We’ve teamed up with Vespertine Press to give away five copies of ‘The Independent Coffee Book London‘. This new title celebrates the very best independent cafés, espresso bars and roasters in London and is the only guide to the capital’s burgeoning speciality coffee scene. Enter now – competition closes on 25th January 2012.

The book includes reviews and listings of the very best cafés in London, accompanied by maps to help you discover new and exciting coffee shops around the city.

Also included is a history of London coffee houses, a guide to brewing, a detailed glossary of terms and articles compiled and written by a host of influential names from the London coffee scene.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. Congratulations to our five winners: Graham Gear, Liam Carden, Harriet Steynor, Jay Freestone and Charles Westerby.

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We’ve teamed up with the producers of Sugru to give away five packs of their magical air-curing rubber that can be bonded onto any object to repair or transform the shape, functionality and ergonomics – useful for improving those not-quite-right Christmas gifts! Enter now – competition closes on Monday 23rd January 2012.

Sugru is an exciting air-curing rubber that can be formed by hand. It bonds to most materials and turns into a strong, flexible silicone rubber overnight. It feels like modelling clay, and it’s that easy to use too. Once cured, its durable properties mean it’s comfortable in extreme environments from the dishwasher to the ocean to Antarctica.

Sugru can be formed and shaped by hand for up to 30 minutes once it has been removed from its packaging. Once it’s exposed to air, it cures to a tough flexible silicone overnight using the moisture in the air with a cure time of 24hrs.

Developed by a team of product designers and materials scientists, sugru’s patented technology is unique in its combination of hand-formability, self-adhesion and flexibility when cured. Sugru’s strap line is ‘Hack Things Better’ – to us, this has revolutionary potential.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. Congratulations to our five winners: Pete Aighton, Frederic Cuignet, Lynsey Kirkwood, Dawn Costen and Jean Day.

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All images courtesy of Sugru.

We’ve teamed up with design retailer Skandium to give away five copies of their recently published book ‘On Yellow’ about the work of Swedish design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune. Enter now – competition closes on 14th December 2011.

Claesson Koivisto Rune is the most recognised design studio in Sweden, creating everything from glassware, lighting and furniture to houses and hotel conversions.

In September 2011, Skandium hosted an exhibition of their furniture, products and architectural models at their Brompton Road store and produced this book to accompany the show.

The book charts their work over the years. Instead of publishing images of each project, they have included light-hearted sketches that demonstrate the seed of each idea and the playful attitude behind a serious design studio.

The introduction to the book was written by LDG editor Max Fraser.

The book is designed by Gabor Palotai Design, Stockholm.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. Congratulations to our five winners: Salli Graham Lawrence, Christina Bell, Nicola Henshall, Gill Thomas and Catherine Owen.

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We’ve teamed up with British furniture and accessories producer Another Country to offer you the chance to win a full set of their new desk objects, worth £84! Enter now – competition closes on 14th December 2011.

This family of desk objects is made up of individual, but compatible, objects that each fulfil a specific task: A tall Pencil Pot to hold all writing ephemera, a Sharpener Pot (with motif handle) that neatly collects your shavings, a Tape Dispenser with utilitarian brass serrated arm and, lastly, a small container Eraser Pot for all your loose bits, with a particularly handy lid in the form of a large eraser. Like all Another Country objects, the Desktop series is especially functional whilst also possessing a timeless charm.

Materials: Sycamore, brass, rubber. Crafted in Wales. Designer: Simon Donald

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. Congratulations to our winner, Pierre Bonnet.

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We’re giving away a ND105 stool worth £475, in partnership with the UK importer and retailer Sigmar. Designed in 1962 by Danish cabinetmaker Nanna Ditzel, the collectible design continues to be handmade today by a small rural workshop in Denmark. Enter our competition to win! Entry deadline: Monday 3rd October 2011.

The stool, also known as the ‘Toadstool’, was originally designed by the legendary Nanna Ditzel for her children and has only ever been produced by small cabinetmaking companies. It was the only other piece of furniture in the home of Danish architect and designer Finn Juhl that he didn’t design himself and the one piece that Ditzel asked to have by her side on her deathbed in 2005.

