The Conran Shop, Paris: The Bon Marché warehouse by Sir Terence Orby Conran

Located in the Saint-Germain-Des-Pres district in Paris, The Conran Shop is where the design industry goes with its selection of vintage and historical design

A history that goes back to the fifties

Conran Design Group, established in 1956, designed furniture and interiors for the emergence of the new generation, laying the foundation for Sir Conran’s vision, philosophy, and aesthetics. Behind this creation, was Sir Terence Orby Conran. Born in 1931, he was an English designer, restaurateur, retailer, and writer who eventually founded his chain of design stores: The Conran Shop. 

His first business was opened in 1973 in the east end of London’s Fulham Road.  His philosophy has always been to merge classic stores with contemporary furniture. After falling in love with the classical buildings – that today are the venue for his London store – he moved to Europe and opened the Parisian store. Sir Conran has always been attracted to Paris, both for its beauty and its food. Here, he spotted the Bon Marché warehouse, built by nothing less than Gustave Eiffel, in the Saint Germain des Prés district. The building was one of the first department stores ever built. The palace was infused with history and art that made it the designated place to explicate its vision. 

Sir Terence Orby Conran

Sir Conran also founded The Design Museum in London, established in 1989 in Shad Thames, on the river’s south bank. In 2016, the museum was relocated to the former Commonwealth Institute in Kensington, which best suited the world-class collection housed inside. Thanks to his contribution to the English design industry, he was honored with the country’s most illustrious design prize: The Prince Philip Design Award. Eventually, Sir Conran passed away in 2020 at the age of eighty-eight, with a heritage of twelve stores worldwide, London’s Design Museum, and different design innovations.

Historical and vintage at The Conran Shop

The Conran Shop offers the same collection of furniture in every location, divided between Classical furniture, New Talents, and its own brand.

The first category is composed of a historical and a vintage selection. The former is composed of design objects made by historical designers, while the latter is realized by a dedicated team formed inside The Conran Shop. Their job is to find vintage items, characterized by their rarity and condition, for sale in designated stores. 

Regarding the branded design line, everything begins within the headquarter in London. Everything is in the hands of a team of designers that create the blueprint of each object, and then, they pass everything to their network of craftsmanship located all over Europe. Their work is linked by a vision shared by the founder. In fact, Sir Conran’s purpose was to offer its customers a design line with oneness and authenticity to its customers.

There is also the New Talents collection. After establishing The Design Museum, Sir Conran was keen to help new voices express themself through a contest inside his institution. Over the years, the concept developed until becoming the tool to discover new talents that would lead the new furniture line inside the stores.

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Books and Magazines selection inside the Parisian store

Ten years ago, Sir Conran brought his passion for books and magazines inside their shop. He wrote over fifty works on design, such as Plain Simple and Useful. In his editorial production, he was able to share his philosophy with the public. Nowadays, London’s headquarter sends a catalog with a selection of titles related to design to its store upon which they will choose the ones that best suit their community.  

Mr. Amy has been working for The Conran Shop for over fourteen years, and today he reached the position of Team Manager for the France store. Since childhood, he has cultivated an enthusiasm for magazines and decoration. In the aftermath of joining the store, he felt a synergy with the atmosphere of the store, and he set out to improve it. He understood the design to its surroundings and the impact on Conran’s clients. 

With the approval of his superiors, he started experimenting with a personal project for the magazine section. He began by researching new titles to add to the shelves and new categories that would intersect with the selection made by The Conran Shop Headquarters. The thought that underpinned Mr. Amy’s project was the same as Sir Conran: prioritize quality above all. 

Merging art and design during Paris Design Week

Being a hot spot for the design industry, The Conran Shop is collaborating with different design weeks worldwide. For this year’s Parisian Edition, they hosted a collaboration with Galerie Perrotin that merges the designer present inside their show with art. Inside the temporary installation, people can see and purchase a renewed selection of posters, artist editions, books, and items drawn by the gallery’s artists. For the occasion, The Conran Shop has featured artists like Johan Creten, Paola Pivi, and Takashi Murakami.

For the thirteenth anniversary of the Paris shop, in conjunction with Paris Design Week, they have realized the Café Prouvé within its store. This space was created by Vitra in honor of French designer Jean Prové, who had an impact on both the twentieth and twenty-first centuries with his creations. Vitra utilized a blue color found in Prové’s archive and created furniture dedicated to him. Customers, inside the cafe, can discover the new collection while tasting excellent pastries accompanied by a selection of hot drinks, coffee and sandwiches.

The future for The Conran Shop

After the passing of its founder in 2020, The Conran Shop decided to bring its legacy and work forward. During the following years, we will see a greater selection of exclusive products on display in their store. More than eighteen percent of the catalogs will be composed of these unique pieces, on sale for passionate connoisseurs of design.

Concerning their magazine sector, Mr. Amy is optimistic about bringing his project to fruition. His store has recorded a growing trend both in revenues – related to the editorial’s selling – and in the response of its customers. Eventually, they plan to expand their display to welcome a wider variety of proposals, allowing each person to find their magazine and inspiration.

The Conran Shop

The Conran Shop was founded in 1973 by Sir Terence Conran. With the goal to merge classic stores and contemporary designs, Sir Conran has expanded its reality worldwide. In Paris, he fell in love with the Bon Marché warehouse in Rue Du Bac, built by Gustave Eiffel. Eventually, he purchased the building in nineteen-ninety-two, bringing the contemporary design hot spot marked Conran in Paris.

Fabiana Boglione