Robert Heritage Rosewood Sideboard

Robert Heritage is the most awarded designer in the history of the British Design Council, known for a wide breadth of work including furniture, interiors, lighting and accessories.

Born in Birmingham in 1927, Heritage studied art at Birmingham College of Art before attending the Royal College of Art in London where he met his future wife and British textile designer Dorothy. Together, they founded their own studio in 1953.

In 1968, with Ernest Race, Heritage designed the interior of the Queen Elizabeth II ocean liner including the QE2 Race Resturant Chair, receiving a prize from the Council of Industrial Design.

Most of Heritage’s designs – sideboards, console tables, dining sets and cabinets – were produced by British manufacturer Archie Shine in the 1950s and 60s. Heritage designs exhibit classic lines and richly grained woods such as rosewood, walnut, , or teak. Notable models include the Hamilton Sideboard (1958) for which he received a Design Centre Award, and the Palisander Sideboard which was available with white or verdi marble top. Many of Heritage’s designs were retailed by the renowned furniture store Heal’s.

Heritage was made Royal Designer for Industry by the Royal Society of Arts in 1963, the highest accolade in the field. He was professor of furniture design at the Royal College of Art (1974-85), and was also named a Fellow of the Society of Industrial Artists and Designers (FSIAD).