Plain Simple Useful: The Essence of Conran Style

by Terence Conran

Overview

'A handsome yet joyful manual for easy, stylish living.' - Architectural Digest

Terence Conran has always believed that objects - and surroundings - that are plain, simple and useful are the key to easy living. By being practical and performing well over time, they are as much the antidote to superficial styling as they are to the shoddy and second-rate. Applied to the home as a whole, this discerning approach results in interiors that are effortlessly stylish, confident and timeless, with plenty of room for the expression of personal taste.

Plain Simple Useful is organized according to the main activities that take place at home. Inspirational interiors, many of which are Conran's own, and a number of projects designed by him exclusively for this book, provide all the guidance you need to tailor-make your own storage. The book also features iconic examples of classic designs that will enhance any home, as well as a peek behind the closed doors of those well-ordered cupboards, larders and other stowing spaces that contribute so much to easy living.

This updated edition of the book features a new chapter on plain, simple, useful style outdoors with elegant contemporary ideas for eating and relaxing spaces outside.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781840918120
Publisher:	Octopus Books
Publication date:	06/30/2020
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 10.30(h) x 1.05(d)

About the Author

Terence Conran is one of the world's best-known designers, retailers and restaurateurs. Born in 1931 he founded the Conran Design Studio in 1956 and later the Habitat chain of home furnishing shops that revolutionized the British high street in the Sixties and Seventies. Later he established The Conran Shop and founded the Design Museum in London, the world's first museum dedicated to design.

Throughout his career his companies have designed, owned and operated shops, restaurants, hotels, bars and cafés around the world as well as working across the fields of architecture, interiors, products, graphics and brand identity. This diverse range of projects has all been driven by Terence's fundamental belief that intelligent design improves the quality of people's lives.

Today, Terence designs furniture for Benchmark, Content by Terence Conran and The Conran Shop, and is involved in several restaurants including The Boundary and Bibendum. He has written more than 50 informative books that broadly reflect his design philosophy, most recently Conran on Colour and My Life in Design (both Conran Octopus).

He is an honorary professor of the University of the Creative Arts, and was knighted for his services to design in 1983.

Editorial Reviews

05/26/2014
This beautifully packaged tome shows yet again that Conran (How to Live in Small Spaces) has an uncanny ability to provide people with exactly what they want after they want it. Now that the tiny house movement has exploded, and spare is the new lux, Conran presents his version of a pared-down aesthetic. It is doubtful, however, that the average citizen can pull it off. Yes, there is the occasional helpful tidbit, with strategic information on Unfitted Kitchens (that is, sans cabinets or built-in appliances), Storage, or Shared Work Areas. Less successful are color-coded charts interspersed throughout the book, which are visually complicated and hard to decipher, the book title notwithstanding. While the attractively aspirational photographs of perfectly stained floors, clutter-free kitchen tables, and neatly arranged kiddie detritus imply that all this sparseness is possible, those with small children and furry pets might be tempted to add another word to this book's title: "Housekeeper." (June)

Publishers Weekly