The Slingerlamp is one of the latest designs presented by Dutch brand NgispeN at this year’s fair. Designed by creative director Richard Hutten, the laser cut Slingerlamp shape was designed to evoke the sensation of a party whilst at the same time, creating a lamp which doesn't block the light of the bulb, resulting in an atmospheric glow through its fluid and playful yet sophisticated form.

Design studio Great Things To People (otherwise more commonly referred to as Gt2p, has set up shop at Ventura Lambrata. Their new collection entitled 'Suple' presents a fixation system that allows the joining of several elements with legs into a single connector piece. This means, that their system is entirely modular, with multiple configurations available. The Suple occasional table is made in aluminium and bronze using traditional casting techniques after 3D print moulds. The legs are also individually turned by hand. It's a great example of fantastic Chilean design, that best of all, it flat packs for ease of use.

Casa Corallo is set amongst a mountainous forest in Guatemala, and appears very much at home amongst its leafy woodland surroundings. Designed by PAZ Arquitectura, the exterior is comprised of three levels and is made of exposed concrete slabs and rustic wood. With the designers determined that the house must complement its environment rather than compete with it, the owner’s closest neighbours are the surrounding trees, with glass used all throughout the home. Outside elements are further used inside the house with a sizable wooden tree trunk growing up through the living room floor, its branches stretching out into other areas of the home. The interior is equally as impressive as the exterior, as you enter through an oversized, reclaimed wooden door to rooms filled with textured stone, glass shelving, dark wooden floors and the pièce de résistance; a large custom built fireplace. 

Last Thursday night we hosted a large soiree with the help of our sponsors Peroni, MINI and Man O' War Vineyards to launch our Autumn/Winter issue of Design Folio. On the evening we also announced the winner of our much anticipated Design Folio Incubator Award presented by Peroni. The award process, which attracted over 30 entries from around the country was concluded on Thursday evening with a showcase of the top fifteen entries. Announcing our awards for highly commended, the public's vote and the overall winner, it was an exciting night for New Zealand's young and aspiring designers, all hoping to win first place.

We'd like to congratulate the very talented Tim Webber, for his winning entries, the Ample Pendant and the Y stool. The judges found his work "innovative" and "very commercially viable". As the winner of the Design Folio Incubator Award, Tim will fly to Milan in April this year courtesy of Lufthansa for the largest design fair in the world (the Salone del Mobile). Accompanied by Design Folio Editor-in-chief Claire Sullivan, he will experience the Milan furniture fair - the birthplace of international design careers firsthand. After the fair, Tim will commence an internship with one of the world's leading manufacturers at Poliform. Tim has also won the coveted MINI Coupé car for one week courtesy of MINI.

We'd also like to extend our congratulations to Lee Woodman for his Crane lamp, Chris Johnson for his Afternoon desk and Benjamin Charles for his products Transition Low table and the Puzzled Lamp. All three designers were awarded highly commended in this competitive award. Guy Bucchi also picked up the Public Vote award for his product Wings chair.

Congratulations also to Zoe Philpott for voting for your favourite designer in the Design Folio Incubator Award. Because you of your valued vote, you have also won the coveted MINI Coupé car for one week courtesy of MINI.

Tokyo based designed studio Nendo will be showcasing their newest collection of products during the Salone del Mobile at the Palazzo Visconti between April 17th and 22nd. Following their inaugural collection which included light bulbs, furniture, vases and tableware back in 2006, this new collection entitled '1%' focuses on ceramic and porcelain tableware that continues to embrace the minimalist and monochromatic aesthetic Nendo has become renowned for. With only 100 items available (it's a limited run) each owner of every product effectively experiences the joy of owning 1% of the collection.

Visit the exhibition:
1% Products by Nendo
Palazzo Visconti, Via Cino del Duca, 8, Milan
April 17th to 22 2012.

Talented New Zealand designer Timothy John has added a new series of products to his already impressive repertoire. His aesthetic, which feels distinctively international in its approach, often favours furniture that functions as art - with pieces of an artisan nature. His latest collection The Woven Series, which we attended the launch of last Thursday night at Design 55 is remarkable. Each piece focuses on hand-weaving techniques, where John actually spends weeks wrapping the basic frames of the objects by hand with an industrial material. He explained that "many hours went into creating a system for the wrapping that was structured enough to be appealing to the eye, but not so structured, that it lost its sense of uniqueness". With that in mind, his pieces are completely bespoke, with no piece exactly resembling the other. The entire collection is comprised of five limited edition works: The Traditionalist vase, the Optimist and Pessimist pendants, the Exhibitionist table and the Deviant clock. Our favourites are shown above.

The products are available to see at Design 55 (55 Upper Queen Street, Auckland). You can also visit Timothy John's website www.timothyjohn.net for more information about the designer.

Build yourself a nice little nest egg with this latest design from J Schatz. Based in New York, he works mainly with ceramic and likes to create products that are incredibly simple promoting function above all else. Comprised of durable stoneware, this interpretation of the traditional piggy bank is available in a range of colours including white, gold and platinum.

a. Alessi and Wang Shu: the Pritzker prize winner designs clouds root [design boom]
b. Abandoned amusement park [the coolist]
c. Reflections on architecture [Style Park]
d. Seeing things - ranch house romance [T Magazine]
e. Video: Jaime Hayon tablewares at Kutani Choemon [Moco Loco]

Semi-Permanent is back for its eighth installment after touring Sydney, Melbourne, Dubai and Singapore. Kicking off on May 18th in Auckland City, the event has now expanded to host 16 impressive speakers across a greater range of disciplines. Including industry heavy-weights Ron English, Industrial Light & Magic, Gmunk, Wallpaper magazine, Miss Van, Alex Trouchet (among others), and locally Stolen Girlfriends Club; it's one must-see creative event that must be put on your agenda. Semi-Permanent's director Simon Velvin explains, "Semi-Permanent is a global gathering of pure talent, new ideas, conversation and visual splendor that culminates in a two-day conference with some of the most inspirational designers and artists of our time."

We've been lucky enough to secure exclusive interviews with some of the speakers over the coming weeks in the lead up to the event, so we ask that you stay tuned to our Design Folio Updates for the exclusive scoop. Also, in addition to this, we will be giving away coveted tickets to the event through our Facebook page, so make sure you are a fan by visiting us here so that you don't miss out.

For more information on the event and tickets visit Semi-Permanent's website www.semipermanent.com

Semi-Permanent tickets are also available here.

We have little doubt that you own, or have owned the revered Moleskin diary in one form or another over the duration of your career. Renowned for their notebooks, diaries, leather bound or hard covers and cream paper - Moleskin is the notebook of choice for many of the creatives among us. You'll be pleased to learn that Moleskin has come to the party once again with their latest addition: an investigation between the relationship of four great architects, their drawings and hand written notes. Delve into the architectural minds of Zaha Hadid, Bolles+Wilson, Giancarlo de Carlo and Alberto Kalach, and marvel at how they transform a blank page into the creation of their greatest buildings with Moleskin's latest series of notebooks - perfect for any budding architects in our midst.