London Ships-In Design Week

London Fashion Week may be over, but the trendy spectacles, air kisses and free flowing champagne aren't going anywhere. Of course, it has to be London Design Week. Some great launches at Designjunction, Designersblock and Tent London this year with the former shipped over to the old sorting office on Oxford Street.

Highlights include suitably smart container storage from Sander Mulder (pictured) perfect for the Isomodal Container Townhouse; while Buro Vormkrijgers's playful 'Woofer' speakers at $1,4000 are a practical addition to man's other best friend; the home entertainment system.

Members clubs Fold, Apartment 58 and the Hospital Club generously kept VIP's comfortable, with Maserati replacing Aston Martin as this year's luxuriously appointed taxi service.

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Belgians Do It Better - Brussels Design Market

With less than a few hours notice and a Sunday to spare, this weekend I hopped over to Brussels to see what the city's Design September had to offer. The month long festival brings together over 100 design launches, exhibitions, pop up shops and the flagship Brussels Design Market.

Expecting something similar to the bi-annual Puces Des Design in Paris, the Brussels Design Market is a veritable candy store for any design enthusiast; and by far trumps the rival fair across the border. Set in a mammoth former customs hall, the market boasts hundreds of dealers, champagne bar, classic cars and thousands of mid to late 20th Century design gems.

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The Continent-Busting Cooktop by Stoves

When it came to selecting a new countertop hob for the Man Cave, I thought the decision would be easy. The best looking, most beautifully designed, flawlessly engineered hob would of course come from the continent. But would it be from Gaggenau or Gorenge whose alluring names boast designer collaborations with Karim Rashid and Pininfarina? or from the likes of Bosch or Miele; confident poster children of the Vorsprung durch Technik generation?

Surprisingly, the most attractive cooktop isn't of German design. It doesn't even carry a designer price tag. Designed and manufactured by hand in Britain by Stoves, the CR600 is the clear winner. Achingly elegant, the ceramic hob features chrome rotary controls [no thank you, flash touchscreen displays, we like our tactile knobs and buttons!] and a flush, frameless surface with clean and iconic indicators.

The Design Guide to Warsaw

An impromptu weekend in Warsaw can only mean one thing (apart from getting familiar with fine Polish Vodkas). Heavyweight architect Daniel Libeskind aside, Poland isn't immediately recognised as a design destination -- while Krakow is well known for it's bohemian cafe culture, Warsaw is the angsty capital fashioned in post-soviet concrete. If there is design to be found in Poland it's going to be here.

Pies Cyz Suka is the main hub for design in the city. It exhibits design items, ceramics, fashion and art from local Polish designers as well as it's own range of quirky resin dogs, sharks and religious lamps. Centred around a courtyard with molecular mixology bar, the gastro-store/cafe Red Onion is steps away and also a strong design player in the capital.

Lody na patyku, a unique minimal ice-cream bar is worth a visit if you're fond of skinny jeans and hipster haircuts. Tratoria Rucola and the famous Charlotte cafe is where successful young things go to see and be seen. Of course if you're Daniel Libeskind, Flaming & Co is the Ralph Lauren styled venue of choice; combining champagne bar, terraced restaurant and furniture store all on the same park square.

If Christian Louboutin Did Cookware

...It'd probably look like this. With a silver turned exterior, sleek black surface and red hot handle, this is about as close as cookware will get to the French shoemaker famed for his red lacquered soles. The red handled pans keep things decidedly 'va va voom' coming from France's family run DeBuyer company.

Available from the Conran Shop priced from £25, I consulted the previously mentioned 'rule book' to see what UnhappyHipsters.com had to say about design in the kitchen: "Follow the golden rule of three: When the chef is standing at the centre island, visitors must be able to see at least three rare and expensive cooking items" Check. "Cookware is best unsullied by organic matter such as food. Keep in mind that cooking doesn't actually need to happen - it's actually advisable that is doesn't - but the design must imply that it could" Double Check.

Free Spirits - Signage by Stout Industries

Manufactured in St. Louis since 1886 by Stout Industries, I picked up this vintage gas station sign on the other end of the world at the Acme store in Meguro, Tokyo. At first glance, the admission that no tax is included seems a little peculiar. Once part of a $ and ¢ price sign, this end leaf has a great typographic quality about it. Now it makes perfect sense, on the face of the 'furniture as metaphor' home bar where drinks cost 0 [Tax Included]

Frequent Flyers - Vain Ducks

Passing through the British Airways lounge at Brussels airport, I spotted a fun series of photographs by Edinburgh born artist Anna Boggon. The series, features a number of mirror houses scattered throughout the open farmyard at Hackney City Farm. Resident ducks flirt and preen at their reflections in the smart, architectural surroundings.

