It's hard to think, as someone who used to beg their mum as an interiors-obsessed teenager for trips to the Habitat store in Hatfield near where I grew up, that a new generation only knows the brand from its current home in the aisles of Sainsbury's. Yet, for me, that's what makes it stand apart from a lot of the high street home decor retailers — it not only has a personal history for me, but its own design philosophy that dates back to the 1960s.
Right now, archives are a hot commodity in the design world, whether you're a fashion house or a heritage home decor brand, as what we want to buy, more than just 'stuff', is story. Habitat has that, in abundance, and already released a collection back in 2024 to celebrate its 60th anniversary. But it wasn't a one-time deal, and Habitat has continued to pull from its archive for its latest collection for 2026 that resonates much more with those nostalgic memories I have of Habitat trips in my formative years, and how it frames what the brand is doing today.
