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!

Events

Spectacular Festivals Of Light Around The World 2024

As the days get shorter and the evenings get darker, we start to look for inspiring and stylish ways to illuminate our spaces, all with the hope of creating the warmest of welcomes and the cosiest of homes. That’s why, every autumn, Heal’s is proud to host our very own Festival of Light, a dazzling showcase of the world’s finest lighting brands and designers. From classic products to contemporary styles, it’s brimming with bright and beautiful ideas online and in-store, and provides a chance for customers to get inspired for the season ahead. But, since time began, lighting hasn’t only been used to banish shadows. In fact, it’s steeped in a culture of joy and celebration. Candles flickering on a birthday cake to mark another lap around the sun. Fireworks exploding in the sky to toast an exciting new year. Bulbs strung on a house to signal Christmas is coming. Here, to coincide with our Festival of Light, we round-up the cultures across the globe that use light to celebrate the moments that matter. Diwali, India Known as ‘the festival of lights’, Diwali is celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains around the world for five days every October and November, and welcomes new beginnings as well as the triumph of good over evil and light over dark. Interestingly, the word Diwali comes from dipavali, meaning ‘row of lights’, which is why decorative lights and earthenware oil lamps (diyas) in houses and on streets have become synonymous with festivities. They are said to invite the presence of Lakshmi – the goddess of wealth – while creating a backdrop for feasting amongst friends and family. The Fallas, Spain Taking its name from fax in Latin – translating to ‘torch’ – the annual festival of the Fallas certainly turns up the temperature. It’s celebrated each February in Valencia, a port city on the south-eastern coast of Spain, to welcome the coming of spring. Not dissimilar to Guy Fawkes, large monuments (fallas) are crafted by local artists to burn at the end of the festival, and usually provide commentary on current social issues. Its origins date back to age-old carpenters who used to burn the pieces of wood that were used to prop up their lamps to signal a new season. Over time, they gradually started to add other unwanted belongings, until the structures became the huge effigies they are today. Everything is paired with marching bands, outdoor meals and firework displays for an explosive tradition. Lantern Festival, China The Lantern Festival – or Yuan Xiao – is celebrated in China (and other Asian countries) on the 15th day of the first month in the lunar calendar (15 February). As well as rounding out Chinese New Year and honouring the dead, it’s a time for reconciliation, peace and forgiveness, while traditions include festooning streets and houses with colourful lanterns pasted with riddles (those who crack them receive a gift). To add to the spectacle, many towns and cities across China also put on displays of lights, as well as parades, dances and fireworks. Sweet rice dumplings – which represent families coming together – are also enjoyed. St. Martin’s Day, Netherlands A twist on traditional Halloween, St. Martin’s Day is celebrated on 11 November as a children’s holiday in the Netherlands, while its namesake is famed as a friend of children and a patron of the poor. Nowadays, Dutch children take to the streets at dusk with lighted paper lanterns, then go from door-to-door singing songs and receiving sweets. Helpfully, they know which houses are participating, as lanterns are displayed on streets or in windows. Dubai, United Arab Emirates Image credit: llxcarrental Dubai, also known as the "City of Lights", is famous for its extravagant and grand festivals of light, which are held throughout the year. One of the most popular festivals is the annual Dubai Festival of Lights, held at Al Seef - a beautiful waterfront destination that features traditional Emirati architecture and charm. The festival showcases stunning light installations, projections, and interactive displays, all designed to celebrate the rich history and culture of Dubai. In addition, visitors can also enjoy other festivals such as the famous Dubai Shopping Festival, which features elaborate light shows and decorations throughout the city, and the Diwali Dhamaka festival, which offers beautiful light displays and traditional Indian cuisine. Dubai's dazzling array of festivals of lights is the reason why it's considered a shining beacon in the Middle East. Fête des Lumières, France The Fête des Lumières in Lyon, France, is one of the oldest light festivals in the world. Dating back to 1643, when the city escaped the plague that was sweeping the rest of the world, its inhabitants lit candles to give thanks to the Virgin Mary. Ever since, the festival has evolved into a large extravaganza every 8 December, featuring light installations and projections on some of the city’s most iconic buildings. Tradition also dictates that every home decorates its windowsills with candles to create a spectacular effect throughout the streets. Click here to get inspired by our own Festival of Light.

