A design icon in every sense of the word, the Eames Lounge Chair is the epitome of mid-century style and this year celebrates its 60th anniversary with a special edition from Vitra.
“Why don't we make an updated version of the old English club chair?” With this comment, Charles Eames initiated the development of the Eames Lounge Chair - one of the most significant furniture designs of the twentieth century.
First put into production in 1956, this iconic design still looks effortlessly cool 60 sixty years on and to celebrate its anniversary Vitra is launching the Lounge Chair and accompanying Ottoman in limited edition fabric covers.
When Charles and Ray Eames designed the Lounge Chair in 1956, their primary aim was to create a soft and comfortable piece to relax in. They set new standards with their novel interpretation of the classic club chair.
With its functional perfection and careful construction, timeless materials and balanced proportions, the Lounge Chair has established itself over its sixty-year history as one of the most significant pieces of 20th century design – a piece from another era that remains as relevant as ever.
Since its initial introduction, the armchair has been available with various veneers, leather upholstery colours and base versions. In the early years, the Lounge Chair was occasionally offered with fabric covers – however, Vitra has always produced it exclusively in leather.
To commemorate the milestone 60th anniversary, Vitra is has created a fabric-covered Lounge Chair Twill and Ottoman for a limited period of time. Available in the classic combination of dark-reddish palisander wood and black Twill, the high-quality upholstery imbues the chair with cosy softness and inviting warmth.
This limited edition design is available at Heal’s 1st November 2016 to 31 January 2017.
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[ INSPIRATION ]
Behind the design
If you have an eye for unique and eccentric, it’s time likely you’ve already heard of Timothy Oulton. This eccentric designer creates for sartorially savvy interiors with an emphasis on heritage and quality.
Timothy Oulton’s design heritage dates back to his childhood days in Manchester. It was here he grew up surrounded by antiques from his father’s business, Halo Antiques. He joined the family firm aged 18 and thus began his career in furniture.
Having originally envisaged himself going on to work in the City, the family business captivated Oulton. The exquisite antiques, and the meticulous, time-honoured hand-craftsmanship that accompanied them, intrigued him.
This inspired his design approach and gradually began to characterise his collections. He explains that “exposure to the antiques industry at an early age introduced me to beautiful design.
Being surrounded by great handcrafted products most of my life has definitely impacted how I produce my furniture.” “I’ve always loved vintage luggage, imagining the journeys they’ve travelled, on long sea voyages or across countries on steam trains.” Timothy Oulton
By scanning flea markets Oulton uncovered his instinct for finding the most beautiful pieces. This developed his love for antiques and helped him to recognise their limitations. After years in the antiques trade, Oulton repositioned the company to focus on furniture design. Today his brand handcrafts beautiful and practical furniture, inspired by the past but reimagined for the modern day.
“One of my favourite pieces is the original trunk that inspired the Globetrekker Collection. I’ve always loved vintage luggage, imagining the journeys they’ve travelled, on long sea voyages or across countries on steam trains. I found this particular worn-out trunk buried in a flea market.
‘Tom Richards’ was engraved on its brass plaque, and so I’ve often wondered about the adventures Tom would have had with his trunk.” “What makes something beautiful is the attention it is given. Time and care and effort mean you always get something extraordinary.” Timothy Oulton
This free-spirited approach is reflected in Oulton’s collections, which look to timelessness with an enduring quality rather than seasonal trends. Inspiration comes from anywhere with many pieces, borrowing ideas from the past and infusing them with Oulton’s contemporary point of view. Inspiration includes 19th-century leather chairs, Art Deco lighting and the clean lines of mid-century modern design.
Despite now being an international brand with stores across the globe, Timothy Oulton’s guiding philosophy remains the same. “What makes something beautiful is the attention it is given. Time and care and effort mean you always get something extraordinary.”
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Always by your side when you doze off or rise and shine, we give the modern bedside table the love it deserves with six beautiful ideas for you to try in your bedroom.
Sure the Bedside Table is a handy place to pop a glass of water, but it can be so much more. From space saving storage to a podium for your designer reading lamp, this often overlooked piece of furniture can add a real accent to the bedroom or the perfect complement to your bed. Take a peek at six of our favourite stand-out standalone designs.
