A rolling demonstration of unattainable lifestyles

[hirez]

I think I shall be vaguely sad about the vanishment of Habitat. It sort of marks the end of a potential alternative retro-future that I never quite got around to having.

Y'see, before they flattened the brewery in the middle of Cheltenham, a Habitat was to be found at the end of the Prom opposite Neptune and the Regal (not to be confused with the Gaumont or Daffodil). As small children, we'd wander round the place with Ma, entranced by the strange things for sale: non-rusty Kilner jars, earthenware things in the shape of fish, glass things for pasta storage (what was this pasta stuff?) and corduroy sofas from Space:1999. For all of us, it was like visiting a museum filled with artifacts from an unknowable civilisation. One might make guesses at the function of an object, but that usage would be evidence of an alien and decadent universe where there was smoking, jazz and unruly body hair.

And then I realised that I wanted to live there.

... Which, for safety's sake I had forgotten about until yesterday.

Comments

[fjm.livejournal.com]

I have just remembered that my soft plush toy dog who has been carried around from place to place for 20 years, was bought from Habitat.

[cybermule.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. I remember that too. Hmm. Now I have weird wobbly flashback mode...

[nemesis-to-go.livejournal.com]

I believe Habitat was owned by Ikea for a while, but they didn't quite know what to do with it.

I would've thought it could've been used as some sort of premium brand - occupying the posh side of what you might call the Austin Allegro/Vanden Plas 1500 equation.

So you'd have the Ikea Billy Bookcase - or the Habitat William Literature Storage Solution.

Well, I think it could've worked.

[quercus.livejournal.com]

Habitat died years ago. Nowadays it's called the Conran shop.

The place with Habitat over the doors has been a bit sad looking of late; lost the good design thread and the market zeitgeist - like the T J Hughes of furniture.

[nmg.livejournal.com]

It's been a while since I lived somewhere with a Habitat; when ias and I lived in Bath, we were frequent visitors, but the Southampton branch moved out about four years ago when their rent was doubled.

We had a brief count of the Habitat things in the house: our bed, tallboy, dressing table and chair, nightstand, good dining table and benches (all Simon Pengelly's Radius); our AV stand and plant stand (Penta); a bundle of tea towels in the kitchen (they were on sale); the chaise longue I'm sitting on; various lights and lampshades, including the Hal wall light that I lusted over for two years before picking up at 50% off when the Southampton branch closed.

We probably have more Habitat furniture in the house than IKEA, all things considered. We're going to miss them.

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

what you might call the Austin Allegro/Vanden Plas 1500 equation
Good analogy!

[mimmimmim.livejournal.com]

That's how I felt about it. In the 1960s/ 1970s it introduced things that have since become commonplace in British homes - the duvet, the wok - but of late it's seemed to be playing design catch-up with everyone else.

[hirez.livejournal.com]

Falco!

[quercus.livejournal.com]

I'm a Scouser, I remember T J Hughes back in the Hatton-era '80s when it had all the class and charm of the Gdansk Netto.

There are only two things I would like from TJ Hughes: first the Liverpool shop has a tunnel under the road between buildings (like Hamleys). If you have to go shopping, it should have something of the Bond villain about it.

Secondly the cafe in Liverpool is in a gorgeous Edwardian jelly-mould conservatory. OK, so the thing is painted over and you can't see out through the glass or appreciate the detail of the cast-iron, but it's a great little building.

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to the closing-down sale!