Heal’s Discovers

Heal’s Discovers celebrates its 10th anniversary presenting at 100% Design the new collection, developed by five graduates coming from four universities.

Working closely with four universities, Heal’s has handpicked five graduates to make their debuts; each is keen to showcase their own individual take on contemporary craftsmanship.

The chosen designers are Philip Luscombe and Josh South with Rickard step-stool; Sam Lloyd with hSand Cast stool; Ester Comunello with Turn coffee table, floor lamp and mirror; and Tom Parfitt with Maya side table.

Made from contrasting natural and fumed oak, Rickard – by Philip Luscombe and Josh South – is a multi-functional piece that can be used as a step, seat or side-table. Key to the visual character of the design is its top and step which are darkened to complement the form, and curved for comfort, making the piece suitable for both sitting and standing.

When used as a step, the curve reassuringly guides its user to its centre, and the contrasting dowls create a crown so the user can see where it is safest to stand.

For Heal’s Discovers, Sam Lloyd has created the Sand Cast Collection – a low stool and a bar stool named after the method used to craft their key components.

The collection started out as one of Lloyd’s university final major projects, where he was encouraged to break free from the studio environment and explore different manufacturing techniques. After experimenting, this design provided the best seat, both in terms of comfort and aesthetic appeal. Both stool designs can be easily assembled, with the trio of fumed oak and oak legs screwing effortlessly into the seat; these are then supported by an aluminium brace.

The Turn collection was the result of Ester Comunello’s Masters research, a study about dexterity and craft. The idea was to create objects using simple assembly processes that are intuitively understood by their users, encouraging them to engage with the product. Inspired by observing the way we use our hands to grab things, Comunello has created a pared-back but characterful collection to encourage user interaction. Her range for Heal’s Discovers comprises a beech coffee table, mirror and a floor lamp, which can clamp onto other furniture pieces or surfaces.

Maya side table, by Tom Parfitt, was inspired by the interesting ways that Soviet era modernist architecture and high tech architecture use concrete to blur the lines between structural elements and decoration. The design was the result of a series of sketches of various different shapes that could be subtracted from a solid block of material, to create a more complex three-dimensional form. Parfitt decided that a triangle allowed for interesting lines and a more dynamic form, and so developed that idea, progressing to refine the proportions and scale.