When it comes to British furniture retail, there’s no more iconic a name than Heal’s. For over two centuries, the store has been at the heart of our homes and shaping the way we live.
Originally established back in 1810, it moved to London’s Tottenham Court Road eight years later and, by the end of the 19th century, was one of the city’s best-known furniture suppliers, credited with turning the neighbourhood into a Mecca for those seeking out pieces for the home.
‘As design trends have evolved through the decades, we have always given customers the best retail experience, with leading interiors inspiration and an unrivalled edit of the world’s finest brands,’ notes Hamish Mansbridge, CEO of Heal’s.
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Now, after more than 180 years at its current location, the store is looking to the future with a significant redevelopment, which sees its ground floor stretching back into the 1962 extension by architecture firm Fitzroy Robinson, a space it originally occupied until the 1980s.
As well as doubling the frontage from 50 to 100 metres, the remodelling will include a bespoke staircase down to the lower floor, created by long-time Heal’s collaborator and furniture designer Matthew Hilton.
Joining the famous 1916 Cecil Brewer spiral set at the centre of the building and Sir Edward Maufe’s creation at its southern end, this predominantly steel-and-timber structure completes an iconic trio of staircases and shows the store’s evolution over two centuries.
Excited by his first-ever stair design, Hilton describes it as ‘quiet and restrained with no superfluous details – everything has purpose’. Words that, in fact, perfectly sum up the Heal’s ethos and its future plans. heals.com
