Laid Back Interiors from Habitat

We were browsing Irish retailer Habitat's catalog yesterday, and were happy to see photographs of unstuffy, laid back interiors. We get a little tired of the super-sleek modern rooms that usually appear in catalogs, so it was a welcome change to see books stacked haphazardly and unmade beds...

We like seeing furniture in spaces that resemble the homes of real people. Unfortunately, Habitat doesn't ship to the states, but their site is worth a look for inspiration.

Comments (9)

Habitat is a retailer of household furnishings which operates its own stores in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and has franchise outlets elsewhere. Founded in 1964 by Terence Conran it is today in the same ownership as the much larger furniture retailer IKEA.

Habitat currently operates 74 stores: 38 stores in the UK, 24 in France, six in Spain and five in Germany. In addition, the company operates stores or concessions in partnership with wholesale/franchise operations in Belgium, Iceland, Ireland, Indonesia, Luxembourg, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Thailand, Turkey, Scandinavia and New Zealand.

Habitat is a part of the IKANO Group, a private company owned by the Kamprad family (Ingvar Kamprad founded IKEA in Älmhult, Sweden in the 1940s).

Thanks for the clarification, pkswede! One additional note: Habitat Ireland is an independent franchise of Habitat, with it's own line of additional products made in Ireland (many of them by Irish designers).

how hard is it to trim out a wall like these? not to the full effect, but similar idea using wood molding and trim?

Johnp -- I've never attempted it, but Domino did a article on it. The directions are posted on their site: http://www.dominomag.com/howtos/diy/2007/09/install_molding

Sounds easy enough. I love the look also...its on my to-do once the clutter is gone list :)

thanks moni-ka
looks simple enough...will go on my to do list too.

Habitat is one of those stores I always hit when I am in the UK. When are those crazy swedes going to open one up in the US? It's time already...

I know it would be so cool if there were Habitat stores in the USA. And why not dream a little bit further and have one in Canada. I browsed their catalogue every season for inspirations.

There used to be a Habitat in Dubai waaaaaay back in the dark ages (read: the early 90s). The stuff they sold definitely didn't look like what I see in these pictures--more like a poor man's Ikea, but at double the price!

Try the Conran Shop in New York - owned by the founder of Habitat (seems to be that they once were in the states - they may have taken over D\R at some point).