This is, without a doubt, the summer of the shed and, to tie in with our new window display and the RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s Artisan Retreats (see below), Jane Field-Lewis will be signing copies of her latest book, My Cool Shed, at our Chelsea store from 2-4pm.

Having previously celebrated the joys of retreats on wheel in her books My Cool Caravan and My Cool Campervan, Jane (above), has now turned her attention to the ultimate retreat: the shed. Her book
offers a peek at 35 of them, including beach huts and artists’ studios. Somewhere for their owners to pursue their hobbies, earn their living or just relax, they range from the modest to the lavish, but are all wonderfully inspiring.

‘When writing my book I took a rather liberal view of what a shed actually was. I looked at everything
from architecturally celebrated new builds and culturally important cabins to eco-friendly workspaces…
It is a book that salutes the cherished small spaces that fuel some big ideas and lift our spirits,’
says Jane.*

You might also glimpse, and may even get to ride in, our very own Conran Shop rickshaw, which will be cruising around South Kensington, ferrying customers to and from our store all day long from Thursday
to Saturday (24-26 May).

Inspired in part by Derek Jarman’s Prospect Cottage (and its world-famous garden) on the shingle at Dungeness and also by the five Artisan Retreats that are a new addition to this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show (more on these soon), the sheds were designed by Betsy Smith, our Head of Visual Merchandising, and her team. ‘Although they were made to order for us, with our specific needs in mind, we’ve already had customers asking us where they can get them from and even measuring them up!

‘Their black exteriors are an excellent foil for the green interiors, making them appear even more vivid and providing a really strong backdrop for the white furniture, which includes Jasper Morrison’s Thinking Man’s chair (top), the Leaf range and the Hardoy Butterfly chair (below), all new this year.

‘Customers can buy directly from the sheds – we’ve filled them with a combination of traditional garden accessories, such as balls of twine and plant pots, and our luxurious utility products, including hand-made brushes, boot scrapers and old-fashioned soap flakes. There’s also a selection of outdoor-related accessories, including gardening books, plant pots and plump cushions.

‘The plants surrounding them – and growing over them – are a mixture of cottage garden flowers, herbs and shrubs, as well as drought-friendly grasses, succulents and cactuses; it’s a quiet, scented spot where customers can potter and relax in a busy part of town!’

The light-as-a-feather scarf is handmade in Italy and has a vintage appearance. If the British flag is not your thing, the American, French and Japanese national flags are also available in scarf form. They cost £175 each and you’ll find them in our stores.

In its witty, leaf green livery, the deceptively delicate design came as a blast of cool, fresh air in the world of outdoor furniture. We’ve chosen the chic, white version for our in-store display – we love the way
it gives the Leaf’s ‘veins’ an ethereal quality – but the range is also available to order in green and
other colours.

It is physically impossible not to relax in the low Leaf chair, top. Its scoop shape reminds us of the 1950s chairs that have a woven wicker seat on a steel frame (like the one designed by a young Terence Conran and seen in his recent retrospective). As for the lounger, well, we all feel (if not look) like Hollywood film stars when we lie on one:

Like the other pieces in the range, the stackable side chair combines well with other designs, whatever their materials or colour (although matching tall and low Leaf side tables are also available). Made from triple powder-coated steel, all three are supplied with a cushion that is suitable for outdoor use.

We’ll leave you with this collective quote from Lievore Altherr Molina, taken from the Conversations section of Leaf manufacturer Arper’s website: ‘An object is well designed when its form seems inevitable. It could not have possibly been resolved in another way.’

What’s fabulous about this chair is how something that looks so contemporary – it could almost have been designed for today’s surfers and their camper vans – has such a long, rich and interesting history.

Its inspiration was the wooden-framed Tripolina chair, designed by (American) Joseph Fendy and used
by British officers in their late-19th century campaigns. Recreated in metal, the chair was exhibited at
Buenos Aires’ third Salon de Artistas Decoradores in 1940, where it was spotted by Edgar Kaufmann Jr, then Director of the Industrial Design department at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

When the earliest models arrived in the US in 1941, one went to MoMa and another to Fallingwater,
the Frank Lloyd Wright house commissioned by Kaufmann Jr’s father and where he (Jr) lived, following
his father’s death.

