Heathfield & Co launches first portable range
(UK) – This March, Heathfield & Co opened its debut showroom at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, London. Coinciding with its opening, the brand launched its first range of portable lighting, the Selene collection, designed in collaboration with multi-award-winning landscape designer Pollyanna Wilkinson.
To celebrate both launches, the brand hosted an in-person Q&A in the new space between Wilkinson and Heathfield & Co’s Creative Manager Hanna Walter, hosted by Pip Rich, Executive Editor of Living Etc., which darc’s editor Sarah Cullen was invited to.
Spanning 800sqft, the space aims to redefine the traditional showroom experience with a home-from-home concept designed to inspire and engage both interior designers and clients. Drawing on their 40-year history of collaborating with interior designers on residential projects, the showroom has been designed by Heathfield & Co to capture the warmth and functionality of a real home. Thoughtfully divided into key areas – a spacious kitchen island and a relaxed living room – the interior demonstrates how thoughtfully layered lighting can transform a home.
Andrew Watson, Director at Heathfield & Co, says: “This milestone opening is a proud moment for us as a brand. It’s more than a retail space – it’s a destination where design professionals and clients can connect, collaborate, and experience our designs in a truly immersive way.”
Lily Watson, Head of Brand and Marketing, adds: “We’ve always believed that lighting is key to creating a welcoming interior. Our new showroom reflects this, offering a home-from-home experience where lighting, furniture, and thoughtful design work together to create an inviting atmosphere for our clients.”
At the evening event, held during London Design Week, the unveiling of the new Selene collection of portable lights resulted in a packed-out space, with designers and press eager to hear the design journey behind the pieces.
The collection of five lamps set out to reimagine portable lighting with a luxurious, nature-infused aesthetic that draws inspiration from the celestial elegance of the moon. At the heart of it lies a dedication to refined craftsmanship and thoughtful design. Each lamp celebrates Selene, the Greek goddess of the moon, capturing the soft ambient glow and fluidity of lunar light.
The collection is comprised of five products: Carme, Circe, Eos, Nyx, and Thebe created in various pairings of opal glass, Emperador marble, smoked oak, and waxed brass.
After a brief discussion between Rich and Wilkinson on the general design and material trends she is witnessing in current projects (notably rich tones and heavily veined, coloured marble), the conversation turns to the role of lighting in a garden. When asked what is one of the key considerations to take into account when adding lighting to an outdoor space, Wilkinson remarks “less is more”.
“I think the worst thing you can do is light your garden up like Heathrow airport. It should be subtle.” She continues, explaining that outdoor lighting should serve a purpose as wayfinding or to eliminate the black void that many see through the large, glazed glass walls in homes. “We want to be able to give that depth within the garden so that you don’t feel like you’re staring back at yourself year-round. But it’s a subtlety, which is exactly why portable lighting is such a beautiful solution because it’s not permanent. And, in terms of wildlife friendliness and flexibility, it’s great because fitted outdoor lighting is expensive.” She also notes the importance of protecting wildlife, which is a priority to look after when designing a garden and to achieve this is with downward facing lights where possible.
Steering to continue the conversation on portable lighting, Rich asks what the benefits are. “I think there’s a huge advantage to being able to literally pick up your lamp and take it outside,” says Walter. “I think they’re ambient lamps. They’ve helped to create a tone and a mood, and I think there’s something quite cool about being able to transition that tone with you as you move through different spaces, whether that’s outside, or inside. And then there are so many interior applications as well, from kitchen islands, shelving systems, and bathrooms.”
Wilkinson adds: “One of the biggest challenges we have with lighting in a garden is on a dining table, there’s no elegant solution – a lot of clients want the festoon lights, but if we don’t have a structure, which often we don’t, you cannot get central lighting. You can do loads of lovely floor-related lighting or walls, but that doesn’t solve the issue of when you want to eat dinner.
“So, having something that you can put on a coffee table, on the dining table, take it in and out when you need it, I think it earns its keep a lot more.”
Moving to the design of the Selene collection, Rich asks the pair about the decisions behind the products’ materials and scale. “There were lots of considerations that we hadn’t had to think about before,” explains Walter. “We made sure that the scale was right so that it’s easy to pick up and carry it around while still wanting to use heavy quality materials that we like to use. We felt that while portables have had a huge 18 months to two years, they’re very much tailored towards a more functional look, with the various metal stick and shade shapes. We tried to achieve that balance between the lamp doing what it needs to do and it being a really decorative, beautiful object as well.”
Another consideration the pair had to include in the design journey was the product’s durability. Using their prior knowledge of bathroom lighting, Heathfield & Co ensured the collection was IP44-rated. One of the first design iterations included a matte glass finish, which is in keeping with the brand’s aesthetic. However, when discussing the outdoor settings, not having a rough surface became really important. “It was more about what would feel bright outside, you don’t want anything too perfect,” explains Wilkinson. This was also evident in the choice of brass that ages and patinas over time. Wilkinson’s expertise in garden design shaped not only the selection of materials that age gracefully but also the collection’s earthy tones and weathered textures.
Lastly, the sturdiness was key to avoid the pieces being easily knocked over by a gust of wind. “They’re really sturdy and very pleasing to carry,” Wilkinson adds.
When it came to choosing names for the collection, Wilkinson took inspiration from Greek mythology. “I’m slightly obsessed with representing women. And then I also love everything witchy! Like moon cycles and herbal things that you can grow. It’s my vibe.
“So, when we were talking about the lights, I was thinking about them being outdoors, which led me to moonlight and stars. And then I thought we could go literal and go with planet names or star names, or go feminine with it. We’ve also got an all-female team here.
“Selene is the Greek goddess of the moon, and each of the lights is named after a Greek mythological character that’s had some representation towards something celestial.”
