When Samuel Heath approached us, it was to request our help and expertise in promoting their exquisite new finish ‘Antique Brass Matt Lacquered’. The Lewis Knox studio created an Interior design scheme to simultaneously highlight and complement the subtle, warm tones brought by this new brassware finish. Samuel Heath displayed our finished design scheme in their London showroom to celebrate the launch of September’s London Design Week.

Lewis Knox founders, Helen and Simon Knox, popped down to London in September, especially to see their talented team’s design proudly displayed at Chelsea Harbour:

We’ve had the most fantastic response to the design we created for Samuel Heath. We are beyond thrilled by everyone’s reaction to it.

The Lewis Knox Design Approach

With no set brief, we were able to think outside the box a little and showcase a more conceptual design. At Lewis Knox, we’re renowned for seamlessly blending character with style. Clients often ask for a truly timeless interior design scheme, but with added personality and that quintessential individuality. Accordingly, we really wanted to reflect this flair in this project for Samuel Heath. Happily, Samuel Heath brassware possesses an enduring and ageless quality, which lends itself perfectly to a diverse range of interior styles and settings – fitting as easily into a period cottage as a contemporary condo. We felt it was imperative to illustrate this too.

Our carefully planned and thoughtfully designed scheme is named Rural Retreat. The concept is a welcoming interior; a calming and enveloping bolthole in which to simply switch off from the stress and the strain of a busy life, a retreat to relax and unwind: Imagine, if you will, a cosy, coastal cottage. One which has stood firm against years of wind and rain, reassuringly solid and resilient. One which, surprisingly, opens up into a sympathetically contemporary, open-plan kitchen, dining and everyday living space, a warm and happy hub. A real heart of the home, beckoning you in to warm up and wind down after a blustery beach walk with the dogs. 

The pleasingly warming characteristics of the solid brass of Samuel Heath’s new Antique Brass Matt Lacquered finish segues flawlessly into any design scheme. A truly timeless metal. Here, the soft matte brass pairs perfectly with the architectural black as well as the warm, autumnal hues of orange, yellow and tan. Softer furnishings such as loose linen covers over chairs and practical, real-world upholstery selected for the dogs, accented with pops of colour, all serve to enhance this easy-living, soothing and warming environment chock-full of character.

About Samuel Heath

We are extremely proud to collaborate with world-renowned British company Samuel Heath manufactures the most effortlessly stylish bathroom brassware of the very highest quality. The long-established firm boasts a solid history and a rich tradition and produces brassware for a range of bathroom applications including taps, showers, bathroom accessories, door furniture, and window fitments. When designing a bathroom scheme, it’s crucial to pay heed to these fundamentals so Samuel Heath is a perfect partner.

Samuel Heath’s impressive heritage is well known both throughout and well beyond their industry – and ours. Centuries ago, the midlands city of Birmingham was widely known as the ‘City of 1000 Trades’ due to its wealth of small industries. Even now, a popular bar in the Jewellery Quarter bears the name. Samuel Heath created their family-run brass foundry here, back in the early nineteenth century, and based firmly upon the principles of craftsmanship and integrity – values which still hold true today. The firm still designs and manufactures from the same factory two centuries later. Back in 1822, Samuel Heath was merely one of many hundreds of brass foundries at the time. Despite the significant pressures that the industry has faced over the years, Samuel Heath have remained one of the surviving few.

Historic England awarded the Samuel Heath factory frontage Grade II listed status early this year, recognising the building’s façade as an “important representation of industrial development”. 

In the firm’s two-hundred-year history, Samuel Heath has fashioned an incredible array of products including fireside accessories, homewares and even gifts. These days, Samuel Heath’s impressive industrial heritage has firmly cemented their place as must-have designers and manufacturers of distinctive, luxurious, and high-quality showers, bathroom accessories, and door and window fittings. Two hundred years of industry and expertise sets the firm apart. All Samuel Heath fixtures are crafted from solid brass – even concealed details which are all too often merely plastic. This is unprecedented within the industry and is further proof of the firm’s dedication to quality and longevity, and even includes elements which may be hidden away, such as shower components, which are often made of plastic. 

Industrial Style AND Heritage Mean We’re Proud to Feature Samuel Heath

As both designer AND manufacturer, Samuel Heath is almost uniquely placed within the industry. This is testament to the firm’s unwavering aptitude for blending tried, tested, and trusted, traditional techniques with innovative methods. State-of-the-art precision machinery ensures intrinsic strength of the brassware; however, elaborate design demands unrivalled attention to detail from experienced craftspeople. Design and aesthetics meet power and permanence.

Our Architectural Designer, Mike, explains why Samuel Heath brassware is something of an essential element of so many our design projects:

“
Many of our residential projects feature Samuel Heath brassware. This is because we know the unparalleled quality of their products, and they boast a finish range that is simply beautiful to work with.

Those finishes range from traditional bronze and brass to more contemporary stainless steel and black chrome, so there’s always something that fits well in all manner of our projects.

As I coordinate our Architectural projects before they reach our Interiors team it allows us all to cohesively match or complement the metal finish from door ironmongery – even the hinges – through to bathroom fittings all the way down to robe hooks and accessories.”

We always have several exciting new designs at specification stage, as well as many breathtakingly beautiful, finished schemes. Bookmark our website for constantly updated inspiration – or dare we suggest, envy? And be sure to follow us on Instagram where we often share mid progress updates: @Lewisknox_

As ever, we look forward to hearing from you.