Heal's Trends - Heal's Bicentenary

It's Happy 200th Birthday to Heal’s! In 1810 John Harris Heal opened Heal & Son, a 'Mattress and Feather-bed Manufacturer' in Rathbone Place, London. So began a fascinating journey in design and retail, one that sees us still selling contemporary furniture and home accessories two hundred years later.

Heal's quickly became one of London's most successful homeware firms, with a Heal's bed being a byword for quality among the Victorian middle classes. Heal's remained a family company until Sir Terence Conran took the reigns in the 1980s. By this time we were known for such iconic pieces as the 1920s Heal's Gold Cat and Lucienne Day's cult 1950s prints.

To celebrate our bi-centenary we've compiled the book Heal's - 200 Years Of Design Inspiration. A collection of photographs, advertisements and contributions from past designers and employees, it's a slice of visual and social history. Working with archivists at the V & A we've made some great discoveries - such as Heal's decision to send beds to officers in the Crimean War, and the fact that Heal's exhibited Modigliani first in the UK. It's also a visual treat - from our early ads in Dickens' first editions, to our 1930s recessionary campaign 'Economy With A Difference', which introduced elements of Bauhaus design to Britain. Each of the 2000 clothbound, gilt edged copies has been numbered and hand stamped, for collector's item status.

We've also launched three Heal’s ReDiscovers collections in honour of the bicentenary. These special ranges of furniture and accessories have been created by Britain's best designers, including Tom Dixon, Kay+Stemmer and John Reeves. Inspired by key pieces and periods in Heal's history, they brilliantly marry modern and retro - from John Jenkins' elegant 4Poster, to Johnny Egg's slick Vanity dressing table. Our second Heal’s ReDiscovers collection in store now, look out for the final collection in September.

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