Rigby & Rigby x Samuel Heath

Rigby & Rigby x Samuel Heath Introduction

The collection of concept products that will be showcased at Wow! House this year within the main bathroom space celebrates the enduring British craftsmanship of Samuel Heath.

Following a visit in February to the original factory in Birmingham—established in 1820 as a metal foundry—the Rigby & Rigby team drew inspiration from the brand’s rich heritage and its holistic approach to design.

During our visit we were inspired by level of care & attention given to each and every element within the product line production; from original concept sketching & 3D printing to final polishing and packaging.

Rigby & Rigby were intrigued by the history of the brand & the varied amount of products that were designed & manufactured when the foundry was manufacturing at the height of the industrial era.

The Factory visit February 2026 - Samuel Heath, Birmingham

The factory visit provided an amazing insight into the various processes followed carried out by different disciplines around the factory floor. Seeing the old machinery alongside new technology was very interesting to see.

It was amazing see first hand the raw brass material being machined by multiple sizes & types of drill bit, to create unique forms in the sanitary ware.

We were also inspired by the Samuel Heath building itself, with the small round convex brick detailing seen along the Jacobean facade.

The Collaboration of Ideas

The collaboration between Rigby & Rigby and Samuel Heath is rooted in a shared commitment to design integrity, craftsmanship, and heritage. Rigby & Rigby were inspired by the rich history of the Samuel Heath building & the interesting circular convex brick detail.

Looking around the more historic parts of the Birmingham factory; it was interesting to see some of the old machinery & how much the rivet joint was used in their construction. The Rigby & Rigby team were inspired by these historic details and wanted to have a subtle nod to that industrial era of manufacture but done in a contemporary way.

Some of the main drivers of the design were rooted in complimenting the use of the circular rivet joint & the bull-nose detailing - as seen on the buildings facade. The rivet joint itself, a hallmark of the industrial era traditionally used to bind sheets of metal together, has been thoughtfully re-imagined as a design feature within the collection. This detail is expressed with restraint, often highlighted through contrasting textured metal—such as at the end of a spout—bringing depth and tactility to the pieces.

We were also inspired by some of the hand tooling that is still practiced on the factory floor, such as the metal pressing for shower metal baskets. We wanted to have a lovely touch point on the sanitary ware handle to link through to the idea of the hand tooling used in Japanese Craftsmanship. Adam Daniels from Samuel heath introduced a lovely cut out section to the reverse side of the handle, to mimic the shape of the metal tooling used in wood artwork prints.

3D Printing & Concept Design

The development of the collection involved an extensive process of prototyping, with the Samuel Heath team producing a series of 3D-printed models to refine the designs for the three-hole basin mixer, floor-standing bath filler, and floor-standing shower.

During a visit to the Birmingham factory, the teams worked closely together to review and refine the handle profile, discussing subtle adjustments to its shape and proportion in detail to achieve the desired balance of form and function.

Finish selection was also a key part of the process, with careful consideration given to how texture could be integrated into the range. A sophisticated pairing of anthracite and brushed nickel was chosen, complementing the darker tones of the bathroom scheme while harmonising with the room’s metallic accents.

The influence of Japanese wellness gardens—particularly the meditative quality of raked gravel—played a central role in the exploration of texture for the contrasting metal ring featured within the products. Techniques such as sandblasting, along with the introduction of a refined scalloped finish, were explored in collaboration with the Samuel Heath team to achieve a subtle yet tactile surface.

Samuel Heath Production in Factory

The Rigby & Rigby team visited the factory in Birmingham again in May to see some of the final concept products on the factory floor, having been manufactured.

The visit was also an opportunity to conduct some photography & filming of the product, in order to showcase the design & discuss the creative process with Adam Daniels, who has overseen the design & manufacture of these concept products with his dedicated team.

Seeing the product for the first time, and holding it in your hand really provides a tactile impression & you can feel the weight & the quality of manufacture.

We could also appreciate the cut out on the rear face of the handle & the inspiration from the hand tooling mentioned previously.

The contrast band of brushed nickel was also lovely to see up close, and the chiselled texture that had been cut out from the small contrast band of metal, had a different feel & quality to it.

We also got a sneak peek of the floor standing bath tap too. Overall in summary, we were thrilled to see the final products coming to fruition, and were very appreciative to Adam Daniels and all of his amazing design & manufacturing teams to get the products ready for installation at Wow! House.

The next time these products will be seen, shall be at the Wow! House itself, which opens to the public on 2nd June 2026. We look forward to seeing you there.

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