

Now is the perfect time to invest in the new bed, table, wardrobe, rug, lamp or light that you have always wanted. With our biggest ever sale you are sure to find something to suit your budget and it really goes without saying that you will find something to suit your taste with products from the greatest designers in the world.

Our price match policy means that we will aim to match any price you have been quoted on a like for like basis, please get in touch if you want to discuss any requirements!

Well, well how time flies when you’re having fu…. oh no wait scrap that! Actually the last few months have been immense fun, a whole lot of work and a few late nights but keeping the cogs of A White Room turning keeps smiles on all of our faces. We recently celebrated the 1st anniversary of our Hebden Bridge shop with a party, drinks and cake all around but we also re-styled the shop and brought in some major new brands showcasing some of the best products in the world of design at the moment.

We know how busy everyone can be so it is our pleasure to be able to present to you some of the best gift ideas available.

sagaform schnapps set

A brand which is new to A White Room is Sagaform, amazing quality ceramic and glassware with real design flare but without the usual associated price tag, it would be offensive to call this a budget brand but it is ideal if you want designer products on a tight budget. Stand out pieces are the wine carafe with oak stopper and the light house schnapps set with 4 glasses which both retail for under £23!!

sagaform wine carafe

Oh dear, we’re sounding a bit alcohol obsessed here, better move on to something for aunty Mary who swears she never touches a drop despite the watered down bottle of gin in the sideboard…. Well aunty Mary would be in her element with the chunky handled, blossom teapot (£24.95) with its funky 50s pattern she will be whisked “back to me dancing days”.  Sagaform is not for everyone but a small gift that is great as a kids stocking filler or to give with a foody present is the Keep dish with oak lid.

Robot cushions for your mischief makers

We believe that sometimes, believe it or not, the kids are forgotten when it comes to homewares. A home is after all for the whole family, not just mum and dad. So if you want to really look after your little lodgers, your delicious inhabitants and fridge raiders, treat them to something huggable from the beyond cool brand Ferm Living! Dear reader I am 25 and I am over-excited by the robot cushion so god only knows how I would have reacted when I was a proper youngster! The boys get the robots, cool geometric a bit sci-fi but still squishy and huggable, the girls get the birdies in their cute candy colours and sketchy designs, they are a snuggle just waiting to happen!

So whatever you end up packing into your shopping baskets this Christmas, wrap it well, give it with love and enjoy the festive season with your nearest and dearest! CHEERS!

Innermost Metallic shade

Innermost Metallic shade

On a budget? something fun, cheap and glam (maybe even glam rock) is the Innermost Metallic drum shade, a simple round shade in cool flashy metallic colours. The shade is available in 2 sizes and also in gloss or matt finish. It also comes with a cotton diffuser so you don’t have to look at the ugly lightbulb inside!

For ultimate luxury there is only one option, the Flos Sky Garden. A smooth glossy lacquered shell hides the decorative interior at first glance but when your attention is caught the intricately patterned plaster interior of the light, this is a huge

Flos Sky Garden

piece guaranteed to draw people together like moths in the proverbial sense.

The glamour puss and the naturalist could unite in their appreciation of a product like the bloom

Kartell Bloom light

pendant from Kartell, a delightful light fitting with multi-faceted floral elements that festoon either rounded shapes or a shape reminiscent of a corset or dress.

If you want something to bring in some light without the hassle of fitting anything, then a floor lamp is just the job. In a corner, beside a sofa, in the middle of the room as a proper feature, a floor lamp provides a great evening light and is perfect if you are conscious of energy usage as they will often do the job of table lamps and pendant lights put together!

Foscarini Twiggy lamp

A few great options are shown here, the Foscarini Twiggy lamp is modern classic, perfectly suited to the modern home and is perfect for light over a dining table or a coffee table perhaps. Position over a sofa or chair for the perfect reading light, a dimmer switch ensures you’re not feeling like you’re sat under a football field flood light!

Gubi Grasshopper lamp

If you are looking for something with a little more pedigree why not take a look at the Gubi Grasshopper lamp designed by Greta Grossman and recently relaunched (not hard to see why!) vintage yet modern styling and a colour palette befitting of a series of Mad Men or even the Hour with the delightful Ben Whishaw… oh I might be wandering with my thoughts here but you can see its very sophisticated style.

