Off the wall

Forget minimalism, British design firm House of Hackney is spearheading the 'maximalism' trend, tipped in some quarters to become the next big thing. House of Hackney is the brainchild of partners Javvy M. Royle and Frieda Gormley, who have applied their luxe aesthetic and fashion backgrounds to rework and subvert the concept of traditional British style. House of Hackney breaks the rules of 'tasteful' decorating, imprinting its unique style on everything from bed linen, wallpaper and lamps to cushions, fine bone china and furniture (above left). Its work features wild flights of decorative imagination. The Hackney Empire wallpaper sports bush babies playing accordions, sloths smoking hookah pipes and badgers drinking cocktails; the Queen Bee collection is the last word in luxe trompe l'oeil; and grungy chintzed florals and antiqued bed linen are the hallmarks of the Dalston Rose collection. See more at www.houseofhackney.com.

Discerning design aficionados in Hong Kong flock to www.thecoolhunter.net for the latest in culture and design emerging from our fair city (and around the world). Generating buzz recently, for example, were vinyl car 'wraps' (left), which will soon be available for US$500 each through the website. Log on and hit 'Hong Kong' in the search area to find out what the site's arbiters of style have deemed hot in our city, such as Tom Dixon's design for Tazmania Ballroom in Lan Kwai Fong. Travelling abroad? The Cool Hunter has recommendations for everywhere from New York to New Zealand, with ideas on shopping, dining and entertainment from people in the know. It's won a couple of prestigious awards for best culture blog and attracts more than a million visitors each month.