Measuring 400mm wide x 440mm high, the stools (which also double as side tables) are made of solid oak and oiled for a natural finish which will only become richer with time. Nanna Ditzel developed the shape over a period of 20 years and it now consists of 10 different stools and tables ranging from £340-£995 depending on size.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. Congratulations to our winner, Harry Ledwith!

We’re giving away 5 signed copies of ‘Dezeen Book of Ideas’ – a celebration of amazing ideas by the world’s best creative brains. The book features over 100 buildings, interiors and products selected from the pages of influential design website Dezeen. Enter our competition to win a copy! Entry deadline: midday, Tuesday 20th September 2011.

Edited by Dezeen founder and editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs, Dezeen Book of Ideas provides a compelling snapshot of cutting-edge creativity across every discipline. The book represents the vitality of both the website and the contemporary architecture and design scene today.

The projects included in the book have been selected from the thousands of projects published on the Dezeen website. The book is lavishly illustrated – each entry has been completely rewritten and is accompanied by a full-colour photograph.

From mobile phones powered by fizzy drinks to cars made of fabric to houses with slides instead of staircases, Dezeen Book of Ideas represents a refreshing new approach to design publishing. The book is published by Spotlight Press, the same company that publishes LONDON DESIGN GUIDE.

COMPETITION: This competition is now closed.

Congratulations to our winners: Ellie Stuart, Anne-Marie Large, John Connor, Linda Wiles, Ruth Tesdale.

We’re giving away 5 signed copies of ‘London Buildings: An Architectural Tour’ by Robin Farquhar and Hannah Dipper (published by Batsford). Enter our competition to win a copy! (This competition is now closed).

Created by the founders of People Will Always Need Plates, this new title offers outstanding graphic illustrations of London’s architectural icons appearing for the first time in book form.

Farquhar and Dipper began their business with a focus on the buildings that they love, namely Modernist examples from the 1930s as well as now-iconic concrete structures of the 1950s, -60s and -70s.Their unique and colourful illustrations have been used before by the company on a successful range of plates, mugs and other objects.

Covering a range of architectural styles, well-known buildings such as the Barbican, Battersea Power Station and Sir Christopher Wren’s 1675 Greenwich Royal Observatory feature in the book, as well as the 1920s modernist masterpiece – the Isokon Building – and Brutalist icons, the controversial Trellick Tower and the Royal National Theatre.

The pair are just as eager to celebrate the unsung architectural heroes as much as the well-loved, famous ones so have also included new images of 30 St Mary Axe, Butler’s Wharf and the Commonwealth institute. Each image is accompanied by text summing up why the authors love the building they depict. The foreword is written by LDG editor, Max Fraser.

COMPETITION: This competition is now closed. Thank you to all of those who entered.

Congratulations to our five winners: Carla Seppe, Jennifer Taylor, Sarah Anguish, Belinda Hendry, Carolina Johnson.

We’re giving away 5 copies of the second issue of ‘WRAP’ – a magazine showcasing exciting work made by current illustrators and designers around the world. Enter our competition to win a copy! (entry deadline: 1st July 2011)

With the theme of Animals & Creatures, issue two features work by an exceptional group of contributors including LA-based Patrick Hruby and Milan collective Carnovsky (whose colourful artwork features on the cover.) The magazine also features interviews with contributing artists including print designer Lisa Stickley and jewellery designer Momo Tamura about her brand Momocreatura. A new regular feature includes an illustrated ‘Day in the Life’ – in this issue by freelance illustrator Gemma Correll.

WRAP is an environmentally conscious magazine using 100% recycled paper and vegetable-based inks. Designed with no staples or stitching, WRAP has a unique concept of being a magazine to read as well as a product to use, as it can easily be taken apart and reused as wrapping paper. This issue is limited to 1500 copies, and each one is individually numbered.

The format of the second issue has been altered slightly so WRAP is now bigger than before (approx.A3) with a harder cover, the back cover has been perforated so it can become a set of 8 notecards to match the prints inside. All of the sheets are only folded over once, so they’re kept as neat and flat as possible – ready for present wrapping.

