Heal's Rediscovers Press Release

September 2009 sees the launch of Heal’s ReDiscovers, a limited edition, exclusive collection of furniture and accessories by the best, most renowned British designers to celebrate Heal’s Bicentenary

Sir Ambrose Heal’s philosophy, “when in doubt, innovate” inspired Chief Executive Andrea Warden in 2004 to launch Heal’s Discovers, an annual collection of furniture and home accessory designs by students and new designers. To mark our special year, the Heal’s ReDiscovers is an opportunity for established designers including Tom Dixon, Matthew Hilton and Kay+Stemmer to create stunning furniture and accessories inspired by key pieces and periods in Heal’s history. We’re also ‘ReDiscovering’ original 1960s designs by silversmith Robert Welch and fabric designer Barbara Brown.

The first collection of Heal’s ReDiscovers launches now, with a second collection in Spring 2010 and a third in the Autumn.

All of the Heal’s ReDiscovers pieces share the same design integrity that established Heal’s as the destination furniture store it is today, and will ensure it remains so in the future.

Slab Table by Tom Dixon

In 1918, after the First World War, Ambrose Heal began to develop designs and finishes that responded to a new customer with different needs. As fewer people had servants after the war, retailers began to look for hardwearing and easy to clean finishes to replace the more impractical polished surfaces. These new finishes and painted woods soon became used in both expensive and more economic ranges of furniture, giving customers more options to choose from than ever before. Today designers continue to experiment with innovative finishes developing old techniques and finding new ways of making furniture unique.

Slab by Tom Dixon is a great example of this. Available in an exclusive fluorescent orange, the Slab dining table and low coffee table is formed from a ‘slab’ of solid oak and characterised by a deeply brushed and heavily lacquered surface that showcases the natural grain of the wood. Robust and simple and very much of the Arts & Crafts Movement, Slab nods to the traditional through it’s use of solid oak and soft edges with its bold colour adding a contemporary feel.

'I like to mix super contemporary and traditional – but you have to have the right dose of both. Making sure that you’re radical and you’ve got some kind of historical basis is a useful balancing act, as ultimately people do want to have an element of tradition in their furniture. People are very conservative with their furniture – Heal’s was a place where people could go for modern at one time. I remember a set of exotic green arts and crafts bedroom set with a bed and dressing table – it was a bed I slept in at a friend’s house. I don’t know if it was an Ambrose but it was definitely Heal’s and it was pretty exotically painted. I have got an influence there.' Tom Dixon.

To find out more about Tom Dixon click here.

Slab Rectangular Dining - £2350

Slab Low Coffee Table Rectangular - £1185

Flow Sofa by Kay + Stemmer

In the 1950s Christopher Heal returned from the war to run the Design Office at Heal’s. During this time he used the annual New Designs exhibition as a showcase for the latest in contemporary design by supporting many young designers including the likes of Robin Day and Clive Latimer with practical assistance, recognising that these designers would go far. This long standing belief carries on today in the pioneering Heal’s Discovers project.

Having worked with Heal’s since 2006 as part of Heal’s Discovers, design duo Kay+Stemmer’s first retail commission was the Flow range, and so it was only fitting that they take part in the 2010 Rediscovers project.

The 1950s saw a deliberate attempt to break with the traditions of the pre war era with an explosion of abstract free form shapes. It was also a time when good craftsmanship returned to the forefront of design, when designers had the resources to once again use the best quality products after a war time period that required much restraint. Inspired by this in both its concept and realisation, Flow with it’s organic form, gentle lines and elegant shape offset by the bold colours of orange and tomato in Bute Tiree, demonstrates understated luxury, simple sophistication and of course functionality with the best possible craftsmanship; an ethos that is shared by Kay + Stemmer and Heal’s.

Between them Kay + Stemmer have over 25 years experience in designing and making furniture. Every joint, dimension and material is considered. Designed to compliment the rest of the Flow cabinet range, Flow’s versatility is the detail of the design making it a flexible piece of furniture for anywhere in the home; at one end you can sit and at the other you can lounge or cuddle up love seat-esque.

