Next up on our roster of Heal’s Discovers 2014 finalists, we have a design duo: Phil Luscombe and Josh South. We’re glad they didn’t take up their initial intended careers in Gardening and the Military… Phil Luscombe and Josh South met while studying for their degrees in Three Dimensional Design, Furniture and Product at Northumbria […]

It’s time to introduce you to the second of our talented Heal’s Discovers finalists, Sam Lloyd.  We caught up with him between his time working away in the studio and his other passion, scuba diving. Sam Lloyd has, in his own words ‘always had an interest in making things.’ When he was younger he used […]

After much deliberation by judging panel, we finally agreed on the four designs that will form the Heal’s Discovers collection for 2014. We’re not revealing the pieces just yet, but we can introduce you to the designers behind the products. First up, Ester Comunello, who grew up playing with the tools in her family’s wood […]

We’re wishing a very happy 50th birthday to Marimekko’s ‘Unikko’ print! Founded by Viljo and Armi Ratia and established in Finlad in 1951, Marimekko has become synonymous with bright and beautiful prints, which can be found on everything from clothing to homeware accessories. The iconic ‘Unikko’ poppy print was created by famed Finnish textile designer […]

Previous Heal’s Discovers participants have had to work to a structured theme or brief – for instance, last year’s was all about Sustainability. This year though, we decided not to send out a specified brief; we wanted to organically find a design or product that could be adapted to become a Heal’s product, without constraining […]

To recap: this year’s Heal’s Discovers process is a little different to usual. Rather than waiting to see this emerging talent at graduate shows and design exhibitions, alongside every other retailer, Heal’s has gone direct to the place where the real action happens; into the workshops and studio spaces of Universities. My mission was to […]

Man since time immemorial has slept on a ‘bed’. For most of history this was just an animal pelt or some plant matter on the ground. Later we started stuffing sacks with plants, wool and hair to make primitive mattresses and for the poor it remained like this until relatively recently. The rich could of […]

This week we have been celebrating Grown In Britain Week with the launch of Cranborne, a collection of English ash furniture designed exclusively for us by Benchmark. Grown In Britain week is focused on building a sustainable future for our forests and woodlands. Our own history and commitment to promoting homegrown design are just a […]

Furniture designer Sebastian Cox discusses why we need to start using British wood. “The summer is over, and autumn’s here. Looking back, my favourite thing about the summer is the seasonal British-grown food I wait all year to eat – asparagus, strawberries, tomatoes and cherries top my list. I admit, I might very occasionally buy […]

Designed by Michel Ducaroy and released in 1973, Ligne Roset’s Togo sofa celebrates its 40th birthday this year. We asked the brand’s creative director, Michel Roset, to explain what makes this iconic design so timeless and unique. Why do you think the Togo has been such an enduring success? When Togo was created in 1973 […]

The Balzac armchair is probably one of the most important pieces of furniture of the last twenty years. Permanently exhibited at London’s V&A museum, the chair’s reputation for innovative design is known the world over. Designed by Matthew Hilton and created by furniture manufacturers SCP, the Balzac was born out of Hilton’s observations on the […]