Heal's Innovation Award - September 2025
A prestigious recognition within the interior design and furniture industry, given by the historic British retailer Heal's to celebrate forward-thinking design, pushing boundaries, and exceptional craftsmanship.
Over 200 years have passed since John Harris Heal founded Heal’s in 1810. In the same year that Beethoven composed Für Elise and King George III was declared insane, Heal's opened their first store at 33 Rathbone Place. So began a centuries’-long fascination with quality design. Ever the innovator, Heal’s was the first brand to introduce French-style feather-filled mattresses to London’s homeowners. Similarly, years later, Heal’s was one of the first retailers to place adverts on book jackets. Later, Ambrose Heal Junior’s Arts and Crafts furniture was so different from the Queen Anne style of the time that the shop’s salespeople deemed it ‘prison furniture’.
Today, Heal’s continues its legacy of supporting great design. With stores based across the UK, they are proud to showcase established brands as well as new and emerging designers. In 2004 they launched the annual Heal’s Innovation Award to recognise forward thinking and innovative design techniques.
The Tidal Sideboard
The striking Tidal Sideboard makes a dramatic statement with its distinctive laser-cut design, showcasing the beauty of its natural materials. A light oak interior contrasts with the exterior - comprised of ash and smoked oak, with inlays of walnut - combining to create a sculptural motif that evokes a bold sense of movement. With sleek powder-coated handles, soft-close doors, and adjustable internal shelves, the Tidal is a contemporary yet practical storage solution for any modern home.
Design Guild Mark - May 2016
The prestigious Design Guild Mark is awarded to drive excellence and raise the profile of British design and innovation. The Award recognises the highest standards in the design of furniture for volume production, by the finest designers working in Britain.
The Furniture Makers Company was founded as a guild in 1951 and granted livery status in 1963, becoming the 83rd livery company of the City of London and only the sixth to be formed since the reign of Queen Anne ended in 1714. Introduced in 2008, the Design Guild Mark recognises the highest standards in British furniture design. The judges are renowned experts in their respective fields and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the evaluation process. Uniquely the designers present their furniture in person on judging day, and the judges are able to examine each product closely. Every product is judged on 4 main areas - design, the use of materials, manufacture and function. The 2016 award formed part of the final day of Clerkenwell Design week with the ceremony being hosted in the Goldsmiths' Centre in Farringdon.
Whilst working for Marks & Spencer one of Adams designs - the Ashworth Desk - was deemed to have met the criteria necessary for a Design Guild Mark. In April 2016 he had the privilege of presenting the Ashworth Desk to some heavyweights of the industry, representing companies such as John Lewis, TwentyTwentyOne, The Evening Standard and Conran.
DGM: 150 - The Ashworth Desk
Marks & Spencer and Conran have a long history of developing products in partnership and for Spring Summer 2016 the design focus was shifted in-house at M&S. The Ashworth Desk was an attempt to showcase the best of the Conran brand whilst still ensuring the product could appeal to the M&S customer. The desk itself is made using solid walnut, with an inset glass top. Each piece uses tapered, angled legs and a chamfered top section that frames up the glass. Using glass in the top allowed the beautiful walnut frame construction to show through, as well as the drawer detailing below. The fixing point between the solid walnut legs and the desktop frame are hidden by a innovative walnut cap, which as well as hiding the fixings completely also makes an attractive detail below the surface of the glass.
DGM: 150 - The Ashworth Desk
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In the frame section, beneath the glass, there is an innovative cap which hides the leg fixings and screws
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The glass top allows the user to see through into the drawer compartments below
The tapered legs and overhanging top make the desk incredibly functional, allowing maximum work space