Mid Century Walnut ‘M Range’ Chest of Drawers by Peter Hayward for Uniflex

Peter Hayward was one of the key figures in British furniture design through the late 1950s and 60s, known for bringing a cleaner, more contemporary look to bedroom and living room pieces at a time when much of the market was still firmly rooted in traditional styling.

Before Uniflex, Hayward had already built a strong reputation designing for Vanson. When the family behind Uniflex (formerly L. Lazarus & Sons) decided to push their furniture in a more modern direction, they brought him on board. His first range for them was fairly safe, but successful enough that they returned to him in early 1958 for something bolder – and the result was the M Range, launched later that year.

The M Range went on to become one of Uniflex’s most successful lines, staying in production for several years with further pieces added around 1960. It’s instantly recognisable for its clean lines, sled legs, and handle-free fronts – a real step towards the modernist look that would go on to define so much mid-century furniture. Built using traditional cabinet-making methods of the time, pieces from this range have a weight and quality that’s hard to find in furniture made just a few years later.