It’s been in production almost continuously since the late 1940s and you don’t need us to tell you that there are numerous copies out there, but the fact that vintage models remain so sought after – and ‘scrub up’ like new, check out the many refurb stories on the web – is a testament to their quality and desirability.

What we love about the Butterfly, apart from its light-as-air frame, is the cleverly designed sling, which holds the sitter in a comfortably relaxed, almost, but not quite, upright position – no ungainly sprawling
in this elegant chair! Try one for yourself at our Chelsea store.

It’s also available in white, but – surprise – the Conran blue version is our favourite. And, because
it’s made from stainless steel and has an acrylic cover,  you can take it outdoors when the sun makes
a reappearance.

Featured in Elle Decoration (and photographed by Wichmann & Bendtsen), this Milan apartment ticks every conceivable box (we want it now!) – high ceilings, wood block flooring, groaning bookshelves
– and is reached by one of those dramatic spiral staircases we drool over in films (and magazines).
As well as some rather magnificent vintage walnut bedroom furniture, there’s a Saarinen side table…

Also seen in the minimalist yet inviting bedroom of this seaside retreat near Copenhagen, shot by Heidi Lerkenfeldt. In its brilliantly bright dining room, Ingo Maurer’s whimsical Zettel’z pendant light (available
to order in our stores) hangs over a dining table surrounded by Wegner’s classic Wishbone chairs; you can add your own love letters to the Zettel’z pre-printed notes.

In the same issue, natural materials are celebrated in this round up of practical accessories, many of them handcrafted. Photographed by Jake Curtis, it includes our Kiki salt and pepper mills and a hand-carved wooden bowl; our glamorous black feather duster; hammam towels (all available in store; you really need to feel one of the towels for yourselves to appreciate just how soft they are); plus another of Wegner’s chairs, the CH25 armchair.

In Livingetc, there’s a refreshing and entertaining scenario (styled by Milly Goodwin and photographed by Paul Massey), decorated in pretty pastels and watched over by Foscarini’s Fork floor lamp. The quirky iron sofa on the second page is one of the many new pieces you’ll find in our relaunched Chelsea store.

Who needs curtains when you’ve a view like this one? While the Manhattan skyline is the inevitable star
of this penthouse (shot by Matthew Williams), its British owner has not succumbed to bland furnishings (always a danger, when the view’s the thing). Instead, the shell of a kayak echoes the skyscrapers in the distance, while warm-toned furniture, including walnut Cherner chairs and a vintage Danish sofa and armchairs, prevent the apartment’s vastness becoming unwelcoming. And look, here’s another
Saarinen table…

Homes & Gardens suggests three schemes for relaxed dining, including this family-friendly kitchen featuring the Navy 111 chair in red – you probably all know by now that the chair is made from recycled soft drinks bottles, making it very environmentally friendly (it’s also pretty child proof!), but you might not know that it has a wonderfully tactile velvet finish.

The blue image beneath it comes from the same feature and, on the table, you can see a Sue Binns jug and the new indigo blue and white Two tone vase and container from Portugal, both part of a new range of accessories at our Chelsea store inspired by Conran blue…

Some of which can also be seen in Emma Lee’s gorgeous images, below, inspired by the famous artists’ colony in Cornwall.

The illustrations are printed on high-quality card and would look fabulous framed – the perfect finishing touch for a Francophile’s study? Sold in a set of 16 (two of each design), they cost £12.95 and are available from our Chelsea store or you can order them by calling 0844 848 4000.

• Describe a typical working day
My day begins with ‘hellos’ and ‘good mornings’ exchanged between staff in the tea room. Then I usually water the plants and do a little pruning upstairs before heading to the department; I work with a great
team of creative colleagues. I like to walk around the store in the mornings to familiarise myself with
new products and see how the Display Team have arranged the furniture and accessories – things are constantly changing.

