Iconic British brand Heal’s has partnered with two very different interiors experts to produce two unique window installations at their Westbourne Grove store. Using only pieces from Heals’ roster of past, present and future UK design icons, their creative partners have re-created their ideal ‘home from home’ within the Heal’s store.
Both installations, created by interiors journalist and writer Kate Watson-Smyth and interiors stylist Tiffany Grant-Riley, showcase two very different styles in two very different rooms.
For Kate, a self-confessed ‘monochrome maximalist’, it was all about creating a relaxed living space complete with opulent fabrics, while Tiffany re-made her personal workspace in imitable Scandi style.
Both women were passionate that their installations should reflect both the breadth of twentieth century British design, and the actual interior of a working home.
‘There’s definitely a correlation between what’s happening in the world and trends,’ says Kate. ‘I think we’ll continue to see that urge to nest – lots of cosy textures and warm colours. So it was important to be honest about my space, who might live in it and who was going to use it. I wanted there to be the sense that you could come up and sit in the window at Heal’s, or as if whoever lived there had just got up for a second to go into another room.’
Tiffany agrees: ‘I think British design is all about being inventive and a bit rebellious.’ She tells YCB. ‘The British are great at adjusting but also keeping one eye on tradition – it’s not afraid to make a point, but also about creating a safe space, making it the perfect foil for today’s world. Minimalism is becoming more of a lifestyle choice for Brits, rather than a colour palette. We’ll be seeing more colour and more storage – reducing the clutter to give you more physical and mental space to cope!’
The installations were styled live with selected media contacts and friends of Heal’s coming to watch the rooms take shape before their eyes, while the public could also come along and ‘try out’ the roomsets as part of Heal’s’ new campaign launch, British Designers at Heal’s.
‘As a firmly British brand ourselves, it’s always been in our DNA to support British designers who continue to push the boundaries when it comes to creating iconic pieces of good design,’ says David Kohn, Ecommerce Director at Heal’s. ‘It was vital for us that we started our summer celebrations of British design by working with two current British talents, who could demonstrate how to style pieces in a way that made sense for today’s UK lives and Britain in the present day. We’re very proud to have partnered with two unique and different women, who are able to use our pieces in new and inspiring ways.’
The #HealsBritishDesigners window installations will be live in Westbourne Grove until August 31st. They are free to experience, and more information can be found at https://www.heals.com/live-styling-event-with-kate-watson-smyth-and-tiffany-grant-riley.html.
To see more of Heal’s’ work with British designers, as well as their British Designers at Heal’s range, please visit https://www.heals.com/british-designers-at-heals
