This book develops the principles of basic home improvement to show how to build essential fixtures that combine economy and style. Each section of the book begins with a selection of photographs and advice, and then provides full instructions for a range of original Conrad-designed projects that include a serene "Japanese screen" wardrobe, a kitchen, a tiled bathroom, a bed and wall of display shelving.

Few individuals in the last century have had such a wide-reaching influence on the way we live our lives than Sir Terence Conran - from how we decorate our homes to our passion for eating out. Now in his eighties and still designing beautiful homeware and opening buzzy, welcoming restaurants, Sir Terence looks back at the Conran brand since he founded the Conran Design Studio sixty years ago and explores the many areas where he and his design team have made an impact. Chapters cover the founding of Habitat, product design, furniture, catalogues and books, housing and hotels, retail and fashion and the creation of the Design Museum. Extensively illustrated with photographs and drawings and with a lively, incisive commentary that reveals the stories behind the designs, Terence Conran: My Life in Design will appeal to designers, students and all those who have grown up with the work of the multi-talented Sir Terence Conran.

A profusely illustrated guide to every aspect of decorating provides ideas and techniques for increasing the beauty and comfort of homes of all styles and sizes

Whether motivated by soaring energy costs, smaller families or the desire to live more simply, homeowners are abandoning "McMansions" for smaller housing. In How to Live in Small Spaces, Terence Conran explains that what's paramount to livability is not the square footage you have, but how you divide it. In this comprehensive, full-color book, Conran tackles the many challenges posed by small spaces. Chapters cover storage, bedrooms, children's rooms, lighting, extension and much more. "Assessing your needs" checklists and "Points to consider" sidebars add valuable ideas. Six case studies conclude the book with excellent examples of great designs.

Terence Conran has always believed that objects - and surroundings - that are plain, simple and useful are the key to easy living. By being practical and performing well over time, they are as much the antidote to superficial styling as they are to the shoddy and second-rate. Applied to the home as a whole, this discerning approach results in interiors that are effortlessly stylish, confident and timeless, with plenty of room for the expression of personal taste. Plain Simple Useful is organized according to the main activities that take place at home. Inspirational interiors, many of which are Conran's own, and a number of projects designed by him exclusively for this book, provide all the guidance you need to tailor-make your own storage. The book also features iconic examples of classic designs that will enhance any home, as well as a peek behind the closed doors of those well-ordered cupboards, larders and other stowing spaces that contribute so much to easy living.

Includes the leading names, movements, materials and processes such as furniture, fashion, cars, graphics, products, signs and symbols that have influenced the world of design.

"He offers specific, easy-to-follow instructions for sewing tie-on dining chair covers that chichi caterers use. Other do-it-yourself highlights include directions for creating table napkins with zigzag borders, sofa cushions with scalloped edges, and roulea-edged pillowcases. Best of all, the instructions are accessible and use widely available materials. If you can't stitch a hem, you can always share this resourceful book with your favorite seamstress. All the ideas embrace Conran's signature contemporary, continental, and simple design ethos."--"Better Homes and Gardens."

Subtle and allusive, bold and invigorating, colour is one of the single most powerful elements in design and decoration. Even its absence makes its presence felt. The choice of colours on offer to the home decorator is dazzling and potentially baffling - from coloured saucepans and kitchen appliances to paint and tiles - and colour, like never before, is affordable and accessible. Yet handling colour effectively does take both confidence and a degree of expertise. In Conran on Colour Terence Conran shares a lifetime of experience as one of the world's leading designers, retailers and restaurateurs to explain how to make the most of this vibrant and dynamic ingredient. With reference to a wide range of sources, from nature and fashion to street markets and works of art, he reveals how to translate such examples into practical strategies for bringing colour into your home. Packed with fascinating detail, sound advice and a wealth of inspiration, the book is illustrated with engaging contemporary interiors from around the world - homes that display a fresh blend of thoughtful design and individual character. As such examples reveal, using colour successfully is as much about well-judged accents and focal points as it is in the choice of wall colour or floor covering.

Whether you're starting from scratch or simply updating an existing layout, Essential Kitchens provides advice that's as practical as it is design-savvy. The array of choices-always taking budget, space, and your own lifestyle into account-give you the information you need to make the kitchen the heart of your home.

Following on from their hugely successful first book, Outdoors, Diarmuid Gavin and Terence Conran collaborate once again to create PLANTING, a stunning and imaginative resource of planting schemes that work for almost any garden space. Using case studies to look at real examples of inspiring planting schemes around the world in detail, PLANTING explores nature's vast palette of plants, where they come from, what grows naturally in which conditions, but most importantly, how they are used in gardens all around the world in contemporary times. From how to look at a garden through a designer's eyes, to planning for color, texture and mood, as well as how to attract wildlife, PLANTING covers everything a gardener needs to know in the twenty-first century, whether they are planning an exotic paradise or an edible kitchen garden.