Cushions for the British bum at Wagtail
Sit & Heat's heat pads are popping up in more and more places. Now also on the brand new Wagtail roof terrace in the heart of London! For this, we were allowed to collaborate with big names from the design world. We even travelled to the British outback to deliver the project pico bello.
In May 2022, Wagtail opened its doors: a high-end restaurant and cocktail bar in London's Financial District. The rooftop terrace offers 360° views over the city, with a spectacular view of London Bridge. The interior was designed by architect and designer Russell Sage. A big name in the design world, he designs five-star hotels, exclusive restaurants and luxury bars, for example. Fortunately, he thinks it is important for guests to be warm. He enlisted our help for durable patio heating!
Russell Sage's wishes
"What designers want is for an interior to be made exactly as they draw it in," explains Sit & Heat founder Jorg Rijkschroeff. "That's how they come to us: we deliver tailor-made work, that's our expertise. Russell Sage approached us through our agent Anthony Gerard, the face of Sit & Heat in the UK." Anthony already has many warm contacts in the UK, as he also works as an agent for hospitality parasols from Symo Parasols.
"We launched Sit & Heat in the UK in spring 2021," Anthony explains. "Pretty soon after, Russell Sage expressed interest in the heat pads for the restaurant we now know as Wagtail - but at the time was still called '68 King William Street'." There followed many complicated specifications, unusual requirements and the request to work with different furniture makers: a nice challenge.
On to England
"Russell Sage had already selected three UK parties, which allowed us to deliver the furniture and heating as one," Jorg explains. "The Contract Chair supplied chairs and bar stools. They sent samples to us in Nijmegen so we could customise heating. 3 Interiors carpented terrace benches, for which we made cushions. Finally, we worked with Coco Wolf: a fairly exclusive furniture brand that supplies fully upholstered sofas and chairs."
Just before the completion date, Coco Wolf found itself running out of time. Jorg continues: "Then we flew to England a day early, to help assemble all the parts! On site, we connected the seat heater electronics. That was in an old nineteenth-century factory, the kind you really only know from TV. It was very cool that we ended up there just like that!" Meanwhile, the final result can be admired: for an atmospheric impression, take a look at Wagtail's Instagram page.
Tastes like more
The UK is no unknown territory for Sit & Heat. For example, the Nijmegen-based heat cushions are also at the chic champagne bar in Harrods and at the Berkeley Hotel's rooftop bar. "The big architects of Europe are in London. They also sign for Milan, for Amsterdam, you name it," says commercial director Jeroen Diks. That's how the ball got rolling. "Besides Russell Sage, we were already working with architects like Brady Williams." As far as Sit & Heat is concerned, many more designers and special locations are going to follow!
