At first glance, you might think this was just a lamp. Well, actually at first glance you might think this was a cloud. But really, it’s a lamp. No ordinary lamp, though. This concept design by Richard Clarkson is what he calls a ‘semi-immersive lightning experience’ and is so much more than just a lamp.

Forgetting the technical jargon for just a second, the piece has two primary functions. Firstly, it acts as a nightlight, producing periodic flashes of lightning. Secondly, it’s a reactive speaker that gives visual feedback. What that means is, you can plug in your music device to play through the cloud and, in doing so, the cloud produces thunder and lightning according to the music it’s playing.

Cool huh?

A few months ago, we were loving Rory Dobner and dedicated a post to his quirky, tongue in cheek line drawings. Now we’ve got the chance to see where the man himself lives and works and, if anything, we love him even more.

Just like his art, his home contains more than a little eccentricity, with funky retro furniture and eccentric artwork aplenty. There’s even a smattering of his own designs, including the manacled cat cushion we featured back in May. Clearly Mr Dobner and the Tuiss team share the same great taste!

With a rum fellow, you’re taking simultaneous trips around the globe and down memory lane. Offering carefully chosen collections of everything from textiles to lighting, each product has a story behind it. Whether borrowed from far off lands or inspired by innovative local designs both old and new, the site has an eclectic look and feel that we just love.

While they create many of their own pieces, they also offer original items like their 1960 Neon Dragon Fly Biology Chart, used in French classrooms in the 60s and their Old Sea Dog 3in1 Ship Lamp salvaged from real ships.

Head over to their site and have a browse around the many wondrous things they have on offer.

A far cry from intricate designs and delicate floral patterns, our latest love prefers function over fashion. Bowles and Bowles are a British company, founded by father and son, who take an altogether more pragmatic view of design. All of their products are made from quality copper or zinc, spot welded into wire mesh with a little smoked glass and pressed steel here and there for an added flourish.

“With the goal of taking traditional manufacturing techniques and making them relevant for today’s audiences, Bowles & Bowles has lifted wire mesh from its humble roots. The father-and-son team have a track record in reinvigorating British design and industry; having prevented the overseas sale of Davey Lighting, they also continued to save a ceramics factory and glass works from closure.” 

They might be made for functionality rather than their looks, but we think they’d make a fabulous addition to any home.

It’s not every day you come across products that are not only beautifully designed but well made too. So imagine our delight when we discovered Ercol; producers of high quality furniture who keep one eye firmly fixed on exceptional design. Founded almost a century ago by Italian Lucian Ercolani, the company have managed maintain the traditions of quality craftsmanship to this day, while managing to evolve their designs ‘to reflect how you live today’. You can even take a tour of the factory on their website to see exactly how everything is made. With a variety of pieces for every room in the home, the furniture is solid, simple and made for comfort as well as style, just like this stunning Studio Couch in pillar box red.

We were so enamoured with them, we even decided to use some of their stuff in some of our room sets – the perfect accompaniment to Tuiss blinds and curtains!

It’s that time of year again where the whole of London goes design crazy at the London Design Festival 2013. The streets are set to come alive with events and exhibitions all over the capital, demonstrating the very best in fashion trends.This time last year, we were taking in the Decorex International show in Kensington. This year’s exhibit is inspired by 17^th and 18^th century Silk Route trading and from our experience is well worth a look.

For something a little different, check out the Endless Stair Landmark Project. Inspired by the Escher painting, the 20 interlocking stairs offer fantastic views of the surrounding area.

This year, Earl’s Court plays host to the world famous 100% Design show with all the biggest names in fashion and design as well as a designated exhibition for emerging talent.

There’s so much going on all through the rest of the month, get yourself down there and get inspired.

At Tuiss we love to spend time trawling the web to bring you the latest designs and trends for our fabulous blinds. Occasionally, we stumble across cool sites that are just too good not to share. On one of our recent quests, we discovered Shake The Dust. This amazing site is on a mission to produce luxury, designer products that are ethically produced in far flung corners of the globe.

They produce a whole range of items from jewellery, like these Tehuti Square Stud earrings made from recycled magazines in Swaziland, to home ware and accessories, like this hand stitched ZigZag bowl and this Patchwork Clash Basket.

Fantastic designs that are ethically made, what more could you ask for?

Over at www.jungjung.jp there’s a secret garden of woven wonders. Dead leaves and tacky plastic pansies are a thing of the past with their ingenious solution to floral decoration. There’s a whole selection of patterns to help you create your own woollen flowers that look beautiful and last a life time.

From delicate daisies to herbs and leeks you could even start your very own allotment!

Knitting needles at the ready!