Events

Heal's Highlights Of 2015

Alongside two seasons of new design, this year has been our busiest yet for events. While we can’t fit them all into one post, here are a just a few of the many highlights in what has been a fantastic 2015. Now a firm staple in the capitals design calendar, this year’s Heal’s Modern Craft Market played host to an array of exciting design talent, workshops and the first in our Great Heal’s Bodging Race. London's premier lighting destination, our Queens store on Westbourne Grove opened its doors in May this year. Housed within a beautifully restored art deco cinema, the concept store is decked out in a bespoke interior by Matt Elton. From sewing to screen printing, talks to terrariums, Heal's has played host to a diverse range of events including: Eley Kishimoto in Conversation (top left), London Terrariums Workshop (top right), Louise Wilkinson live mural drawing (bottom left) and Claire De Quenetain fabric painting. In 1951 Heal’s introduced Scandinavian furniture to the UK with a huge party including a ‘smorgasbod’ on the fourth floor and a cannon from a Swedish warship in the entrance! Sixty-four years later we hosted Swedish Summer at our Tottenham Court Road store showcasing 20 new Nordic brands. Kicking off London Design Festival in style, September saw the great and the good of the design world raise a toast as part of our ‘Dinner with the Designers’ event. Transforming Heal's into a banqueting hall fit for a feast, the evening brought together a host of internationally renowned designers including Sir Kenneth Grange (top left) and Sebastian Cox (bottom right). Top left: Becky Sunshine of The Pool interviews Tom Dixon at our Meet the Designer event. Bottom left: hosted by award winning London guide Peter Berthoud, There is a Light took guests on a tour of London's lighting landmarks. Right: Joining Grown in Britain chief exec Dougal Driver, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Elizabeth Truss paid a visit to our flagship store to meet the teams behind the collections, and officially launch Grown In Britain Week. With next year's Modern Craft Market already shaping up to be bigger than ever, all we can say is bring on 2016! What's On Back to top

Events

Tom Dixon Design Talk

On Wednesday we welcomed Tom Dixon back to our flagship store for the latest in our Meet the Designer series of events. Held within the beautiful setting of our fabrics department, the packed audience were treated to a personal insight into the designer’s life and work with Becky Sunshine of The Pool acting as host throughout the evening. Matching the relaxed atmosphere with artisan drinks, G-Vine Gin and Fever Tree were also on hand to keep the uber-hip crowd refreshed. After all, what better way to enjoy an evening of design than with a finely crafted gin and tonic? Head to our events page to see our line-up of future designer talks, workshops and exclusive parties.

Events

Take A Shelfie

On Wednesday we welcomed the London Design Festival into our Tottenham Court Road store with an evening of music, drinks and design. In amongst the packed showrooms, interiors website Houzz were busy entertaining guests with a special designer display competition dubbed the Houzz and Heal’s Shelfie Award. Using a collection of Heal’s contemporary homewares, members of the public were challenged to create their own unique display worthy of our designer showrooms. Having picked their five top displays, they’re turning the judging over to you. To pick your favourite Shelfie visit their website by clicking here.

Events

Dinner With The Designers 2015

Kicking off Heal’s London Design Festival in style, last night saw the great and the good of the design world raise a toast as part of our ‘Dinner with the Designers’ event. Transforming our Tottenham Court Road showroom into a banqueting hall fit for a feast, the evening brought together a host of internationally renowned designers including Sir Kenneth Grange, Gareth Neal, Matthew Hilton and Sebastian Cox to celebrate the best in British design. With a week of events lined up, why not join us for our LDF party where you will find three floors of music, drinks and design plus a host of exclusive workshops. "Heal’s has been trading for over 205 years so we are one of the longest-standing design companies in the country, not just London! That’s why it’s important that during the London Design Festival we bring together the best designers and journalists for a very relaxed evening in our wonderful flagship store – the ‘home’ of good design and well-made, modern furniture. It illustrates so many of our brand values: Championing young designers, being house proud, being innovative – and, of course, offering good design, well made." Carmel Allen, Creative Director at Heal's. Katrina Burroughs, Sebastian Cox and Hamish Mansbridge David Steiner and Sir Kenneth Grange Rob Scarlett Barbara Chandler, Sarah Kay and David Nicholls Anthony Dickens, Sebastian Cox and Melissa Muslin (Heal's Lighting Buyer) Sir Kenneth Grange Will Hobhouse (Heal's Chairman) and Lucy Gough Will Hobhouse (Heal's Chairman) and Suzanne Imre Carmel Allen (Heal's Creative Director)

Events

Swedish Summer At Heal's

This isn't the first time Heal's has had a Swedish event in store. In 1951 Heal's introduced Scandinavian furniture to the UK. It was an immediate hit and several Scandi events ensued. In 1971 one particular Swedish event included a huge party including a 'smorgsbord' on the fourth floor, a Swedish beer cellar in the basement and a cannon from a Swedish warship which sunk in 1968 at the entrance! Sixty-four years later we won't be having a canon in the store, but we will be one of the first places to showcase the new Volvo XC90, as the perfect example of Swedish design at its best. We are absolutely thrilled to have 18 Swedish companies into our Tottenham Court Road store to create a Swedish design quarter and lots of interesting events too, from flower headband making (perfect for festival go-ers) and quilting, to Swedish cross-stitching techniques and knitting styles. In our new cafe, Forge&Co will be serving 'fika' everyday - the Swedish coffee breaks with delicious Swedish food and cakes. After a little look in the archive I discovered Heal's had introduced one Swedish brand to the UK back in 1923. It was Orrefors crystal and almost a hundred years later Orrefors will be back. Testament indeed to the enduring beauty of Swedish craftsmanship and design. Do save the date for the party on Thursday 6th August from 6pm. Hope to see you at our Svensk Sommar! Carmel Allen, Creative Director at Heal's. Photos from our 1951 exhibition:

Events

Festival Of Britain

Described by the Labour deputy leader, Herbert Morrison, as a "tonic for the nation", the Festival of Britain set out to convey a sense of recovery and progress after the Second World War. The 1951 festival was a landmark for British design, and - due to the vision and energy of its employees together with the 'You've never had it so good' economy, it kickstarted a new boom period for Heal's, which continued long into the 1960s. 900 perforated chairs were produced for the Festival of Britain by AJ Milne for Heal's. Furniture wasn't the only items Heal's exhibited at the Festival of Britain, there was also our Heal's Fabrics. Borne out of her husband Robin Day's need for a modern fabric in keeping with his furniture, in 1951 Lucienne Day created Calyx for the Festival of Britain. Initially, Tom Worthington was only lukewarm about the pattern. Lucienne recalls: "I had already designed a couple of things for Heal's, so I took the design for Calyx along to them. Tom Worthington said he would produce it for me but would only pay me half the usual fee of 20 guineas because he was certain they wouldn't sell a yard of it. Robin used it in his section and it was so popular that Heal's entered it for an award in New York that year. Calyx won." Over the next two decades, Lucienne went on to design more than 70 patterns for Heal's.