The Bite Magazine - Spring 2016 - Issue 15

A n individual’s personal style doesn’t end with what they wear, but also includes on where and how they dress their home. One’s home is their calling card, as it may say more about them than their signature scent or even their favourite pair of shoes. A home whether it’d be a tiny studio flat, floating houseboat or expansive estate is where people spend the majority of their time and where they live their lives. Yes, one’s home is where their heart is, and Heal’s London has taken it upon themselves to provide all the accoutre- ments and accessories anyone could ever need to turn empty rooms into a beloved dwelling. As an institution of interior design and style for over 200 years, Heal’s London has long been a go-to shop for all things home-centered. John Harris Heal opened this infamous store in 1810 as the first retailer in London to offer feather stuffed mattresses, forever replacing the itchy straw beds that plagued the sleep- ing chambers of time. In 1833, Mr. John Harris Heal sadly passed away, but his widower, Fanny Heal took this time to move and rename the store, Fanny Heal & Son, to its current location on 196 Tot- tenham Court Road in central London. A few years later, her cousin Ambrose Heal Jr. joined the ranks at the family company as a furniture designer. Here, he was able to introduce his Arts and Crafts style of furniture to the public in an aim to replace the heavy and dated Queen Anne style that was currently still in fashion and dominating the homes of the city. The staff at the time was said Heal’s London Lighting and Furniture Dawn Hunt discovers the history behind British furniture store Heal’s London and its new lighting and furniture collection. bitelifestyle