I can't help but think, is this supposed to be a jibe at frequent flyers? Jostling amongst one another for top-tier status before hitting the sky? it should be. Or, perhaps it says more about Design Trawler than it does about the artist?

Scent of Succsess - Gold for Molton Brown

I mentioned back in January that 2012 was a year for golden metals. The new fragrance from Molton Brown, purveyor of locker-room staple black pepper, firmly agrees. Londinium, in limited edition gold for the Olympics, is described as having notes of bergamont, oakmoss and malt whisky. A capital blend with gold medal design from £75.

Flavia Liz - Tornado of a Tour Guide

Sometimes even a relative pro in the field of Design Trawling needs a little help. After living in Brazil for nearly 9 months, I was put in touch with Flavia Liz De Paolo; somewhat of a rainmaker in the city of Sao Paulo. Her brief? Bring the best of the city's design and urban/contemporary art scene to the Editor and Chief of DesignTrawler.com

With less than 24 hours to put together an itinerary, read how this force of a private tour guide whipped out the key to the city, showing me more city in 3 hours than I was able to see in 9 months.

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Faceless Masterpiece - Gideon Rubin

Is it that time of year already? It seemed like only yesterday that Pullman, pulled up with the ultimate Man Cave. Descending on London, Masterpiece brought it's usual gaggle of dealers, collectors and collective millionaires to get down to the serious business of Ruinart-fuelled acquisition.

My favourite this year came from the world's oldest champagne house. Israeli born artist, Gideon Rubin was commissioned to create twelve iconic portraits on recycled Ruinart stock. Gideon's signature portraits omit facial detail, yet his subjects are instantly recognisable [and his paintings instantly desirable]. Only true icons need apply.

Sao Paulo and the Resin Gnomes

Typical, you wait for a gnome and ten come along at once.. After eight months of Design Trawling in Sao Paulo, I came across Coletivo Amor De Madre. Considered by many to be one of the best design stores in the country, the collective, run by Olivia Yassudo Faria also shares it's owner with the one of the countries best contemporary design galleries.

Alongside familiar objects seen in Moscow's DesignBoom, the collective store also exclusively represents a number of Brazilian designers and, unusually, commissions it's own works too. I particularly liked the resin gnomes pictured; reminiscent of the amazing jelly sculptures by Mauro Perucchetti and at a fraction of the Halcyon/Harrods price.

New Designers - His Remastered Voice

At the New Designers preview this week, rather embarrassingly I turned up on the wrong day. Greeted with an exhibition of the UK's most promising graduates in textiles, fashion and jewelry design, I recoiled at turning up at what was essentially the 'Ladies Day' of the London design scene.

Well it seems somebody else made the same mistake. Technically part of the glass and ceramic category, this contemporary gramophone style speaker blew me away. Paul Wearden's fully functioning 'invasion of sound' should have been exhibited alongside product, furniture and graphics, and I for one would love to see it put in to production.

Design Trawler Unmasked - First Interview

Celebrating the second birthday of DesignTrawler.com, Editor in Chief and international ambassador of the Man Cave shares some personal perspectives about design and the Design Trawler story. Cover blown, expect Design Trawler to now attend launches, previews and openings in full disguise. Read the full interview and what Design Trawler really thinks of David Guetta and superhero bedsheets below.

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A+ for Sao Paulo's Design Playboy

So you're the owner of one of Brazil's most glamorous nightclubs. Pulling in toned and tanned Paulistanos every night, the champagne and profits flowing healthily. You want to expand the business but another club would dilute the brand. Trendy wine bar? Hipster record label? How about a furniture/design shop?

How about three? Seconds away from Club A in Sao Paulo lives Artefacto [pictured], one of the strongest design stores in town. Moments away from that, Artefacto Basic and Artefacto Beach & Country; both equally exceptional. The perfect design empire, can you just imagine our playboy's man cave?

Design Castaway - Finding Wilson

This week I'll have sailed past the 100 night mark staying in one particular South American hotel. That's 100 nights this year away from the London mancave. Collecting passport stamps and airmiles, while an important part of design trawling, can make for a Robinson Crusoe like existence.

Much like Tom Hanks in the film Castaway, I've found myself interacting with creating human character in design. In my case, Wilson the volleyball becomes Manny the mannequin and marble bust [as yet, unnamed]. As humans, we have a natural disposition to engage with humanistic forms in art and design. It's why Magritte's Son of Man carries more weight than a still life of a bowl of fruit. By the same token, it's why my sunglasses find themselves playfully perched on a marble bust rather then in a beautifully designed leather tray. That, or I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms from Carlos the Cowhide.