Yesterday I checked out the new look Conran Shop on Marylebone High Street which has been given a bit of love and attention by Sir T's son, Jasper Conran, who became chairman of the company last year. So what's different? Well... it's incredibly welcoming, I was drawn in off the street by the fab window displays and greeted by a burst of spring colour from the (obviously) immaculate new flower shop. There's a new Conran Kitchen too which serves coffee and sandwiches, a cheerful children's shop, a music section and chic gifty things. In short it's setting the gold standard for enviable lifestyling (is that even a word?)

Up on the top floor you may quite fancy just moving in as they've created what is called the 'Ultimate Conran Apartment' and as you can probably imagine it's flooded with natural light, beautiful furniture, both new and vintage, and original art. Walking back downstairs in a wantonly materialistic haze I passed elegant table settings I'm unlikely to recreate at home. Apparently Jasper wants it to be "a beautiful, small department store", and I'd say he's succeeded. As the nice PR girl said to me, "I could bring my boyfriend here, but I wouldn't take him into John Lewis".