Kartell Toobe lamp

The Kartell Toobe is perfect for all you colour  junkies! a flash of light and a colourful glow? careful with the orange, its perfectly retro but an orange glow? well you could look perma-tanned! In all seriousness the colour glow is brilliant, and the light output is of good quality, a great talking piece for your home.

Designers have always done it, cause a stir that is, whether through sensation or opportunity. You may well have heard that Marks and Spencer hired the services of british design oligarch Sir Terence Conran to oversee a new collection for their homes and interiors section. Lifestyle is something which M&S have been buying into and promoting in a big way for the last decade; think twiggy swinging from a tree in a floral print jacket promoting a happy-go-lucky lifestyle and cue sales rocketing through the roof of said jacket. So how does this work with interiors? How do people buy into lifestyle in their homes as easily as they do with the new jacket?

Well its all about faith, M&S have been selling clothes for umpteen years and have built up a following in that respect but their

Conran for M&S

furniture and homewares is still a fledgling company in historic terms. You’d be hard pushed to find a middle-aged woman who won’t sing the praises of M&S underwear but who’s singing the praises of the furniture? Well theres the issue, who?

So in order to build the faith in the homewares area, M&S have called in Sir Terence Conran to help build a reputation. Conran is, after all, to the world of design, what M&S are to the world of clothing. So if you’ve got old british tradition for reputation where does the intrigue, excitement and modernity come from that is demanded in todays world of retail? 1 name rings a million bells, Marcel Wanders, it is an epic transformation in the appearance of a company to take on board a designer at the top of his game and with cutting edge design credentials.

This is not a devaluing of design currency, a Marcel Wanders design for Moooi is still going to be more valuable than a Marcel Wanders design for Marks & Spencer, it just happens to be more accessible.

Marcel Wanders fo M&S

Thats the idea of diffusion. Marcel Wanders designs, for Moooi, Flos, Normann Copenhagen, Alessi, Kartell and Magis yet his design is still sought after across the world. Terence Conran has his own strength of design and reputation to carry him forward, Content by Conran being his flagship, he really is breaking away and doing M&S a huge service in designing for them.

If high street isn’t your thing, then why not remain true to design tradition and go for the original branded design, Content by Conran is a truly great brand with the qualities set out by a lifelong design history by Terence Conran and a fantastic design team and is well worth buying into.

Below you can see the range of furniture offered by Content by Conran, stunning shapes, contemporary fabrics and superb quality design and craftsmanship.

Hayon’s design is as distinctly different as design ever needs to be, a range that boasts fashion items, porcelain trinket ornaments, chairs and sofas through to individual sculptural forms all demonstrate the fantastical and verging on kitsch styling of Hayons character.

We are very proud to be able to offer the wonderful Magis Pina chair designed by Jaime Hayon. With a selection of different colour combinations to choose from, each combination is simple and timely as they all seem to demonstrate a natural order in their hue and colour palette. With monochromatic through to natural beech and a luxurious looking soft sage green, any colour-way is instantly at home, or at office or at restaurant for that matter.

The colour plays a hugely important part in the shoes Hayon designed for Spanish brand Camper. Jaime Hayon discusses how the shoes we wear are expressive like the expressive nature of a funky pair of spectacles. Simple form, allover colour and a diamond pattern sole all hint at the Jaime Hayon experience of design.

Something which Hayon has gained notoriety for is his range of bathroom furniture which adds whimsy and modernity to a traditionally overlooked area of design in the home. Whilst many designers pay homage to tradition or pave new ways in design with their bathroom ranges, Hayon takes both

classic and modern fuses them together, adds a splash of Alice in Wonderland and comes up with fresh and yet timeless design which appears to encompass every element of creativity imaginable!

I hope with all hope that the irony and tongue in cheek camp and kitsch is intended in the amazing range of Lladro trinket style ornaments that Hayon was recently commissioned to design.

This was a meeting of minds in the 2 powerhouses of Spanish design and manufacture and also reputation. Lladro are snapping up the obscure with designers like Hayon producing whimsical stories in porcelain, there is also something verging on the sinister with the collection too which is possibly an echo from other collections by designers like Gareth Pugh. A collection from a world renowned designer can give a brand a higher stake in the consciousness of the design savvy, hipsters are allover collaborations like hair extensions on a wag. For the uninitiated this is no “designers at Debenhams” type affair, this is full on ultimate haute couture style homewares, collectible pieces for the future!

