Events

Heal’s LDF 2016 Roundup

Couldn't make it to the London Design Festival this year? Let Heal's in-house designer Kirsty Whyte take you on a tour of her favourite sights from LDF 2016. As well as designing our number of Heal's best-selling furniture pieces, including the Nordic, Pinner and new Blythe ranges, Kirsty is also one half of minimalist watchmakers Freedom to Exist. With such outstanding design credentials, we couldn't think of a better person to guide you through the highlights from LDF 2016. The hypnotic world of @leebroom #opticality lighting @l_d_f_official #ldf16 @shoreditchdt #monochrome #strafing A photo posted by Kirsty Whyte (@kirsty_whyte) on Sep 25, 2016 at 11:36am PDT @100norway did not disappoint @ldndesignfair @andreasbergsaker #SingularityVase #ldf16 @l_d_f_official A photo posted by Kirsty Whyte (@kirsty_whyte) on Sep 23, 2016 at 1:11pm PDT Wow! Look at this pop of colour from @sunnytoddprints love their new lambswool blankets @ldndesignfair #ldf16 #ldndesignfair #textiles A photo posted by Kirsty Whyte (@kirsty_whyte) on Sep 23, 2016 at 12:19pm PDT Ernest Wright & Son - Sheffield made hand finished scissors #MakersHouse @burberry @thenewcraftsmen #ldf16 #ernestwrightandson A photo posted by Kirsty Whyte (@kirsty_whyte) on Sep 24, 2016 at 2:05pm PDT Couldn't resist purchasing a few of these beauties @iama_london #PencilBar in the #LondonDesignSouvenir shop #ldf16 @cclerkenwell @l_d_f_official @shoreditchdt #pencils #tubestops A photo posted by Kirsty Whyte (@kirsty_whyte) on Sep 25, 2016 at 9:26am PDT I'm a bit in love with @amyislesfreeman and her hand turned and hand painted bowls each one individually beautiful @ldndesignfair #ldf16 #femanistart #ldndesignfair #amyIslesFreeman A photo posted by Kirsty Whyte (@kirsty_whyte) on Sep 24, 2016 at 1:51am PDT What's new pussy cat - @heals_furniture TCR is celebrating 100 years of it #CecilBrewer staircase re-imagining our #HealsCat by designers including @theprintedpeanut #healhome #ldf16 @l_d_f_official A photo posted by Kirsty Whyte (@kirsty_whyte) on Sep 20, 2016 at 4:42am PDT @thearamgallery #RawColour #RawColor #Blend interactive installations @raw_color_ #shredding #ldf16 @l_d_f_official A photo posted by Kirsty Whyte (@kirsty_whyte) on Sep 24, 2016 at 7:16am PDT Bit of a mission but finally found #foil by Layer & @braunbeautyuk in the #tapestryGallery @vamuseum #ldf16 #londondesignfestival2016 #notouching @l_d_f_official A photo posted by Kirsty Whyte (@kirsty_whyte) on Sep 18, 2016 at 8:35am PDT For more designer updates, follow Kirsty on instagram at @kirsty_whyte and make sure to check out her designs over at Heal's online or in store. Shop furniture Back to top

Events

Crafty Devils: A Look Back At Heal's Modern Craft Market 2016

It's London Craft Week and to celebrate we're recapping all of the exciting events that took place as part of Heal's Modern Craft Market 2016. To borrow a line from our CEO Hamish Mansbridge, it's "hard to think of any retailer that does as much as Heal's to champion the skill of emerging and established designers and crafters." This year was no exception and alongside our design bazaar of furniture, modern lighting and homewares store played host to Design Ireland, the Great Heal's Bodging Race plus a host of workshops, talks and demonstrations from the makers themselves. Peter O'Gara of design studio me&him&you screen printing their city prints range as part of Design Ireland. Kicking off the craft market, this three week event showcased a new wave of designers and makers flying the flag for Irish craft. Our bodgers hard at work as they race against the clock for the Great Heal's Bodging Race. Putting their own spin on the traditional English craft of "bodging", world renowned designers including Chris Eckersley, Carl Clerkin, Sarah Kay, Gitta Gschwendtner and William Warren competed to produce a one-off piece of furniture in the window of our flagship store. Pushing the limits of micro craft, Japanese ceramicist Yuta Segawa was in-store to demonstrate the skill behind his range of tiny pots. A unique piece of retail theatre, one of the best things about the Heal's Modern Craft Market is that it gives visitors the chance to take home pieces that have been lovingly made before their very eyes. Further Reading: www.londoncraftweek.com Shop Craft Back to top

