Sophie Conran’s 10th anniversary
Sophie Conran lives in one of the most beautiful flats I’ve ever seen. The top three floors of a huge west London house, it has high ceilings, wonderful proportions and vast windows overlooking an elegant garden square.
The most striking thing of all, though, is the way Sophie has decorated it.
The Conrans are a stylish clan (her father is the designer and restaurateur Sir Terence Conran and her mother is the food writer Caroline Conran) and Sophie’s eye for colour is extraordinary.
The open-plan kitchen boasts a navy blue Aga with a bright pink wall behind it while the living and dining room has two vast cream sofas with bright orange cushions, a long, narrow table and gorgeous paintings. It’s chic, colourful and completely breathtaking.
I was lucky enough to be invited there this week to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Sophie Conran for Portmeirion range – a collection of stunning china that’s now sold in more than 20 countries. Most people I know own a few pieces of it, enchanted by its distinctive rippled design, pleasing shapes and the fact that it’s both beautiful to look at and practical to use. After seeing a large Sophie Conran pitcher filled with pink peonies on the table I’m making that my next purchase.
After ten years, the Sophie Conran collection (which now numbers well over 100 pieces) looks as fresh as ever. The range is constantly being added to and the next few weeks will see the launch of ten new mugs, some decorated with stripes, some with spots. My favourites though, are the four honey pot mugs – white on the outside, decorated in hues of mulberry, green, pink and yellow inside and big enough for a comforting cup of Earl Grey (see below).
Sophie, an elegant figure in white shirt and jeans, was busy handing round glasses of champagne and slices of birthday cake. She is clearly proud of the collection she has created. “I’m absolutely ecstatic to be celebrating a whole decade with Portmeirion and actually can’t believe 10 years have passed already,” she says.
“I believe in the words of William Morris, ‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.’ Together, Portmeirion and I strive to deliver a collection that is not only beautiful but of the utmost quality and functionality too. We’re incredibly proud that so many people enjoy using it every day and to know that this is appreciated globally is joyous.”
You can find out more about the Sophie Conran for Portmeirion range here. There’s also a lovely anniversary video.