There are regular management and team meetings during the week, where we share information.
The days go quickly with many customer enquiries, Gift List registrations and guest purchases – I like
to meet and speak with our Gift List holders and their guests. I also write text for in-store exhibitions,
like the Michelin House: 100 years display, which celebrated this magnificent building’s birthday, and the Handcrafted in Britain displays, both last year. I enjoy talking to designers and crafts people about
their work and inspiration.

• If money were no object, which item from The Conran Shop would you buy?
Probably the Saarinen oval dining table – I love the expanse of cool white marble floating on its elegant base and the gorgeous bevelled edge beneath. I also, however, love Charles and Ray Eames’ office furniture and, when I have a sitting room large enough, I will order a Burnham sofa.

• How would you describe your home’s décor?
I have a mix of wooden furniture – 19^th and 20^th century and contemporary pieces as well as decorative accessories. Everything has a story behind it. I like to buy things on my travels which remind me of the places I have visited. There is a Federation [Australian Arts and Crafts] table that I painstakingly stripped, sanded, waxed and brought back from Australia. I have a set of Jacobsen’s 3107 chairs and several wicker, cane and Lloyd Loom pieces. Accessories include plain white china, coloured glass and simple ceramics. I still have my Alessi bird kettle which came with me to Australia and probably too large a selection of candleholders, vases and textiles – but I did study Textiles and Design History (at Brighton University), and do work at The Conran Shop!

• Who is your favourite architect or designer?
CFA Voysey – he also designed beautiful metalwork details for his buildings and I love his textiles, wallpapers and graphics. I seem to
have a very emotional response to his work; I have visited a few of
the buildings and each has its own character. The houses feel so welcoming, perfectly situated and the little details were important
to him.

I’m also a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, Corbusier, Gaudi and the Australian architects Bruce Rickard and Glen Murkutt
– and I would love to go on a tour of Calatrava’s buildings.

• What is your favourite restaurant or bar and why?
My favourite restaurant is The Bathers’ Pavilion, Balmoral Beach, Sydney. I have spent many hours there. It was the original changing rooms for bathers and now includes a restaurant, cafe, gallery space and
roof terrace. There is a wonderful view of the beach and you look straight out to sea – between the North and South heads of the harbour. Yachts, boats, cruise and cargo ships sail past and sometimes the
Manly ferries cross right in between the heads. I love to watch the sun set here and walk on the beach after dinner.

• How do you like to unwind?
I like the outdoors, walking on the beach or in the countryside with friends and family, whatever the weather. I love to entertain – outside in the garden in the summer, with a stripy beach umbrella up and afternoon tea or candlelit evening dinners. I am known for my Christmas get-togethers; I love decorating the table. I also like to sing as part of a choir (classical and contemporary music) and I dance too.

• What was the last exhibition you saw?
David Hockney RA: A Bigger Picture at the Royal Academy [now ended, but you can still watch a video narrated by Hockney]. It was a huge exhibition, including vast canvases as well as his beautiful small sketch books and a mesmerising, filmed, slow-moving journey of the countryside. The show was perfectly timed as we have had such an amazing spring with blossom-laden trees and hedges. He says you have
to be quick to capture that time in spring. I loved his paintings of the same scene in four seasons and his studies of trees.

I had The Ladybird Book of Trees as a child and am fascinated by their different skeletal shapes in winter. I often imagine their roots in mirror images beneath the earth. A selection of painted trees on canvases featured in the Into the Woods window display at The Conran Shop earlier this spring. Inspired by different types of woods used to make furniture and products here, the Display Team grouped objects with individual painted winter outline shapes of specific trees.

• What was your most memorable holiday and where will you travel to next?
All my holidays are memorable as I enjoy investigating, researching and planning them before I’ve set off on the journey. My great grandparents sowed the travel seed in our family. My grandfather was regularly asked to plan routes for friends (our own Michelin guide) – he recommended places to stay, restaurants and views to see. I have relatives in Europe and further overseas so it is a natural curiosity for me to wish to travel.

Florence was one of the most memorable, I love Italy. The sight of the historic city in the warm summer sunshine, nestled in the Tuscan countryside makes me want to stroll past the Duomo with a gelato in hand, walk through the Piazza della Signoria with a nod to Neptune, those magnificent horses and David, then continue through the Uffizi to the Arno (without a Baedeker). My next holiday may be to Seville.

