Events

The Great Heal's Bodging Race

Featuring 6 world-renowned designers competing live in-store, the Great Heal’s Bodging Race promises to be a unique piece of retail theatre. Putting their own modern spin on the traditional English craft of ‘bodging’, our illustrious guests will be making bespoke chairs throughout the opening week of the Heal’s Modern Craft Market. All of the one-off pieces will then go on sale, with the winning design, as voted for by you, put into production. But who are these competitive crafters we hear you ask? Without further ado, let’s meet the designers… William Warren A self-described ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’, Warren lives and works in London. Born into a ‘crafty family’ he began his career as a silversmith before moving on to design furniture such as the Deconstructed Windsor range for Heal’s. Sarah Kay Balancing her time between London and Ariège in the south of France, Sarah Kay is a designer and maker specialising in wooden furniture. Following her first contemporary range, commissioned by Heal’s Discovers, Kay has designed pieces for a variety of commercial and private clients. Koji Katsuragi Flying all the way from Kumamoto Japan especially for the event, Koji Katsuragi produces carefully crafted chairs and furniture. Having first worked in industrial design, he quickly switched to making his ‘favourite type of furniture’ falling for ‘the charm of natural materials’. Chris Eckersley Working from his studio in ‘deepest Herefordshire’, Chris Eckersley is a multi-disciplined artist and designer. With an ethos of ‘quiet design’, he produces furniture that places emphasis on ‘good proportion’ to create ‘longevity.’ Carl Clerkin Renowned for his off-the-wall interpretations of everyday objects, Carl Clerkin is a furniture and homewares designer based in London. Honing this craft from his ‘mess of a shed’ studio, he believes his work is ‘unique in as much as they have their own special mistakes’. Gareth Neal Since graduating from Buckinghamshire University, Gareth Neal has embraced a ‘pallet of techniques’ to craft unusual designs from wood. Based at his studio in Dalston, Neal is surrounded by other makers, which he finds ‘handy for discussing ideas, practical advice, or just a cup of tea.’ The Great Heal’s Bodging Race starts Wednesday 4th February and the bodgers have 7 days to create their furniture. The Heal’s Modern Craft Market runs from 2nd-15th February 2015.

Heritage

Iron Bedsteads

It was in the year of 1810 – when King George III was declared insane, Napoleon Bonaparte divorced Josephine, Jane Austen wrote Sense and Sensibility and tinned cans were invented to preserve food – that John Harris Heal opened a small feather-dressing business at 33 Rathbone Place. Bringing a new, continental way of sleeping to London's homeowners, it wasn't long until this humble business became a thriving innovator. Specialising in mattresses, Heal’s became a leader of the bed-making pack. Famed for its quality, well-crafts beds, the store (which relocated to Tottenham Court Road in the 1840s) became a local landmark where people would meet – “At the Sign of the Four Poster” became a well-used phrase! Always a step ahead of the competition, Heal's began making iron bedsteads in the early nineteenth century. Using the same level of artistry it applied to its mattresses, the company's beds were hand-forged using solid wrought iron. Catalogues dating back to 1902 show the huge selection and breadth of iron beds offered by Heal’s, not only for the home – the range included bedsteads designed specifically for hospitals and particular ailments too. Now, 204 years after our first shop opened, we are celebrating our design history while also looking forward. Drawing upon our design heritage, Heal's has created the brand-new Abacus range, which we will introduce in our next blog post… keep an eye out!

Stores

New Lease Of Light

Last year, photographer Mark Cornick visited our flagship store on Tottenham Court Road to take some striking photos of Heal's very own architectural gem--the Cecil Brewer staircase. Not long after his visit, the staircase was closed to the public while it underwent a facelift. Finally revealed during London Design Festival, the spiralling stairwell has been stripped back to its classic structure, polished, varnished and finished with a brand new centrepiece- a 64 arm Bocci chandelier. The hand-blown glass globes of this sculptural piece appear to drift gradually downwards between floor, lending the space a dreamy atmosphere. Now looking more organic in form than ever, Cecil Brewer's work has been captured once more by Mark in images we couldn't help but share. To see more of Mark's photography, click here.

Heritage

First Editions Are In Fashion

What links a 200-year old furniture company, a 19th century writer and a 21st century model/actress? It’s not a riddle or the start of a bad joke, we promise. The answer is a serialised, first edition novel. More specifically, Bleak House by Charles Dickens, which was initially published as 20 monthly instalments from March 1852. With every new month, a fresh chapter or section of the novel was printed and bound in green paper jackets that offered prime advertising space to forward-thinking businesses. Heal & Son was one of the first retailers to realise the potential of advertising in this manner – the popularity of serialised novels meant the brand’s story and furniture could be communicated simply and effectively to a vast captive (or even captivated) audience. Times and designs may have changed, but those jackets still have pulling power, as proved by actress Milla Jovovich this week. Posting a photo of her birthday present on Instagram this week – a complete first edition series of Dickens’ complex tale – she shared her delight at her new read with thousands of followers. In amongst the admiration and wonder, someone pointed out that Heal’s had as much longevity as the novel itself, and was still located at the same address on Tottenham Court Road. The power of advertising… even over 160 years later.

A Blue Plaque For Sir Ambrose Heal

We are happy to hear that furniture designer Sir Ambrose Heal has been commemorated with an English Heritage blue plaque at the Fives Court, Moss Lane in Pinner – his residence when he first began influencing the designs at Heal’s. The prestigious plaque was unveiled on February 27th at 2.30pm by Sir Ambrose’s grandson, Oliver Heal – marking exactly 120 years since Ambrose Heal joined the family firm. Who was Sir Ambrose Heal? Described as one of the great artisans and craftsmen of his time, Ambrose was a pioneer in his field. His use of simple, practical lines and good quality craftsmanship meant he was able to provide premium furniture pieces to the middle class. As an immense devotee of the Arts and Crafts movement, Heal also helped launch the Design and Industries Association (DIA) in 1915 – aimed to encourage greater design values within industrial production. "It is so appropriate my grandfather should be commemorated at The Fives Court with a blue plaque; the time he was living there, before the First World War, was the most crucial period of his life. Not only did he complete his most significant work during these years but it was also when the most important landmarks in his personal life took place. One hundred years after he became chairman of the Heal’s business it’s wonderful that our generation can salute his memory through this plaque." . Oliver Heal, Ambrose Heal's Grandson Where can I find the blue plaque? Ambrose Heal's blue plaque is installed at the Grade II listed Fives Court in Pinner. It was while living here that that Heal began to put his stamp on the family firm. The house was designed by his cousin, Cecil Brewer, and built in 1900-01 on a plot of land opposite his father’s house. Unsurprisingly, at a time when he was becoming more assertive in his tastes and expanding the range of goods sold in the shop, The Fives Court reflected Heal’s architectural and aesthetic preferences and the white wood-panelled interiors in the house provided the ideal setting for his collection of furniture. The interesting name came from his love of the game of Fives and the fact that a court was incorporated into the building. He moved to Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire in 1917, but kept a flat in central London, within five minutes of the shop in Tottenham Court Road. Our Heritage