I am a child of the 70s. Obviously I don’t remember much about that time.
What I do remember are the great camping trips, the best movies I watched, having my tonsils out (not so good), and I also have very fond memories of visiting Habitat with my parents. My Mum and Dad were probably quite cool, I certainly recall a lot of brown and orange and we did have plastic furniture and a chesterfield sofa. Our family home was very much on trend although I was rather unaware at the time.
The feeling I got on these visits to Habitat as a youngster, was probably a strong indication of what would eventually float my boat as an adult.
Initially our local Habitat store was in the centre of Manchester on the corner of John Dalton Street, it later moved to St Ann’s Street. This was the first branch to open outside of the capital and the one that my parents visited when furnishing their first home.
As I have always lived in and around Manchester, give or take a couple of miles, I have been lucky in having a Habitat branch within easy reach. I have always been able to bob in whenever I felt the need for a shopping hit – which was quite often.
Habitat was always my favourite place to visit in the run up to the Christmas holidays, it stocked the best strings of lights and really cool Christmas tree decorations that were very different to anything anywhere else.
In more recent years my most convenient Habitat store was located in Wythenshawe, it had the added bonus of a massive clearance department, heaven when one loves a bargain. When I asked my Mum for her memories of furniture shopping at Habitat, she told me that our family dining table was purchased from the clearance area, I would bet most of the people local to the Wythenshawe store, purchased at least one item of furniture from it’s massive ‘bargain corner’.
When Habitat closed down a few years ago, a good friend of mine declared that she felt bereft. I felt much the same, as I am sure a lot of us did.
I didn’t really know much about Habitat’s history before researching and writing this article. Of course I knew that it was founded by Sir Terence Conran , but I had no idea that it first opened it’s doors on Fulham Road in Chelsea.
The Chelsea branch opened in 1964 and Its interior was clean and simple, the whole focus of the store was on its products. This, at the time, was quite revolutionary.
A friend of mine recalls a visit to the Fulham Road branch whilst on a coach trip, to London, with her mother. It was in the late 70’s and she can visualise it’s interior to this day.
Sarah remembers the all white walls, chrome bannisters, air-conditioning and immaculately stacked homewares that looked like art installations.
Jean Michel Jarres Oxygene was playing – she had never heard this before – and it only added to the futuristic atmosphere. Add in the beautiful Chelsea shoppers and it was like a glimpse into another world.
By the end of the sixties there were nine Habitat stores throughout the country.
Habitat’s success was in capturing the mood of the era and it was very popular with the younger generation.
The shop offered a range of well designed, reasonably priced products and offered a whole lifestyle package selling furniture, soft furnishings and home wares. It even sold complete kitchens and fantastic wooden toys. Habitat turned furniture shopping into a leisure activity and an exciting one at that.
There are a few Habitat pieces that most of us will be familiar with. The Tam Tam stool, curved plastic, one colour for the base and usually a white circular top. why did my mother dispense with them all those years ago?
How about the Flap Flip analogue clock, this and the Tam Tam stools have modern versions on sale to this day.
Who remembers the Crayonne ice bucket, so simple yet so appealing. I often see these at local Vintage Fairs. The clever lid design with three recessed holes for ones fingers, genius and I must admit to a yearning for the Mebel design clam ashtray. No one in my house smokes but the ashtray looks so good. I am sure I could find another use for it.
Habitat also presented some innovational products to the market. Who remembers the terracotta chicken brick? This was one of habitats best selling lines. It was designed to cook a chicken in its own juices, and was apparently the best way to cook a chicken.
One of my favourite designers for Habitat during this era was Robin Day. I own two of his chairs, my sons use them at their desks. They are comfy and resilient, but most importantly, they are stylish. I furnish my home with a lot of retro pieces, partly because I like to pick up items that are preloved, and therefore low cost, but mainly because I love the way they look and the feelings they evoke.
Along the way it is no surprise that I have acquired a few vintage Habitat items, quite often not even knowing that they were just that. As my passion for interiors and furniture has grown I have very much enjoyed researching retro design and developed a need to know who exactly designed what.
There are many items of collectible Habitat furniture that I now covet and I often search for them via online auctions. They hold their value to this day which is testament to Habitats design savvy.
This retro style may not be to everyones taste but it did revolutionise how we furnished our home and chose to have our own individual interiors.
We are all well aware of Habitats more recent history and it ain’t quite as sweet. I find it hard knowing that I have to reach for the Argos catalogue if I wish to peruse Habitats latest design offerings.
The other slightly brighter option is a trip to Homebase, unfortunately still not that high on my shopping wish list. Habitat’s current range may not be quite as fab as my Robin Day white plastic swivel chairs but it still holds promise for me and although I have to save up to buy a more modern Habitat chair these days, I know I probably will.