'We wanted to create a sofa that would create an oasis of comfort. The very fact that it isn't rectangular gives it an air of informality and ease. It offers flexibility and creates a less rigid and formal space in a room.' Sarah Kay.

Flow Sofa - £2495

To find out more about Kay + Stemmer click here.

Hobart Candlestick by Robert Welch

In 1967 from September 11th to 30th, Heal’s exhibited a collection of work by designer Robert Welch R.D.I., M.B.E. One of the showcased designs was the Hobart candlestick which was featured on the exhibition catalogue cover.

Still a family run company, the Welch ethos is to design products that are not only functional but have personality. Reissued for Heal’s ReDiscovers, Robert Welch’s timeless design has been recreated by his daughter Alice.

Hobart is a handsome cast iron candlestick with its curved flanged forms creating a bold and dramatic shape. Hobart was Welch’s first experiment with cast iron and led to the development of a family of shapes and pieces and a career of iconic design. Using the original 1960s moulds Hobart’s natural imperfections only add to its authentic charm. In a matt black, gloss white and gloss red enamel finish Hobart is a design classic and looks and feels as contemporary today as it did when it was first launched.

'The use of cast iron was not readily acceptable as a metal for tableware, so this range was a brave step in the 1960’s. It stands as testament to Robert’s timeless design that this range is still selling five decades later.' Alice Welch.

Hobart Large Candlestick Matt Black, 17cm - £50

Hobart Large Candlestick Gloss Red, 17cm - £50

Hobart Large Candlestick Gloss White, 17cm - £50

Hobart Medium Candlestick Matt Black, 14 cm - £35

Hobart Medium Candlestick Gloss Red, 14 cm - £35

Ivory Pillar Candle 5 x 23cm, to fit Hobart Large - £8.00

Ivory Pillar Candle 4 x 15cm, to fit Hobart Medium - £5.00

To find out more about Robert Welch click here.

Slice by Wales & Wales

Following on from the new style Economy Furniture of the 1930s, Christopher Heal began designing new ranges of flexible unit furniture. Christopher’s new simple styles were designed to sit in the living area or bedroom of most interiors rather than be confined to one room, meant that everything had a rightful place, ridding rooms of extraneous clutter, a challenge that remains the same in storage design today.

Inspired by this multi functional style, Wales and Wales has designed Slice. Since 1980 Wales & Wales has gained a reputation for timeless, intelligent design, emerging from a craft background without being confined by it. Made of American black walnut, with stretcher rails and burnt orange lacquer accents, Slice is a contemporary take on a classic style.

In the 1950s this style of multi-purpose furniture helped to change the whole conception of home furnishing and today designers like Wales & Wales continue this approach further. Although designed primarily for the bedroom the ambiguity and graphic approach to the design of Slice means that each piece could be used individually or as a collective throughout the home.

'For the Slice range we made a decorative virtue of functional necessity by designing asymmetric drawer pulls which reveal flashes of colour, enlivening the composition of the surrounding framework and rich timber surfaces. Working for Heal’s is especially significant for us at this stage of our career. It is a privilege therefore to be contributing to the ongoing story of one of the great names in English furniture.' Rod Wales.

To find out more about Wales & Wales click here.

Slice 2 Drawer Side Table - £495

Slice 6 Drawer Wide Unit - £1795

Slice 6 Drawer Tall Unit - £1495

Vanity Dressing Table and Stool by Johnny Egg

Ambrose Heal, one of the great Arts & Crafts designers, started working and designing for his father, John Harris Heal, in the late 1890s after apprenticeships at Messrs Plauknett of Warwick and Graham and Biddles of Oxford Street. In his first year, his simple designs didn’t capture the imagination of the Victorian public but then in 1898 his Fine Feathers Bedroom suite became a hit with consumers who craved a new simplicity in contrast to the overly ornamental Gothic revival.

Each piece in the Fine Feathers suite was carved with a quotation: the wardrobe stated “Fine feathers Make Fine Birds” and the dressing table told whoever looked into the mirror that “If this be vanity, who’d be wise?”, a quote by Rudyard Kipling.

It was this piece that inspired designer Johnny Egg to create a dressing table for 2010. Vanity is a perfect blend of modern and vintage, with its use of sleek black lacquer and classic scroll shape Egg’s trademark playful use of vibrant pink flocking.

