Feature: the first branch of Habitat opened its doors 50 years ago today, changing the British public's relationship with furniture and homeware forever. But can the shop that brought flat-pack furniture, the duvet and the wok to the UK make a come back, asks Dezeen editor Anna Winston (+ slideshow).
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New Habitat creative director Polly Dickens has unveiled her first full collection, 18 months after the household furnishings chain went into administration and closed all but three of its UK stores (+ slideshow + interview). More
Dezeen Wire: retailers Habitat have appointed Polly Dickens as their new creative director. Dickens was previously creative director at the Conran Shop and design director at Anthropologie.
Habitat was bought by Home Retail Group and closed all but three of its UK stores in June last year, as reported on Dezeen Wire. More
Dezeen Wire: a new exhibition documenting the career of Terence Conran has provoked a flurry of media interest in the man who founded retail brand Habitat and London's Design Museum. More
Dezeen Wire: Elle Decoration editor Michelle Ogundehin has declared British furniture brand Habitat "as good as dead" in an article on the magazine's blog, stating "I give it two years max" – read the blog post
Ogundehin says that the retailer, which closed all but three of its UK stores earlier this year, failed to react to competition within the market and "increasingly misunderstood 'Lifestyle'," its key selling point. She claims that Habitat has lost its original focus on innovation and simplicity, and rubbishes plans by current owners the Home Retail Group to sell Habitat products at Argos and Homebase outlets, adding that their one remaining interest is to "flog stuff."
See our previous story on Habitat going into administration.
Dezeen Wire: with 30 Habitat stores in the hands of administrators, the Guardian's Andy Beckett asks how this iconic British design retailer can be saved - Guardian
Dezeen Wire: thirty UK branches of furniture chain Habitat are to go into administration as part of a deal involving the sale of the brand and the three London stores, the BBC reports.
London designer Tim Fishlock has put together a limited-edition book for design brand Habitat, featuring twenty removable large-format prints by artists including Anthony Burrill and Shepard Fairey. More
New Designers 08: Here are three projects exhibited by Japanese designer Naoko Kanehira at New Designers in London last week. More
They seem to be popular, so here are some more celeb-designed products from Habitat's VIP for Kids range. More
Marc Newson is among celebrities who have contributed designs to Habitat's new VIP for Kids range. More