The Top Stitch
Your weekly digest of news in the world of Design, Upholstery, Furniture and Interior Design, brought to you by Global Upholstery Solutions. With a special Terence Conran edition.
British designer Terence Conran, founder of furniture brand Habitat and London’s Design Museum, has died at the age of 88.
Conran passed away today at his home at Barton Court, London, his family revealed in a statement.
“It is with great sadness we announce British designer, retailer and restaurateur Sir Terence Conran passed away peacefully today at his Barton Court home aged 88,” the family said.
“He was a visionary who enjoyed an extraordinary life and career that revolutionised the way we live in Britain. A proud patriot, Sir Terence promoted the best of British design, culture and the arts around the world and at the heart of everything he did was a very simple belief that good design improves the quality of people’s lives.”
Friday Five with Sir Terence Conran – design milk
It’s next to impossible to think of modern design without mentioning Sir Terence Conran in the same breath. The British designer has been leading the way for over 50 years and showing younger generations just how it’s done. His contributions to the design world are legendary, from furniture design, interiors, and architecture, where he has always focused on intelligent design in hopes that it improves people’s lives and makes them happy to come home. He keeps busy running his design firm and a series of retail stores called The Conran Shop that he founded in 1974, and his longevity has paid off—The Design Museum honored his 80th year by holding a retrospective of his work a few years ago. Just recently Conran introduced a line of affordable furniture and accessories as part of a collaboration with JCPenney that brings his easy living aesthetic to the masses. This week’s Friday Five gives us a look at his design favorites.
Written shortly before his death.
The founder of Habitat, industry icon Terence Conran has led a rich life in furniture design. At 88, he remains busy developing contemporary lines for Benchmark, The Conran Shop, and Content by Terence Conran, discovers Furniture News …
Terence Conran, founder of the Design Museum, designer, philanthropist and businessman, passed away on Saturday 12 September 2020. He was 88 years old.
Through a series of parallel careers, Sir Terence Conran had a greater impact than any other designer of his generation, revolutionising everyday life in contemporary Britain.
House & Garden is deeply saddened to hear of the death of Terence Conran, who died quietly at home today at the age of 88. One of the most influential designers of the 20th century with a career spanning six decades, Conran was a key contributor to the irresistible momentum for cultural and social change, which eventually came to fruition in the 1960s amid the energy and excitement of Pop culture.
For his influence and contributions to design, Sir Terence Conran was awarded 2012’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement Medal honours an individual who has made significant and fundamental contributions to the design industry over their career.
A statement from his family said he passed away peacefully today at his Barton Court home: “He was a visionary who enjoyed an extraordinary life and career that revolutionised the way we live in Britain. A proud patriot, Sir Terence promoted the best of British design, culture and the arts around the world and at the heart of everything he did was a very simple belief that good design improves the quality of people’s lives.
Here are some early reactions to Sir Terence Conran’s death:
Sir Terence Conran was a visionary who transformed the London restaurant scene. He made eating out glamorous, exciting and stylish. Bibendum restaurant, which he created in Michelin House, our former HQ, stands as a fitting tribute to his extraordinary talents.
— The MICHELIN Guide (@MichelinGuideUK) September 12, 2020
Oh man. Terence Conran – a man who genuinely did change how we live and eat, and brought joy and voluptuous pleasure at a time when the country was starved of it.
Game-changer: that over-used word for once truly fitting.
— Marina O’Loughlin (@MarinaOLoughlin) September 12, 2020