Events

Level Up Your Locker With Heal’s Trade And Mustard Made

Transform your locker into your new home masterpiece. Heal’s and Mustard Made joined forces to host a vibrant and engaging trade event. The evening was a perfect blend of creativity and collaboration, focused on transforming Mustard Made’s iconic, retro-inspired lockers into beautiful new personalised pieces. Guests had the chance to add an artistic touch to their lockers with expert guidance from Harlie Brown Studios, whose creative direction and styling tips encouraged everyone to think outside the box.Adding an extra splash of fun, the team from YesColours provided a dynamic palette of paints that brought bold ideas to life. Attendees invited by the Heal’s Trade team included the likes of Studio Evans Lane, Zizi Durrance Interiors, Mia Karlsson, Tak Studio, Rainbow Shaker and Temi Johnson Design. The collective talent in the room sparked conversations, collaboration and a shared passion for design innovation. Heal’s Trade and Mustard Made proved to be the perfect pairing. The cheerful, functional charm of Mustard Made’s lockers complemented the timeless sophistication of Heal’s, resulting in a creative partnership that felt both fresh and inspiring. From practical storage to statement-making design, the event highlighted how versatile home pieces can be elevated with a little imagination. Ready to take your locker to the next level? Check out these top tips and tricks from our event: Invest in patterns with personality Think of patterns as a way to add personality and energy. Play around with mixing them - stripes, florals, or even quirky geometric prints - but keep the colours harmonious so they don’t feel like they’re fighting with each other. Patterns bring a sense of fun and creativity, so don’t be shy to experiment. Add drama with colour Let colour set the mood of your locker. A bold hue adds vibrancy and sophistication, while softer tones create a calming and welcoming feel. Whether through the main body or accents, use colour as a tool to reflect your style and make your locker uniquely yours. Elevate with an artistic touch Finally, get creative with your storage to truly personalise your space. A fresh coat of paint or a set of unique handles can transform a simple design into something extraordinary. The event theme ‘Levelling Up Your Locker’ wasn’t just about lockers; it was about pushing boundaries and finding joy in creativity. Guests left the event empowered to reimagine how design can blend playfulness with practicality. The Heal’s Trade team collaborates regularly with interior designers and businesses to create stylish design spaces no matter the size. Members gain access to exclusive benefits, including personalized account management, competitive pricing, and help with sourcing products. Get in touch with our Trade team today for any enquiries!

