Heals Furniture Overview
Heals has had a prominent history in furniture making and retailing since its formation by John Harris in 1810. Heals is now widely recognized as a retailer of high-quality furniture, furnishings and domestic equipment. In its inception, Heals was a mattress manufacturer but in 1893 the direction of the company changed under Ambrose Heal who had completed an apprenticeship as a cabinet maker.
1930s - Heals Shifts From Arts and Crafts to Modern Style
Strongly influenced by the Arts & Crafts movement, he believed in William Morris’ statement that one should “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” However, Ambrose much like the Bauhaus movement in Germany founded in 1919, also believed in modernity and that ergonomic design should be affordable to the masses while maintaining good quality. Between 1890 and 1930 you can see a clear shift in Heals furniture from more decorative arts & crafts pieces to a much more modern, linear style in the 1930s.
Heals has been trading successfully ever since with multiple locations across Britain selling their high-quality wares. However, collectors of 20th Century Art & Design still desire the earlier pieces made by the firm that has been so influential in British design history.
