The second edition of the Istanbul Design Biennial distilled the city’s disparate cultural influences into a single powerful event. Monocle films visited to discover the region's desire to rewrite its contemporary design manifesto.

Biennale Interieur is a furniture fair with a difference. Every other year the Flemish city Kortrijk plays host to a design extravaganza that is as cultural as it is commercial. A provocative guest curator, diverse discourse and imaginative uses of space make this trade fair anything but run of the mill.

Home to a diverse creative community, architect Kazuyo Sejima's housing complex is designed to enlighten residents with its sense of serenity.

Furniture firm Carl Hansen & Søn is justly proud of its heritage and the company’s refusal to operate outside of Denmark hasn’t hampered growth. A new factory, increased output and rapidly rising exports point to a world of opportunity.

Nestled just in from the Corsica coast sits Le Couvent de Pozzo, a converted monastery that has been brought back to life as a tranquil guesthouse by owner Emmanuelle Picon. Monocle stopped by to enjoy breathtaking views over the Tyrrhenian sea and tuck in to some of Emmanuelle’s delicious French cuisine.

For the second in our two films on the summer-long 14th Venice Architecture Biennale, Monocle investigates this year’s theme of “Fundamentals”, set by curator Rem Koolhaas. We report on the challenges facing the fundamental host nation at the Monditalia exhibition and the fundaments of building at the Elements of Architecture pavilion.

As curator of the 14th Venice Architecture Biennale, Rem Koolhaas invited curators to explore the fundamentals of architecture and analysis modernity from 1914 to 2014. Monocle films reports back on how the national pavilions responded to this year's assignment.

From a simple concept - the roll-out and upkeep of municipal street furniture in exchange for control of the advertising - JCDecaux elevates the unnoticed essentials of urban life. Monocle discovers how it helps cities run in style.

For Monocle’s Homeware Top 25 we present our round-up of the simply designed and yet endlessly useful things – from coat hooks to ceramics and cooking utensils to kettles – that make a home not just a location to escape to and enjoy, but a place to show off and share, too.

Look no further than Monocle's report from this year's furniture fair in Milan to find out who's leading the way in the sector and what innovations will soon be shaping interiors across the globe.