What does the future hold for mr Hayon? Well we can only guess and hope and cross legs and fingers that more amazing things will happen, Hayons name will ring through the design world in ever more increasing pattern and with more vigour and power one presumes! I personally hope that more products that focus on the perfectionist designer type that Hayon is, are brought to the fore. I leave you dear reader with an image of Hayon’s amazing sofa design for Fritz Hansen. The FAVN sofa is modern, classical, retro, funky, subdued, sympathetic, colourful, soft, hard and fun. How can all these words apply?! Well argue against it if you will but a classic is born. For a more accessible piece of Hayons design don’t forget the Magis Pina chair, available to order now.

“What does THAT do?” A well dressed lady with a certain degree of style and obvious penchant for expensive handbags virtually hollers across the shop, “its a toilet brush madame, the A di Alessi merdolino” a quizzical look on her face said it all, it wasn’t immediately obvious. “oh wow, how fantastic is that?” The lady was amused, impressed and delighted that she was going to be able to impress Audrey with the new accessory for her downstairs loo. It’s a happy occurrence to be able to explain the design and function of any of Alessi’s products, the clever design means that items like the merdolino and the piripicchio slide seamlessly into our lives forming part of our decor and part of our routine as any practical, useful gadget, utensil or implement should.

SO… Why bang on about the seemingly unfamiliar design of Alessi products? Well. It’s all about intrigue, that shiny silvery stainless steel appeal of Alessi is intriguing. The magpie effect has us hooked! Alessi always have something new for us but its the icons of design that we all want to take a piece of! Alessi have a reputation for employing the bright young things of design from the era in which they are in, they embrace trends and evolutions in design and technology as though they were the family that bore the design factory in 1921. Designers such as Karim Rashid, Marcel Wanders, Ron Arad, Philippe Starck and Stefano Giovannoni have worked with Alessi on the icons of today, lets not take them for granted. An Alessi branded piece is a seal of approval on top of design talent and heritage that is incomparable in this throw away society of half hearted design and cheap manufacture we live in. See the gallery area below for the icons of our time, a must for any home and the positive activism of our design world.

normann copenhagen in Milan 2011

Normann, Normann Copenhagen, well however you want to refer to it there is something quite simple about its connections and connotations of style. Scandinavian countries have been put on a design pedestal for many years and its not too difficult to see why?

rubber washing up bowl

With simple effortless design which is born out of function not fantasy products appear with instant familiarity. Real wood and bristle brushes to do your washing up in a flexible rubber bowl put the fun into function with a range of colours befitting of a cartoon smile. I don’t say that a bright green rubber washing up bowl will have you hurtling toward the sink and arguing with the

other half over who gets to scrub the baking tray but it certainly adds a certain degree of colour to the event. Normann Copenhagen have their roots in tradition but embrace trends, fashion and futurism with joy. An overall modernist look has been prevalent throughout the collection since their conception.

Classic products from Normann Copenhagen include the swing vases, grass vases, dustpan and brush and the ever famous rubber washing up bowl.

norm 06

Often overlooked are the most amazing light fittings and light shades,

norm 69

the Norm 06 and Norm 69 have an amazing reputation for cool style affordability and also they come in kit form so you get a little project out of it too. Having put the kit together myself I can say that its fun, a little challenge but also a great sense of achievement too!

Classics aside the great new products from Normann Copenhagen are here! Fresh bright and fun colours, natural materials such as cork juxtaposed against modern powder coated metals. Simplicity is most definitely the best word to describe the whole new collection yet there is of course an underlying complexity of design which equates to ‘instant classic’ status of most of the designs.

Uno candleholder

Outstanding pieces for us are the Uno candle holder in its pop bright colours, the whisk which resembles a tree stood on its wooden handle and the lighthouse hurricane lantern which I have been getting far too excited about!

normann copenhagen lighthouse

And then we have somewhat of a sneaky peek at what is to come from Normann Copenhagen, at the recent Milan furniture fair, Normann presented us with an interesting new light fitting that works alongside the norm 69 and norm 06 as it comes in kit form but provides a completely new aesthetic. New materials and a new colour palette show a whole new angle of design. The Bau pendant will be available in natural birch or with mixed colours and you can see the design influence of artists like Mondrian in the style of the fitting. We cannot wait for this cloud like piece to make an impact on our homes.

Bau pendant - coming soon!