Events

Heal’s X London Design Festival: An Exhibition Of Two Halves

Running from 16th to 24th September, London Design Festival is finally upon us, annually celebrating our city as the design capital of the world. To mark the occasion, we’re paying homage to three iconic chairs to have shaped tastes and spaces since their introduction to homes over the last 50 years, as well as hosting a special exhibition in collaboration with Kingston University. We, for one, can’t wait. Timeless chairs The chairs are the Togo by Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset, which marks its 50th anniversary this year, the iconic Egg chair by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, which turns 65, and the Forum armchair by Robin Day and relaunched by Case this year, which celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2024. Instantly recognisable by its distinctive shape, the Togo has remained a cult classic, characterised by modular pieces with crumpled pleats. Ducaroy expertly designed the settee with five different densities of foam while upholstering them in durable Alcantara fabric with a suede-like texture that exudes luxury. When Arne Jacobsen designed the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen in the 1950s, he also created the Egg, now a symbol of cutting-edge Danish design. The design was the first to use a strong foam inner-shell underneath the upholstery and remains as futuristic-looking today as it was back when it was first conceived. Originally designed by Robin Day in 1964, the Forum is an icon of Mid-Century design, now revitalised through modern production and materials. Case has worked in close partnership with the Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation to sympathetically reinstate the chair featuring a hardwood frame with beautiful finger joint detail supported by chrome plated legs mounted to the outside of the frame. Day purposefully exposed these elements to showcase the beauty of its form. Shop all three chairs in-store or online to invest in true icons. Better still, Heal’s is offering £150 for every £1,000 spent on these collections. It’s simple: the more you spend, the more you’ll receive on a pre-loaded gift card, which you can choose to use as you wish. Kingston University Heal’s has collaborated with third-year students from Kingston University’s Furniture and Product Design Course. The design process and story behind 10 pieces from Kingston University’s show at New Designers will be exhibited at London Design Festival at Heal’s newly extended flagship store on Tottenham Court Road. Excitingly, three designs have been shortlisted to potentially be put into production: Apperture by Sumayyah Zahir puts a spin on the traditional sideboard with storage open rather than concealed; nesting side tables Cut From One by Josephine Ryan Gill produce no offcuts during their manufacture; and Crush Shelving from Jack Allfrey is comprised of crushed form steel uprights and box plywood shelves. Vote for your favourite designer and visit Heal’s on Tottenham Court Road to shop the chairs and enjoy the exhibition.

Events

Dinner With The Designers 2019

Kicking off London Design Festival 2019 in epic proportions, the 7th annual Dinner with the Designers saw industry behemoths wined and dined at the Heal’s flagship store. For one night only, the Tottenham Court Road showroom was transformed to celebrate the best in British design. The event saw a host of internationally renowned designers including Tom Raffield, Lucy Kurrein, Matthew Hilton and Magnus Long gather under one roof. Who Eighty specially selected journalists and influencers from the interiors and art world rubbed shoulders with Heal’s designers, past and present, to celebrate a year of innovation. Dinner with the Designers presents the rare opportunity to gather so many of the world’s best-known designers and emerging talents in one room. Furthermore, artists featured in the Heal’s x Slade collaboration were also on hand to answer questions about their artwork. What First, guests were greeted with a champagne reception and the chance to view the Heal’s x Slade installation after hours. Secondly, seated on Philippe Starck’s iconic Ghost Chairs, they were treated to a four course meal by Milli Taylor. The impeccably laid table was adorned with bouquets from Highgate Flowers that were specially designed to complement the surrounding art. Finally, entertainment was provided in the form of live music from jazz trio The Night & Day Collective. When Unfortunately London Design Festival is now over until next year. For 2019, Dinner with the Designers accompanied our Heal’s x Slade exhibition. Set in the entrance of our London store, the installation exhibited work by Slade School of Fine Art graduates. The installation featured paintings, sculpture and even the columns at the front of the Tottenham Court Road store were dressed in fabric designed by Boon & Baum. Find out more information about the featured artists here.