I'm Feeling Nostalgic Over Habitat's Archive Designs |

a green boucle sofa next to a wooden side table and patterned rug — (Image credit: Habitat)

published 17 February 2026

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.

If I squint I can still see a vision of something similar to the Ringo glass lamp shadehanging in the store, piles of the rugs with 60s-inspired patterns such as the Four Circles Geo Rug, and, as a kid who was obsessed with the most colorful things I could find for my room, I can imagine myself having fawned over the archive's red velvet chair, too.

a metal and wood desk — Image credit: Habitat

a dining table with a glass lampshade above — Image credit: Habitat

These designs, of course, aren't always necessarily meant to be faithful reproductions of the archive — they've been updated and reworked for today, but these are designs that really capture the spirit of Habitat, and the lingering presence of Sir Terence Conran's design style, the original founder of the brand.

Here are my favorite pieces from the newest archive collection.

If you like a bit of heritage with your shopping, this isn't Habitat's only dive into the classics. Check out the brand's collaboration with Morris & Co, too.

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Hugh is Livingetc.com’s editor. With 8 years in the interiors industry under his belt, he has the nose for what people want to know about re-decorating their homes. He prides himself as an expert trend forecaster, visiting design fairs, showrooms and keeping an eye out for emerging designers to hone his eye. He joined Livingetc back in 2022 as a content editor, as a long-time reader of the print magazine, before becoming its online editor. Hugh has previously spent time as an editor for a kitchen and bathroom magazine, and has written for “hands-on” home brands such as Homebuilding & Renovating and Grand Designs magazine, so his knowledge of what it takes to create a home goes beyond the surface, too. Though not a trained interior designer, Hugh has cut his design teeth by managing several major interior design projects to date, each for private clients. He's also a keen DIYer — he's done everything from laying his own patio and building an integrated cooker hood from scratch, to undertaking plenty of creative IKEA hacks to help achieve the luxurious look he loves in design, when his budget doesn't always stretch that far.