To coincide with the launch of The Conran Shop in Gangnam, South Korea (the brand’s 12th global location) – we spoke to CEO Mr Hugh Wahla about this exciting development, and asked him for his personal philosophy on design. Below, he discusses his favourite designers and pieces, his tips for renovating your home, and why design stalwart The Conran Shop – founded by Sir Terence Conran in 1973 – continues to resonate with customers in 2019.

The Korea shop is the culmination of the last four years of work. I was brought in to reenergize the brand, which I’ve been a fan of for 40-odd years. People used to fly over the world to see what The Conran Shop was doing. We’ve got stores in Japan but it’s not as well known in China or Korea.

I used to wake up on a Saturday morning knowing I’d end up in The Conran Shop. I would also visit the London Lighting Company, which was just around the corner and was the best destination for lighting. You felt the experience soaked into your pores – it rubbed off on you. That was formative in shaping my understanding of the design world.

Conran is all about simple, functional design, and I subscribe to that view myself. Samuel Wilkinson has a great Latis collection – chairs and desks which we’ve won some awards with. We’re also working with Magnus Long who has done a cross leg series which I’m excited about. Another is Daniel Schofield who has designed a range of glass coffee and side tables. There are other people like Samy Rio who has a brand called Bambou – which is a great example of sustainable design, which also looks really good.

**I believe in quality rather than quantity, and acquiring pieces that will stand the test of time. **No one really wants disposable design any more. There is far more thought going into materials in 2019. Look at the Eames plastic chair – the DSR is an all-time classic. In Europe Vitra stopped manufacturing that for many years because of the production techniques. It’s taken them ages to manufacture that chair in a clean way.

I had a lightbulb moment when it came to shoes. It informed my design philosophy. It’s important to invest in something that will last rather than something of the moment.

When I was at Urban Outfitters, I was exposed to Denmark and its mid-century furniture. I was able to acquire quite a lot of it. I live in a double fronted house in East Dulwich. We’ve filled it with a combination of contemporary and mid-century furniture. There is Eames and other American pieces – but there is a predominance of Danish in there. The simplicity and honesty really resonates with me.

My favourite piece of furniture is an Ib Kofod-Larsen Seal chair. It’s beautiful, a timeless classic. It’s a reproduction, but it’s made by a couple of brothers in the north of Denmark who are real purists. I combine that with some of the originals I was able to get hold of – such as Kai Kristiansen dining chairs.

We have some amazing collaborations in The Conran Shop. Look at the Saarinen Fusion Fire table – you will only be able to buy that here. I think it’s a limited edition of 30. We’ve done a similar thing with Vitra on the Eames lounge chair. These are things worth investing in, things that will wear beautifully over time. They are family heirlooms.

When you’re designing the interior of your home, I have some tips. Depending on your budget, if you have a reasonably sized project, I would say interior designers, as extravagant as it sounds, pay for themselves. They also provide a little bit of marriage guidance. It’s easier to come to a decision when there’s someone who understands the needs of both parties.

The second thing I would say is: keep it simple. Allow the opportunity to add later, don’t rush into things. You need to understand the space. Even if you have a blank box to start with – its more the shape that you need to worry about.

Think about how you live and focus on the key areas first, such as the kitchen and bathroom. That’s where you’re going to spend your most important moments. Everything else is easy to change.

I was talking to a furniture manufacturer recently about automation. If you want a tip on saving money – the level of manufacturing means you can buy the carcass of a kitchen from somewhere like Ikea. The quality of the carcass is almost as good as what you’re getting from a specialist kitchen company.