* One of my favourite pieces of furniture is Arne Jacobsen’s Egg chair. My uncle had one of these in the 1970s. On arrival at his home, my brothers and I would run to the sitting room to take turns sitting in this chair while the others spun the seat around and around. It always makes me smile.

Find out more about The Conran Shop Gift List Service here. Register with Catherine at The Conran Shop Chelsea before 31 May and we’ll add an extra 10% onto the total list value when it’s closed and enter you in a free draw to one of three prizes.

There’s free delivery on all conranshop.co.uk purchases made before midnight tomorrow, 8 May,
so order your Outdoor Living furniture (including the beyond fabulous Terrace chair, above) now in anticipation of sunshine and sundowners when it arrives.*

The special offer of almost 30% off Arne Jacobsen’s late ’50s Egg chair in luxurious Fame fabric runs out at the end of May, so if you’re going to invest in this genuine classic design,
now is the time to do so.

If you need a reminder about why it’s important to buy the
real thing and not a fake, read Elle Decoration’s editor Michelle Ogundehin’s latest blog on the subject, So what’s the big fuss
about fakes again?, and add your name to her e-petition
to give designers the same rights enjoyed by other creatives.

Sign up to The Conran Shop Gift List Service before 31 May and we’ll not only add an extra 10% to its total value when closed, but will deliver your gifts for free. You don’t have to be getting married or entering into a Civil Partnership, the service can be used for any special occasion, such as a significant birthday or anniversary.

Anyone registering at our Chelsea store will also be entered into a free draw to win one of three prizes provided by Scentevent, the florist in the courtyard of Michelin House, and our Brompton Cross neighbours
Becca and Gaucho Sloane.

And finally, if you’re holding any little blue Conran Shop gift vouchers earned during our Treat Yourself and We’ll Treat You promotion in March, then you’ve three and a half weeks left in which to spend them at either of our stores – they expire on 31 May.

* Free standard UK delivery. Excludes next day delivery.

But first, a quick reminder that you can get free delivery on all of your online orders between now and midnight on Tuesday 8 May.*

The restful scene above is almost a journey through The Conran Shop’s 25 years at Michelin House, from the Hector table lamp by Original BTC, one of our earliest suppliers, and the Twin coffee table, designed exclusively for us by Wolfgang Setz, via Terence Conran designs such as the best-selling Winslow sofa, Balance shelving and Barton collection, to recent additions, including the new Radley oak dining table by Sean Dare and classic chairs by Hans J Wegner.

This serene setting showcases the fabulous Wardour oak bed and matching bedside table and wardrobes – open their doors and breathe deeply, it’s like being in a forest! The Claypole sofa and armchair (left) and Ansty armchair (right) are brand new additions to our Flagshop Collection. An Akari floor lamp (this one, the UF4-L10, is only available in store) and one of Marcel Wanders’ ethereal MaMo Nouchies lamps perfectly capture the mood.

In this kitchen set up – the minimalist cabinets are, of course, by Bulthaup – Patricia Urquiola’s quirky
Flo bar stools, Wegner’s Wishbone chairs and Felicity Iron’s beautiful (herb-scented) rush flooring prove that rustic materials and sleek surfaces are not mutually incompatible.

Piero Lissoni’s plump Mex Cube modular sofa system and Mex low table (2006-7) form the heart of a relaxed scheme that spans nine decades, from Christian Dell’s 1930s Idell lamp and Greta Grossman’s 1947 Grasshopper lamp, via the 1960s CH07 ponyskin and Eames EA217 chairs, to Roberto de Sabato’s aluminium Krossing shelving (another Conran Shop exclusive) and Starck’s 2010 Lou Read chair.

Our new look store and the launch of our Flagship Collection are just the first phase of a year-long plan that will be repeated across all of our stores. It’s an exercise that has seen 50% of our existing range being replaced with new lines, with an emphasis on quality, provenance and originality.

Terence Conran’s Berkshire home, Barton Court, was the inspiration for many of the new designs and
the editing of the room sets, above, which will be changed each season to reflect new additions.

* Free standard UK delivery. Excludes next day delivery.