Heritage

Oliver Heal And The Heal Family Legacy

Words: Cross Nelson We are saddened to learn of the death of Oliver Heal, the last member of the Heal family to serve as Chairman of the company. The Heal name was something of great importance to Oliver, and not only did he work at Heal’s in his early life, but he devoted the last decades of his life to preserving the family’s legacy. Oliver began working at Heal’s in 1971 in the bedding department, and after working his way through the ranks, eventually succeeded his father Anthony as Chairman from 1981 - 1983, making him the fifth generation at the helm of the company. Once he departed Heal’s, Oliver left England and worked for several furnishing fabric brands in Germany and France throughout the 80s and 90s. In the year 2000, he returned to England with his family and moved into Baylins Farm, the Heal family home in Buckinghamshire. This historic home came into the family in 1919 when Oliver’s grandfather, Sir Ambrose Heal, transformed it from a crumbling medieval farmhouse into an Arts & Crafts haven. Sir Ambrose was renowned for revolutionising the Heal’s brand in the early 20th century with his fresh approach to furniture design and retail, and his distinct taste was manifested in the design of his home. Oliver greatly appreciated the legacy his grandfather left behind, and he spent the last two decades of his life researching the history of Heal's and Baylins Farm. In 2008, at the age of fifty-nine, Oliver completed a PhD in furniture history and developed his thesis into his 2014 book, Sir Ambrose Heal and the Heal Cabinet Factory 1897 - 1939. This book is the most extensive work to be published on the history of Heal’s, and it is an indispensable contribution to the fields of modern furniture design and retail history. In the book, Oliver devotes a section to the history of Baylins Farm, and this was just the beginning of his research of the house. Until the last months of his life, Oliver continued to research Baylins Farm and was able to complete a full history of the house from its medieval conception to the present day. His passion for documenting the history of his home was inspiring, and it was fitting that this is where he spent his final days. One of Oliver’s last contributions to preserving the Heal legacy was his gifting of three family portraits from Baylins Farm. He gifted two portraits of his great-great-grandparents, the Heal’s founders, John Harris and Fanny, to the Heal’s Tottenham Court Road store. These can now be seen on display on the store’s ground floor. He gifted the third portrait of Sir Ambrose painted by Edward Halliday to the National Portrait Gallery, putting him in his rightful place amongst the greatest figures in British history. Thanks to Oliver’s generosity, these important family portraits may now be appreciated by the public. Heal’s was not the only subject on which Oliver published work, and in 2020 he released another book on automobile history. Oliver’s interest in automobiles came from two sources in his life: first through his father, who collected and raced cars; and then through his wife, Annik Coatalen. Annik, a French ballerina and Royal Ballet School trained teacher, is the granddaughter of Louis Coatalen, who was a pioneering automobile designer and engineer of the early 20th century. His fascinating history is memorialised in Oliver’s book, Louis Coatalen: Engineering Impresario of Humber, Sunbeam, Talbot, Darracq. It is evident that talent runs deep in both the Heal and Coatalen families, and in 2019 Annik also published a book on her artist mother, Anna Coatalen, titled Anna Coatalen: Art for Happiness et Bonheur. Thanks to their mutual appreciation for preserving family history, Oliver and Annik’s books have ensured that their families’ legacies will not be forgotten. Oliver will be missed by many, but his own personal legacy will remain alive through his work and through the memories of people who had the privilege of knowing him. Heal’s will always be indebted to Oliver’s research, and as a company, we will continue to honour the history which he so thoroughly preserved. Our thoughts are with Oliver’s family in their time of grief. He will be deeply missed by his wife Annik, three stepdaughters, Sandie, Anna and Claire, a son, Felix, and five grandchildren, Jules, Zoé, Augustin, Amelie and Ida, whom he loved dearly. More articles by Cross Nelson: Ambrose Heal at Home: a glimpse into the private collection of the famed furniture designer

Stores

Rising To The Challenge: British Designer Matthew Hilton Unveils His Staircase Design For Heal’s Flagship Store

