Blanchette East | London (UK) | By Lee Fleming

The Blanchette have opened up their second restaurant in London's East End following the success of their Soho restaurant and the IDMCo team can't wait to check it out. Brothers Maxime, Yannis and Malik Alary alongside Sam Storrar who is executive cheff for both eateries chose London's Brick Lane as the ideal setting for the latest expansion of their French sharing plates experience with a modern French menu that's more informed by the country’s southern styles as well as North Africa.

Named after the Alary brothers mother, Blanchette has been designed by design Agency Black Sheep, the space finely balances Parisian Belle Époque with urban East London. The dining room is decorated with antiques sourced from Parisian vintage markets while a white marble counter, rustic wooden and marble tables set the scene in front of a backdrop of distressed walls and ceilings. Blanchette doesn't only serve up great tasting food, the music played a perfect match; a well considered playlist of nu-disco, funk soul classics and new wave sounds curated by Malik (Check out the Blanchette soundcloud here).

To read more about Blanchette visit their website.

26 Grains | London (UK) | By Lee Fleming

The recently opened 26 Grains is the brainchild of 26-year-old porridge enthusiast Alex Hely-Hutchinson whom having spent a year studying in Copenhagen has introduced London to a wholehearted approach towards oat cuisine. The philosophy behind 26 Grains is rooted in quality, simplicity and seasonality to deliver a delicious menu of grain based dishes.

26 Grains takes inspiration from Scandinavian cooking traditions, in particular the concept ‘Hygge’ which translated suggests a sense of cosiness best describes atmosphere in 26 Grains. Initially starting as a pop-up stall at Old Street Station, 26 Grains latest location can be found in Neal’s Yard in the heart of Covent Garden, central London. London-based design firm Block1 were tasked with creating a Nordic influenced interior that would provide a fitting backdrop for 26 Grains wholesome grain-based dishes. The stripped-back palette of natural woods, clean marble and rough rendered walls creates a warm Scandinavian aesthetic.

To find out more visit the 26 Grains website and/or check out the 26 Grains Cookbook.

(Photography by Enzo Cerri)

Residents: Inside the Iconic Barbican Estate | Anton Rodriguez | London (UK) | By Lee Fleming

We're excited for the release of the Residents: Inside the Iconic Barbican Estate book by our good friend Anton Rodriguez. The London-based freelance photographer currently resides in the Barbican Estate, the perfect abode to document neighbouring residents in one of London's most recognised brutalist architectural sites. Located in London's financial district, the Barbican Estate was built during the 1960s and the 1970s and is occupied by over 4,000 residents alongside the Barbican Centre, the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Having started photographing Barbican residents within the intimate settings of their own home as part of a VSCO Artist Initiative project, Anton's intriguing photo series has deservedly been published in the form a 160 page book. Featuring more than 22 Barbican residents and residences Anton encapsulates the incredible interiors and creative people who live in the iconic Brutalist estate.

Designed by Shoreditch-based design & brand development agency EACH London, the book features an essay by design writer Katie Treggiden who explores the history of the site and why there is such an interest in seeing ‘behind the scenes’. The book Is due to be released on the 10th October 2016 with pre-orders currently available on the Barbican website.

To read more on the Residents: Inside the Iconic Barbican Estate book visit the website.

The Alphabet Book | Ellie Tsatsou | London (UK) | By Lee Fleming

London-based photographer Ellie Tsatsou has recently released a collection of works entitled Alphabet in the form a publication to document her first approaches to the language of photography. The limited-edition publication (500 copies, signed & numbered) is a compilation of early photographs, shot between 2005 to 2013 that offer self discovery through the medium of photography. The works included in the Alphabet series capture moments in various places around the world which include Greece, Spain, England, France, America, Egypt, Zambia & Zimbabwe, among others. Designed by Konsept83 Design Studio, edited by Gelly Siganou and printed in Athens, Greece, the Alphabet book features writings by Ilektra Ellinikioti and Wessie du Toit.

To find out more visit Ellie's website where you can purchase the Alphabet book. It can also be found at several international stockists including The Photographers' Gallery Bookshop, Tender Books and BookArt BookShop (London), IANOS Bookstores (Greece) and 0fr. (Paris).

Honda: Great Journey | Map Project Office | London (UK) | By Lee Fleming

London's strategy-based industrial design consultancy Map Project Office (MAP), founded in 2012 by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby with Design Director Jon Marshall have recently worked with Creative Director Morihiro Harano to imagine future vehicles for Honda that use their latest technology and capture the spirit of the brand.

Aptly titled 'Great Journey', the collaborative project looks to imagine a comfortable and modern exploration of the planet. Human beings are instinctively mobile. We can trace our roots to the continent of Africa, where, millions of years ago, our ancestors began what archaeologist Brian M. Fagan calls "The Great Journey." It was a migration north into Europe, across Asia, and on to North and South America. A journey of over 50,000 kilometers.

The goal of the Great Journey project is to reimagine this journey, and propose how it could be made today using the latest technologies for human mobility. It was conceived as a journey of adventure that would also allow for the development of prototype vehicles that could travel virtually anywhere on the planet. Mori and MAP identified that travelling through grass plains, deserts, mountains, sea, snow and jungle couldn't be achieved by one vehicle without compromises to comfort and pleasure. Instead the journey was separated into seven stages with respective vehicles for each; allowing Mori and MAP to tailor vehicle design for each terrain and consider the needs of the environment for pleasurable travel and living. Models were made by Letchworth-based Ogle Models brought the project's designs to life while Petr Krejci helped create film sets representing the terrains.

To view more of MAP's work visit their website. Photography by Petr Krejci.