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Fit for a McQueen
On paper Matthew Hilton's juxtaposition of industrial cast iron legs and opulent walnut carpentry shouldn't work, but it's hard to deny that the compact two drawer McQueen Bedside Table isn't a thing of real beauty. In keeping with the industrial feel, we've topped with our Junction Table Lamp in copper and placed alongside the Nordic King Size Bed.
Contemporary Classic
Matching a traditional silhouette with contemporary minimal palette, the Pinner Bedside Table in flint white makes for a harmonious interior design alongside our Bardot Bed. The Bend Table Lamp adds a modern counterpoint without disrupting the theme of clean, natural finishes.
Norwegian Wood
The perfect way to instantly add some character to your bedroom, we love the Nordic Bedside Tables mix of timbers and odd shaped cupboard and drawers. In keeping with the Scandi aesthetic, we've placed the JWDA Table Lamp by Danish brand Menu atop it's natural oak surface.
Frame up
The open and airy design of the Agnes Side Table is inspired by sixties Scandi furniture but still feels fresh within a modern bedroom setting. To match it's heritage feel we've add the iconic Anglepoise Original 1227 Mini Desk Lamp, providing some articulated lighting to your bedtime reading.
Design to Fawn over
Though designed primarily for the living room, the Fawn Side Tables mix of smooth solid oak frame, smoked glass top and fabric band shelving provides a graceful yet contemporary touch to the bedside.
Make some space
Minimal design reaches its logical conclusion in the Space 2 Drawer Bedside Unit - it geometric lines are maintained through a clever push button opening mechanism on each drawer which erases the need for handles. The simple silhouette of the Crawford Table Lamp in white is an obvious but satisfying fit.
Pinto presto
Ercol's classic Pinto range translates English windsor furniture into a soothing Bedside Table. The spindle like shelf and turned handles in oak are a beautiful contrast to the off white finish as is the industrial Junction Table Lamp in grey.
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Join us as we stroll through the Dorset countryside to visit maker Alice Blogg at her studio space in the Grown in Britain licensed forest and wood merchant Hooke Park.
Alice Blogg designs and makes honest, functional and beautiful British hardwood products. From smaller home accessories to lighting and furniture, Alice’s designs are inspired by the trees and nature that surround her Dorset workshop. It is here that she crafts her range of exclusive Chopping Boards for Heal’s using Grown in Britain assured Ash, Sycamore and Oak.
It is important to Alice that there is no waste and she is careful to use every part of the tree. Each piece is made to last for generations, using tools and knowledge passed down through her family.
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In 1991 multi-award winning designer Matthew Hilton introduced the Balzac Armchair, a future classic which this year celebrates its 25th birthday!
To celebrate the anniversary of the Balzac Armchair and the start of London Design Festival 2016, in a rare event for Matthew Hilton, we invite you to join the renowned furniture designer for a Q&A session with author and journalist Max Fraser on Thursday 15 September from 6-8pm at Heal’s Tottenham Court Road store. Tickets for this event are £13.25 per person and include refreshments and a goody bag on the night.
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Signature silhouette: the iconic profile of the Balzac Armchair upholstered in Utah Russet Leather £3135.
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To celebrate the launch of her new limited edition tea towels, we read into the small print with designer and screen printing specialist Laura Spring at her Glasgow studio.
New for AW16, Laura's collection of exclusive tea towels bring her trademark blend of geometric pattern, eclectic palette and screen printed aesthetic to Heal's. Each of these contemporary tea towels is hand screen printed by the designer and is limited to a edition of just 25 for each style.
To learn more about the inspiration and process behind Laura's design, we headed up to (not so) sunny Glasgow to watch her put the finishing touches to our new collection.
Where does your passion for design stem from?
Every since I was young I’ve loved making. I’m a very practical person who really enjoys working with a process, creating physical things and seeing them come to life. I suppose it’s something that’s always been there from a very young age. I remember my favourite thing when I was about six or seven was creating small worlds out of shoeboxes and my Mum’s clothing catalogues.
