Essential House Book

Terence Conran is one of the world's best-known designers, restaurateurs and retailers. In the 1960s he founded Habitat - the chain of homeware stores that brought good, modern design within reach of the general population for the very first time. Over the subsequent 50 years Terence built another group of companies centred around design, retailing, restaurants and hotels. Today, Conran owns restaurants and shops in eight cities throughout the world and a design business serving many international clients that includes architecture and interior design, product and graphic design and brand licensing. In January 2011 Conran began working with Marks & Spencer in the UK, designing an exclusive range of homewares for the store. In 2012 Conran signed a deal to collaborate with US retail giant jcpenney to design an exclusive range of furniture, lighting and accessories for the home. The initial collection launched in spring 2013 into 300 jcpenney stores throughout the US and there will be new ranges launching each spring and autumn. Terence was knighted for his services to design in 1983 and has been provost of the Royal College of Art in London. In 1982 he opened the very first museum in the world dedicated to design, which is now the celebrated Design Museum in London, due to move to new premises in 2015 thanks to a massive expansion programme.