Paying homage to the Ambrose 1898 Fine Feather Suite dressing table, Kipling’s same quotation is inlayed inside the drawer. Other small but noticeable details include Swarovski crystals which are used to hide some of the fixtures and fittings.

'Ambrose Heal realised all those years ago that great design and quality wasn't something that could be put together in five minutes. He took great care and time into making his beautiful pieces, then rewarded his customer's patience every day with small touches (such as the quotations) that could be enjoyed for years to come. I just hope that people will still be enjoying the finer details and secrets I've incorporated into my design for as long.' Johnny Egg.

Vanity - £1495

Vanity Stool - £395

To find out more about Johnny Egg click here.

Knit by Donna Wilson

In 1918, the ‘new’ Heal’s building designed by Cecil Brewer was completed. On the fourth floor, The Mansard Gallery was opened. This was considered a very smart innovation for a shop at that time and was devised as a way to encourage customers to visit the top floors of the store. It was a huge success and over the years it premiered the work of leading artists and craftspeople. to supporting home grown Arts & Crafts, showcasing fine art, illustration, hand woven fabrics and pottery.

Donna Wilson, also a graduate from the RCA where she studied mixed-media textiles, is one of a new generation of designers who have taken craft to a new level using handcrafted techniques. The three designs which form her collection, Knit, are Leaf, Fox and Owl. Already inspired by nature and children’s drawings, Wilson has also referenced Dorothy Taylor’s 1944 ‘Toy Huntsmen’ and Hannah Gabert’s 1948 ‘Feathers’ which were designed exclusively for Heal’s. Designed to bring a little softness, pattern and colour into the home, Knit is playful, tactile and bright. Her truly original and inspirational creations demonstrate how knitting and innovative textiles can add an exuberant and refreshing approach to interior design. Wilson has taken the very traditional craft and made it into something fresh and exciting, whilst still retaining an essentially handmade feel.

'The ReDiscovers project was really exciting, as I was able to draw inspiration from a fantastic rich source as the Heal’s archive. It was a great starting point, and I feel the results have a contemporary feel as well as a hint of nostalgia.' Donna Wilson.

Fox Cushion 45x45cm - £65

Leaf Repeat Cushion 45x45cm - £65

Leaf Motif Pink/Mustard 45x45cm - £65

Own Shaped Cushion - £40

To find out more about Donna Wilson click here.

4Poster by John Jenkins

In 1810 John Harris Heal started trading as a Mattress and Feather Bed Manufacturer and throughout those 200 years Heal’s has always been found on Tottenham Court Road ‘at the sign of the four-poster’.

The four poster bed has become synonymous with Heal’s. For the Great International Exhibition held in South Kensington in 1862 J. Braune designed Louis Seize style four-poster at a cost of £2000, an extraordinary amount of money then.

In the 1890s Ambrose Heal designed a solid beech four-poster which was re-issued in 1984 when Sir Terence Conran was the company director, and an illustration of the design was given pride of place on the store bags. More recently in 2006 our Heal’s Discovers designer, John Reeves extended his exclusive and award winning Louis range to include a four-poster which remains a best-seller.

To mark the bicentenary, John Jenkins, the design manager at Heal’s who has been with the company for 12 years has developed 4Poster. Made from solid American black walnut with an upholstered inset panel headboard and simple, (optional) fabric drape, 4Poster’s, restrained design of a decadent concept allows customers to choose their own fabric enabling them to create a very personal bespoke piece of furniture.

'Having worked ‘at the sign of the Four Poster’ for 12 years I fully appreciated the huge significance and importance of designing a Four Poster bed for our bicentenary year and realised that above all else it was important to design a piece which was commensurate with the values which have endured for almost 200 years.' John Jenkins.

4Poster, King Size - £2995

For further information on Heal’s, our Bicentenary and Heal’s ReDiscovers visit heals.co.uk or for image requests and product loans contact:
Kelly-Ann Teasdale, PR Manager - 020 7896 7545 - pressoffice@heals.co.uk
Stockist details 08700 240 780 - www.heals.co.uk