As I’ve got older my curiosity about design has just grown and grown. I’m always interested in finding out about new techniques, different designers, materials - I love to ask questions and explore.
Where did you study?
I studied Visual Communication at The Glasgow School Art, specialising in Graphic Design. I was much happier when making things with my hands rather than sitting behind a computer and got very excited when I discovered the print room and silkscreen printing.
Tell us about the first piece you ever designed?
The first piece I designed as my company ‘Laura Spring’ was a Wet Weather Suitcase. I was lucky to be awarded the Scottish Craft residency at Cove Park in the summer of 2011 and was given a studio in the beautiful Scottish countryside for six weeks to explore the idea of prints that relate to the function of a product.
I created three designs – Wet, Windy and Warm - and applied them all to a range of travel accessories with the suitcase the first and most challenging product to make.
What is the inspiration behind your work?
Inspiration varies from collection to collection but as I mentioned previously I have been inspired by motifs relating to the function of the object it adorns. More recently I have been inspired by the use of camouflage in nature, specifically how butterflies and zebras use mimicking or colouration techniques to hide from predators.
I think nature and all it’s wonder has been having a bigger influence on my work since I did a residency in rural Finland last summer where nature is considered hugely important and people seem much more connected to it.
“I enjoy working with a process, creating physical things and seeing them come to life.”
Do you have a design hero that influences your work?
I have a huge amount of love and respect for the company Marimekko. I have always admired their bold use of colour and pattern but I also love that they have built up such an incredible business with the bulk of their print production still being done in a purpose built factory in Helsinki.
Where is your studio?
My studio is in Glasgow. It is housed within an old sawmill on the north side of the city not far from The Glasgow School of Art. It’s home to about 14 artists and has a really nice communal feel to it. Having people from various disciplines around me is very handy as it means we can share skills and solve problems.
Tell us about your design process, how do you get started?
I always start with research. I’m a bit of a hoarder, so often gather photos, odd objects, bits of paper and then go back to them at a later date. Something will catch my eye and spark an idea once I’m back in the studio. I really enjoy exploring an idea as thoroughly as possible as this can often take you in unusual directions.
For example, the work I’ve been doing lately for my new collection has all come from a residency I did in Finland last summer. I took lots of photos, spent time absorbing the culture and bought weird things from flea markets, one of which turned out to be an amazing pair of old weaving catalogues that will form the basis of a new project taking my work in a very different direction.
“I find computer colours so strange having spent time mixing colours by hand using pigments.”
Once I’ve got some ideas, I’ll start working them out on paper and then play around on the print table to create my colour palette. Then I’ll take the idea to the computer, my least favourite bit. I find computer colours so strange after having spent time mixing colours by hand using pigments.
Do you have a preferred material or process?
Screen printing will always be my number one process but recently I was incredibly lucky to be involved in a project called India Street that took a group of Scottish designers over to India to learn how to block print. It was an amazing experience and fascinating to learn a different technique and the effect it can have on your designs.
How did you get involved with Heal’s?
I got involved with Heal’s through my friend Gabriella Marcella Di Tano who runs Risotto, a riso print studio here in Glasgow. She was taking part in Pick Me Up (annual graphic arts festival in London) and got chatting to one of the team from Heal’s whom she very kindly suggested my name as someone to potentially work with.
How would you describe the collection?
The collection is a playful design of colour and shape inspired by a trip to Estonia last summer. The capital city Tallinn has the most incredible doors everywhere that have all these beautiful geometric patterns on and I couldn’t help but take many, many photos!
I sat with them on my wall in the studio for a while and then when Louise got in touch I thought they would be a great source material to work with to create a summery, playful tea towel design.
Make sure to grab your limited edition Laura Spring tea towel before they are all snapped up by shopping our collection of kitchen linens online.
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HEAL'S DISCOVERS
HEAL'S DISCOVERS
Ed Heritage
As part of this season’s Heal’s Discovers initiative, we’re delighted to introduce Ed Heritage, an award-winning UK-based designer whose signature style of clean geometry and playful details is reflected in the beautiful lamp he created.
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