Heal’s iconic store on Tottenham Court Road has become synonymous with famous staircases. Most notable of which is the spiralling staircase by architect Cecil Brewer, cousin of Sir Ambrose Heal, installed in 1916. With a design echoed by a helix of lights, added after the Second World War and updated in 2013 with a bespoke Bocci chandelier, it’s hardly surprising that it’s become one of the most-photographed staircases in London. Indeed, people come from around the world to admire and ascend. Why not drop in and say ‘hello’ to the Heal’s Cat? Legend has it that if you rub its paw it grants your wishes. Now, British talent Matthew Hilton and his studio team, have designed their first staircase for the launch of the newly-extended Heal’s flagship. To accommodate even more world-class design, from exciting additions like Zanotta and Carpe Diem Beds to favourites such as Knoll and Vitra, the extension back into the Mid-Century building heralds a renaissance of the historic store that remains much loved within the design community. Matthew says: “Creatively, it was a pretty open brief, apart from it needing to be something special and Heal’s-specific, while bearing in mind the other two staircases in the building. Plus, it was required that it was visible from the street, and offered flexibility with a choice of entrances and exits. Practically, a few things were already set in stone, such as the distance between the floors.” Working alongside studio designers David Britton and Harry Hasson, Matthew received the brief from Heal’s CEO Hamish Mansbridge, and the team wasted no time in exploring ideas at his studio. Matthew had never designed a staircase before, but drew on his wealth of experience in creating everything from furniture to lighting to apply the same process and expertise, finally massaging initial concepts into firmer routes overlaid with the addition of structural and safety requirements. “We initially proposed six quite different ideas,” he reflects, “which were finally narrowed down to just two or three. We then combined a mix of these into a single concept that was universally liked. In a way, because we didn’t know all the regulations that were required of a staircase initially, it freed us up to openly explore – without being crazy, of course – then apply the restrictions afterwards.” The regulations were strict, from dictating how things were joined to the proportions of the design and the choices of the materials, so Matthew and his team collaborated with planners and engineers at every step. He adds: “We retained the spirit of the idea throughout, though, as you need to hang onto the aesthetics to keep it special.” Made from predominantly steel and timber, the final design, which Matthew describes as “a cross-shaped staircase”, is inspired more by the modern extension than the original building or other staircases, drawing on Arts and Crafts and Mid-Century styles. Four interconnected staircases deliver on the brief for flexibility – providing numerous ways to get on and off – while opening-up the space and making the most of redundant areas. “We wanted to keep the structure as light as possible,” Matthew explains, “so we created a cantilevered staircase coming off two central structural pillars with louvres that you can see through. There’s a softness to it, featuring curves wherever we could put them, while hidden details, such as handrails built into the lozenge pillars, gradually reveal themselves as it’s being explored. It’s a quiet and restrained design with no superfluous details – everything has a purpose.” Matthew concludes: “I was excited and honoured to be asked to design the staircase by Heal’s – it was such a great thing to do. Once we got stuck in, it was pretty much like designing furniture, only bigger. I’m now considering designing a staircase for my own house refurb!” Visit Heal’s Tottenham Court Road to explore The Matthew Hilton Staircase for yourself and uncover its beautiful details hiding in plain sight.