COMPETITION: To win one of the 5 copies of “WRAP” (worth £9.50 RRP), simply email your name and delivery address to competitions@londondesignguide.com with ‘WRAP’ in the subject line.

Five winners will be chosen at random and notified by email on 1st July. The competition is open to readers from any country and magazines will be dispatched to the delivery address you supply.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. Congratulations to our winners: Margherita Carello, Rosie Cunningham, Paul Christopher Daniels, Louisa Pacifico and Jemma Walker.

We’re giving away 5 signed copies of “The Design Work of Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby” – the first monograph celebrating the work of this leading British design duo (published by Rizzoli). Enter our competition to win a copy! (entry deadline: 1st June 2011)

The award winning studio, founded in 1996, is headed by two of the most innovative industrial designers Britain has to offer, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby. Distinguished by clean, modern lines, BarberOsgerby works across a wide range of disciplines to create everything from furniture and products to consumer electronics and architecture.  The duo make their mark with technical craftsmanship, formal vigor, and inspired use of colour.

In permanent museum collections worldwide, BarberOsgerby’s work includes iconic designs like the best-selling Tab Lamp for Flos (2008) and the recent Tip Ton chair for Vitra (2011).

With a portfolio ranging from accessible work to custom one-off pieces, their work has been produced by manufacturers and clients such as Cappellini, Swarovski, Stella McCartney, and Coca-Cola.

The book presents images of the pair’s iconic designs and the inspiration behind them, as well as concept sketches and technical drawings revealing the true craftsmanship involved. The publication is organised thematically with an emphasis on materials and process and includes essays written by some of the industries biggest names: Deyan Sudjic (Design Museum), Zoe Ryan (Arts Institute of Chicago) and Simon Andrews (Christies).

COMPETITION: To win one of the 5 signed copies of “THE DESIGN WORK OF EDWARD BARBER AND JAY OSGERBY” (worth £45), simply email your name and delivery address to competitions@londondesignguide.com with ‘BarberOsgerby’ in the subject line.

Five winners will be chosen at random and notified by email on 1st June. The competition is open to readers from any country and books will be dispatched to the delivery address you supply.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. Congratulations to our winners: Oliver Rix, Patricia Chavez, Scott Berry, Nathan Morse, Ross Kimball.

We’ve teamed up with Frances Lincoln Publishers to give away five signed copies of ‘London Light‘ by photographer Sandra Lousada. A tribute to the city –  Lousada’s book captures her relationship with London in all its movement, light and colour. Enter the competition below for the possibility to win (entry deadline: 8th September 2010).

Sandra Lousada has enjoyed a fruitful career of theatre, portrait, fashion, beauty and advertising photography. She became internationally renowned in these areas but it wasn’t until she reached her sixties, having always worked in 35mm and medium-format film, that she delved into the world of digital photography.

She enrolled in a postgraduate course in digital photography at Central St Martins College of Art & Design and discovered that she had finally found an appropriate medium in her digital camera to capture the London she lived in and so loved. Playing on initial ideas of light and water, she progressed to capture movement, colour and reflections: all of which evoke a deep emotional response.

This response was a reflection of what she sees, feels and breathes in London. The advent of her late husband’s death clearly had an impact on her images, producing what her children called ‘crying images’:

‘In the winter months that followed his death I couldn’t sleep, so I would drive around London in the middle of the night, quite often in strong winds and rain. Every so often something would catch my eye and I’d get out of the car and struggle to see what I had noticed and try to work out how to record it’.

The resulting images of her experience show an alternative side to the bustling city – a slowing down of time from the shadows of a thoughtful insight.

COMPETITION: To win one of 5 signed copies of LONDON LIGHT, simply email your name and delivery address to competitions@londondesignguide.com with ‘London Light’ in the subject line.

Competition closes at midday on Friday 10th September 2010. Five winners will be chosen at random and notified by email on 10th September. The competition is open to readers from any country and books will be dispatched to the delivery address you supply.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. Congratulations to the winners: Yvonne Ferri-Hermann; Katherine Grieve; Lisa Hutchinson; Rebecca Townsend; Emma Day.

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All featured photographs are taken from ‘LONDON LIGHT’ by Sandra Lousada, published at £25 by Frances Lincoln.