Across the six and a half years I’ve been writing Bright.Bazaar I’ve long championed The Conran Shop. From their inventive window displays to festive collaborations, I have often found myself inspired by experiences with the brand. (If you like, you can take a click through all of my Conran archives right here.) Aside from the escapist feel of their in-store experience, which feels akin to that of a concept store and is truly somewhere I believe to be a design destination, I also enjoy the fact that each visit broadens my horizons and perspectives on design. As such, I’m delighted to have partnered with them to offer Bright.Bazaar readers the chance to win an exquisite Cross Leg Lounge Chair worth £2,000 by designer Magnus Long. Click through after the jump to read more about how the brand are celebrating design as part of this year’s London Design Festival.
This month sees The Conran Shop shining a spotlight on London as a global capital for design – and what perfect timing given London Design Festival kicks off this weekend. To celebrate, the brand have handpicked and curated an edit of extraordinary pieces sourced from around the globe. These pieces will be showcased in The Conran Shop’s Chelsea store during London Design Festival, so be sure to stop by the store as you explore LDF events.
In pulling together their LDF edit, The Conran Shop Edit took inspiration from exploration, and has formed an interactive in-store design trail that will take visitors on a journey of discovery. Given my love of discovering design inspiration via travels (see more on my #mrbazaartravels feed on Instagram) I am really excited to experience this for myself. Follow along with others’ interpretations and experiences on Instagram via the #TheConranShopEdit feed. I love how their edit will showcase designs by both up and coming talent and long-celebrated works by established designers. In this diverse display of designers’ work visitors to the Chelsea store will see everything from Piet Hein Eek’s stunning brass and steel Hand-Folded Pendant Lamps (one of my personal favorites!), to Patricia Urquiola’s Low Shimmer Table, of which the laminated, rounded glass reflects iridescent tones and has a unique look from all angles. I love designs with which one’s experience can evolve and surprise; to me it’s almost as if the furniture takes on a life-like quality where it continually presents a different mood depending on how the light falls upon it, or where it is viewed from.
I believe that when you have a personal memory or vivid experience with a material or a place or that the design takes on a heightened level of significance. Perhaps it’s the cool marble you felt underfoot during a holiday in Italy, or the rich smell of leather as you walked a Moroccan bazaar that drew you to a particular piece? It’s a similar reason that drew me to these Flauti Glass Pendants. The lamps are made of hand blown and turned glass on the Venetian island of Murano. I visited the islands of Murano and Burano earlier this year, and having seen the glass factories and stores that fill the island and an understanding of their provenance, I feel a stronger connection to the designs. The Orange, Violet, Amber and Amethyst hues are inspired by historical Venetian colours that recall romantic sunsets over Venice – just like this one I captured on my trip!
The Conran Shop’s offering extends far beyond furniture to include textiles, tableware, stationery, accessories and much more. It was this striking striped Berlingot glassware by Laguna B that instantly caught my colour and stripe-loving eye. I was fascinated to learn that the candy-stripe design was inspired by a much-loved childhood sweet from Provence. It’s no surprise I love these as these too are made via the ancient art of glassmaking, which has been practiced since the 13th century.
You can view more of the pieces from the LDF edit, along with my favourites, on this Pinterest board. I’d love to know which designs are catching your eye? The beautiful shape and form of Magnus Long’s Cross-Leg Lounge Chair is included and it was designed especially for The Conran Shop. The design was inspired by wrapping Post-It notes around and into cones to create a supple but stable shell for the seat. And what a gorgeous seat it is thanks to that tan-hued leather! All you have to do to be in with the chance of winning one of the Cross-Leg Lounge Chairs is click here and enter your details. Good luck!
// Photography by The Conran Shop | Posted in collaboration with The Conran Shop; all views my own
22 Comments
Always enjoyed your posts about Conran! Thanks for the chair giveaway…my fingers are crossed!
@Susan – My pleasure! 🙂
You write so poetically about design Will. Beautiful post.
@Jen – Very kind of you to say! Thanks for stopping by.
The glassware is gorgeous!!
@Bea – Riiiiiiiight?! Divine.
Need that chair in my life. Thanks, man.
@Jack – Pleasure.
My husband and I love Conran! Great post! We would love to meet you one day as you are an inspiration for us as two creatives. 🙂
@Alicia – That’s so lovely of you to say. Thank you! I’ll be doing book signings next year for my second book so perhaps we can meet then!
Great post and fun competition
@RJ – Cheers! Wish I was allowed to enter myself as that chair is stunning, right!
Anything Conran based always catching my attention.
Buckets & Spades
@Mat – Agreed! 🙂
Love his work, and yours. Nice post.
@Ben – Thanks so much!
How fun of you to do this for us Will. Thank you! I love your blog.
@Mary – Pleasure. Thanks for following along with my make-you-smile style adventures!
My love affair with Conran goes clear back to the 70s. The books were my introduction to the world of interior design. People in my small Arkansas town thought I was crazy to decorate our family home according to ideas from an English designer. But I’ve never looked back and Conran has never let me down. Both of my children and their spouses still pore over the books ( no matter how out of date ) . Good design never dies. Thanks for the trip back to the future.
@Libbynan – So lovely to hear of your relationship with the brand. Thanks for sharing and stopping by!
How gorgeous !!! Love it !!
Love your website !
@Paulinette – Thank you!