Heritage

Dodie Smith: Heal’s Toy Buyer, Novelist And Dalmatian Devotee

Did you know that there is a connection between The Hundred and One Dalmatians and Heal’s? The classic story that brought us the spotted pup obsessed Cruella de Vil, was written by none other than a former Heal’s employee, Dodie Smith. Before Dodie became a successful writer, she worked on the shopfloor at Heal’s in the 1920s and 30s, selling toys and gifts in the store’s Little Gallery. It was never Dodie’s dream to work at Heal’s, but after an unsuccessful attempt at becoming a stage actress, she was in need of a steady job. Her biographer, Valerie Grove, wrote that Dodie went to her interview at Heal’s in 1923 ‘with a heavy heart’ and she was ‘not temperamentally suited to the shopgirl’s humdrum life of clocking in from nine to six.’ Despite her reluctance to enter a ‘humdrum’ working life, Dodie worked at Heal’s for nearly a decade, and her time at the store became one of the most important periods of her life. Dodie Smith surrounded by toys in Heal’s Little Gallery in the 1920’s. Not only did Dodie have a successful professional career at the store, but she also entered a defining chapter of her personal life since it was at Heal’s where she began a romantic relationship with the store’s director, Ambrose Heal. Dodie was known at Heal’s for her offbeat personality and quirky appearance, and this eccentricity caught the attention of the married Ambrose Heal who began a flirtatious relationship with her in her first three years at the store. It wasn’t until 1927 that their affair officially began, and at this time Ambrose was also romantically involved with another Heal’s employee, Prudence Maufe. However, Ambrose and Dodie’s relationship was not simply romantic, and Ambrose also became a supporter of Dodie’s writing career. Before Dodie began writing novels, she wrote for the stage, and since Ambrose was an admirer of theatre, he was attracted to her ambition to become a playwright. His support for her writing began when he shared her first staged play, Autumn Crocus, with the producer Nigel Playfair, who praised her writing and made a move to put it on, but was outbid by his rival producer, Basil Dean. Ambrose also contributed to Dodie’s second play, Service, a play set at a family owned department store directly based off of Heal’s. The play’s lead, Gabriel Service, was the Ambrose Heal of the fictional ‘Service’s’ department store, and Ambrose even supplied Heal’s furniture for the sets. These two plays cemented Dodie as a successful playwright in London, and eventually gained her recognition in America when Autumn Crocus went to Broadway. This play also garnered Dodie the first film adaptation of her work in 1934, casting her into the mainstream entertainment industry. A poster for the 1934 film version of Autumn Crocus starring Fay Compton and Ivor Novello. In these same years, Dodie also met Alec Beesley, a fellow Heal’s co-worker and the man who would become her future husband. Things became rather tangled when Dodie entered this love triangle with two of her colleagues, and eventually she ended the affair with Ambrose in 1932 and married Alec in 1939. Even though their romantic relationship ended, Ambrose and Dodie did remain friends and he continued to support her plays, even serving as a backer for her fourth play Bonnet Over the Windmill in 1937. Ultimately, with her success as a playwright, Dodie no longer needed to work at Heal’s, but she continued to work irregular short shifts as a toy buyer until 1932. Dodie’s work in the toy department is especially relevant this year since Heal’s has reintroduced toys to the store for the first time in nearly a decade. We may not have the whimsical Dodie Smith to sell toys anymore, but it is fun to imagine the children’s author helping children and parents pick out the perfect toy. Photographs of Dodie at work in the Little Gallery in the 1920s show her surrounded by stuffed animals, rocking horses, dolls, and even a toy Heal’s delivery coach. The toys currently for sale at the store are similar to what Dodie was selling a century ago: a colourful range of stuffed animals, dolls, and wooden playsets by Little Dutch, OYOY, and Vitra. Reintroducing toys to the store this season came just in time for the holidays, which has always been a favourite time of year at Heal’s. A Heal’s Christmas poster from when Dodie worked at the store depicts Noah’s Ark, with the slogan ‘Heal’s Ark is a refuge in the flood of Christmas Shopping.’ Fittingly, one of our new toys this year is a wooden Noah’s Ark playset by Little Dutch that recalls this historic Christmas poster. It is fair to say that Dodie was so enthusiastic about Christmas time at Heal’s that she continued to run the toy department at Christmas until 1931, even when she was only working a few hours a week. Left: The 1930’s ‘Heal’s Ark’ Christmas poster. Right: Noah’s Ark wooden playset by Little Dutch now available at Heal’s. To conclude the Dodie Smith story, her fascination with Dalmatians began in 1934 when she received her first Dalmatian as a birthday gift from her husband. She named the dog Pongo, which later became the name of her canine hero in The Hundred and One Dalmatians. Pongo also served as inspiration for Cruella de Vil’s iconic black and white fashion when Dodie’s friend, the actress Joyce Kennedy, told her that Pongo ‘would make a nice fur coat.’ Dodie herself was also very fashionable, making her own unique clothes when she first began working at Heal’s, so her own love of fashion could have served as inspiration for Cruella’s couture craze. The book was published in 1956 and Disney made it into a film shortly after in 1961, beginning the first of several remakes to come in the following decades, including Cruella in 2021. This most recent adaptation gives the imagined backstory of Cruella de Vil, and in the film the young Cruella even works as a cleaner at Liberty department store in London before becoming a villainous fashion designer. This shopgirl to celebrity parallel between Dodie and Cruella cleverly tips a cap to Dodie’s own backstory at Heal’s. Dodie with her first Dalmatian Pongo in 1934. In a 1957 letter to Walt Disney, Dodie thanked him for turning the book into a film, writing ‘I always hoped you might—so much so that, when I was writing it, I often found myself visualising the scenes as they would be in cartoon.’ Even though nearly thirty years had passed between Dodie’s work at Heal’s and her publication of The Hundred and One Dalmatians, it is clear that her years at Heal’s helped her begin a successful career as a writer. The ‘humdrum’ shopgirl job that Dodie was so reluctant to accept, gave her the financial stability to support a writing career, and introduced her to people who also supported her ambitions. She was a dreamer who set her mind to the life she wanted and did what she had to do to make it a reality, even if that meant giving up her dreams of acting to work at a department store. So next time you read or watch The Hundred and One Dalmatians, just remember that the woman behind the classic once only daydreamed of entertaining the world with her stories while she sold toys at Heal’s. A first edition copy of The Hundred and One Dalmatians. For further reading on Dodie Smith please refer to Valerie Grove’s biography, Dear Dodie: The Life of Dodie Smith.