The Conran Shop opens a stunning flagship on Sloane Square

Chelsea has no shortage of design legends in residence, so it’s no wonder that more are moving in. The latest is The Conran Shop, which has just opened a stylish three-storey flagship on the corner of Sloane Square and Pavilion Road, having relocated from the iconic Michelin House on Fulham Road.

It’s an exciting 50th year for the brand, which has undergone a rebrand to reflect its continued commitment to modernity and the vision of its late founder, Sir Terence Conran, who was a champion of British design. Conran himself had an enduring loyalty to Chelsea, having lived in the neighbourhood and opened the very first Habitat boutique there 59 years ago.

This new space was conceived by global head of visual merchandising, Mark Upstone. He has been with the company for almost 30 years, so there was perhaps no one better placed for the task.

The starting point, he said, was “finding and creating a space that is in keeping with how people live”. Where the Fulham Road space was so vast that it proved hard to truly curate, Sloane Square is about experiencing the brand’s products as if they are already yours, he explained.

“If you got locked in overnight, you could pretty much live here, because there’s a kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom,” Upstone said. “We wanted to present things in a way that makes sense to customers, rather than having a section for sofas and one for beds and so on.”

The Conran Shop will also renew its focus on own-brand products. Upstone and the in-house designers have revisited and refined core Conran designs for the new era – in particular, longstanding furniture pieces in new and rare fabrics, which can all be ordered in-store.

Interiors and art enthusiasts will delight in a collection of the founder’s original scale models for his designs, on show in a serene office setting on the first floor, as well as carefully curated curiosities and home fragrances.

And then there is the basement – a colour-coded kitchen lover’s paradise with something for every wish-list and style. Our highlights are the contemporary glassware and croissant-embroidered napkins. You’ll struggle to leave empty-handed and, come Christmas, it will be a go-to for stocking fillers and more.

Where Bibendum (or, the Michelin Man) served as the Shop’s mascot at its previous location, the Sloane Square space celebrates one of the founder’s biggest inspirations: Swiss architect and artist Le Corbusier and his ‘Modulor Man’. Artist Sascha Lobe has created a unique bathroom in tribute, complete with a special tiled design and an augmented-reality layer which sees Le Corbusier’s most famous concepts brought to life through animations on our phone screens.

In keeping with Le Corbusier’s ‘Modulor’ approach to design, The Conran Shop has been set up to accommodate everything from talks to DJ sets and more, which Upstone says is the plan following the store’s launch, so watch this space later in the year for some exciting happenings. 

With Upstone’s attention to detail and new room-by-room design approach, the Sloane Square store is the most luxurious Conran Shop in the world to date, with so much to discover inside.

The Conran Shop is at 16 Sloane Square, SW1W 8ER; 020 7589 7401. Opening hours: 10 – 7pm Monday – Saturday; 12 – 6pm Sunday