Conran, Terence Orby (1931– )

English designer, restaurateur, and retailer of furnishings, fashion, and household goods. He founded the Habitat chain, which pioneered contemporary design for post-war lifestyles. He has also designed and run a number of high-quality restaurants around the world.

Conran set up the Conran Design Group in 1956 and opened the first Habitat shop in 1964. He opened the more upscale Conran Shop in 1973, and founded the Storehouse group of companies in 1986. In 1993 he merged his architectural and interior design companies into Conran and Partners, which went on to win RIBA awards for high-profile building projects in London, England, such as the Michelin Building and the Design Museum at Butlers Wharf.

Since opening the Soup Kitchen in 1953, he has also designed and opened several high-profile London restaurants, including Bibendum with Paul Hamlyn in 1987; Quaglino's in 1993; the 700- seater Mezzo, said to be the largest in Europe, in 1995; and Bluebird, a large food market and dining complex, in 1997. He has other restaurants in Paris, Stockholm, and New York.

He has published several design and lifestyle books, including The Essential House Book (1994), Terence Conran on Design (1996), and Easy Living (1998). He was knighted in 1983.