Hille Furniture
Established in 1906 by Russian immigrant Salamon Hille in the vibrant East End of London, the Hille furniture company embarked on a mission to restore and replicate exquisite eighteenth-century furniture pieces. Emphasizing superior craftsmanship over mass production, the business quickly garnered a prestigious clientele that included renowned furniture store Hamptons. By the 1930s, Hille had gained global recognition for its exceptional Art Deco Furniture products. Following Salamon's retirement in 1932, his daughter Ray assumed leadership, steering the company into a new era as a Limited company.
Despite facing adversity during World War II, including the loss of their North London facilities and scarcity of materials, Ray Hille's innovative approach saw the business thrive. With a team comprising returning war veterans and new recruits, including family members and associates like Maurice and Leslie Julius, Hille relocated to Leytonstone in 1945. Adapting to post-war challenges in the UK market, Hille shifted its focus to international clientele with successful ventures in the US market setting a foundation for sustained export growth.
In 1950, Hille relocated to a facility in Hainault. However, the financial crisis of 1951 struck almost immediately, necessitating another move to an old brewery in Watford. The company eventually rebounded and, by 1961, inaugurated new offices designed by the renowned Hungarian-born modernist architect Ernő Goldfinger, famed for his work on the Elephant and Castle development. That same year marked the entry of Ray Hille's second daughter, Cherill Scheer, into the company's management. Her contributions significantly boosted Hille's marketing efforts; most notably in 1963 when she promoted the original Polyside chair by sending a line drawing of a stork to key government buyers, architects, and designers as a prelude to distributing some 600 sample units—a campaign that led to millions of sales in subsequent years.
The seeds of this success were sown earlier when Leslie Julius connected with designer Robin Day in 1949. Day had recently won first prize alongside Clive Latimer in the storage section of the International Competition For Low-Cost Furniture organized by New York’s Museum of Modern Art—a victory that underscored his potential among over 3,000 global entrants. Recognizing Day's talent, Julius supported him wholeheartedly. Over the next two decades, Day not only designed nearly all of Hille’s products but also managed its visual branding—creating letterheads, forms, vehicle livery, and a logo that has endured with minimal changes for six decades. His responsibilities also extended to graphics design for brochures and showroom layouts as well as exhibition stands.
