London-based designers Vitamin will present their ceramic Street Style Urban Gnomes at 100% Design next week during the London Design Festival.

Made in the UK from bone china, the gnomes are decorated with designs "inspired by London's wide-ranging expanse of street art".

The new Urban Creatures collection (below) will also be on show and includes money boxes, bottle openers, and salt and pepper shakers.

100% Design takes place at Earls Court in London 18-21 September.

See Vitamin's I.V. Plant Pot in our earlier story.

The following information is from Vitamin:

--

THE GNOMES TAKE TO THE STREET
Vitamin’s New Collection of Street Style Urban Gnomes debut at 100% Design

The new Urban Gnome collection takes the gnome out of the flowerbed and puts it on the street. These 12 new gnomes have been inspired by London's wide ranging expanse of street art. With an injection of colour, these Street Style Urban Gnomes really stand out from the crowd.

The Urban Gnome is known for its sleek, simple form. Although it starts out as a blank canvas the various designs transform them into characterful additions for any home. The quality of the gnomes is still retained being made in the UK from bone china. Different techniques have been used to create the new range, from stenciling and doodling to graffiti wildstyle.

The caricature led designs have attitude to boot. The sideways glance of “Blossom”, the Heart Character gives her a playful and cute look, contrasting with “Cogsy”, the mischievous robot with spray can in hand.

“Avian Invasion” is a montage of pop-art style designs, showing a bird skull being attacked by two black crows. The accent colour shown in the plump pink lips and splattering of blood behind shows a dark side to this Street Style Gnome.

The detailed doodles of “Bad Drip” feature a world of characters that merge into one another culminating in a black drip spilling out onto the blank canvas and a gang of creatures hanging around the base. “Siege City” shows Godzilla, King Kong, a zebra and a sea serpent all encroaching into the lively and buzzing metropolis.

“Wildstyle” comes in three striking colours, green, pink and orange and the dripping paint effect gives that ‘just-sprayed’ look. This classic graffiti style incorporates interwoven and overlapping letters and shapes.

Leading the stencil style graffiti is “Grime Watch”, featuring a CCTV camera with the skull eyes at watch. “99” features a hummingbird attacking the dripping ice cream sauce. The final stenciled Gnome is “Vandal”. This raises the ongoing question of who the criminal is- the one making the graffiti or clearing it away. In the graffiti of “Vandal” when you look closely you can see the full range of Street designs cleverly combined.

“Monster Lunch” brings a cartoon style to the collection with its big greedy green mouth and long reaching tongue. “Pollinate” has a retro look with its curved lines and bold black and orange colours. The theme of nature comes through with the stylized waves and intertwining of abstract flowers with creatures.

Street Style is part of the Urban Creature Collection. The three collections from Vitamin, Bio Logic, Hex and Urban Creature are all on show at 100% Design 2008, taking place on 18-21 September at Earls Court in London. Vitamin – A Life Less Ordinary Ltd. will be on stand number E33.

VITAMIN UNVEILS THE URBAN CREATURE COLLECTION

Vitamin – the design company that brought you the world famous Urban Gnome – has launched the Urban Creature Collection.

The Urban Gnome was getting a bit lonely all on its own, so it decided to phone all its friends and form the Urban Creature Collection. These creatures are an unstoppable force. Soon every mantelpiece, table top and coffee table around the world will have its very own Urban Creature. These creatures have been released and there is nowhere to hide.

The Urban Gnome is known for its sleek, simple form, which while it starts out as a blank canvas, is transformed into a characterful addition to any home. And the Urban Creatures are no exception – they are products that can live happily in any living space, while also being functional.

The Urban Creature Collection comprises a range of new products which, along with the Urban Gnomes, will make a stylish addition to any home. Urban Gnomes have been popping up in gardens and homes across the world, and they are now ready to be joined by their extended family of creatures.

While you’ll be happy to make a home for these creatures when you see them, you should also realise their functions. The creatures are not just about looks alone. The Collection comprises a Money Box, Bottle Opener, Salt & Pepper shakers, and a Kitchen Timer.

Each of the products are pure, sculptural forms which are brought to life with their graphics. They all clearly belong to the same family and come in several different styles, which are carried across the range.

The styles include a playful, mischievous design with Bones- relatives of the Skull family; cute and friendly heart shaped Blossom; sophisticated Hex pattern and the attractive Floral design. Each of the designs give the creatures a different edge – if you want your Urban Creature as your pet then go for one of the playful characterful designs, or if you’re looking for a present for a girlfriend or parent, then go for the Floral or Blossom design.