Heath Ceramics

Elite '08

252

240

gwynnie p.

San Francisco, CA

If you appreciate a mid-century aesthetic, and even if you don't, all of your housewarming and wedding gifts will now come from Heath, because after years of not being able to figure out where it was and an inability to plan ahead (oh! look at that! we're in Sausalito!) the stars were aligned perfectly today and I finally found Heath, which I've been collecting at thrift stores for a while.

It is a lovely place with good bargains. I will be back.

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24

230

dj z.

San Francisco, CA

Thank god Heath Ceramics is around!
Their bargain bin is amazing, and so is the quality of their wares. I now own great looking minimalist mugs, plates and bowls of all sorts.

And hello, the aesthetic of the glazes are muted and tasteful. Clean simple and classic lines. Chez Panisse gets their plateware here.

The handle-less mugs feel AMAZING in your hands with a warm beverage, and the rims all feel great against your lips. The bowls fit well in one hand.

My kind of place! Factory tours Sat and Sun at 11am.

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Elite '08

302

604

Jen D.

San Francisco, CA

um... don't really see the hype with this store... the actual store, as in the space where the store is located, I LOVE... as for the products, they are pretty blah... colors aren't too exciting... pretty flat actually... prices are NOT CHEAP whatsoever...

EJ and I picked up a nice serving bowl though.... And some pear butter.. YUM!

If you want to spend $30/dinner plate on something that is flat and blah, then Heath is your place...

Customer service is really good though... Store is clean... No public bathroom, just fyi...

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Elite '08

71

291

Vera D.

San Francisco, CA

If you're dreaming of bringing Chez Panisse home, this is the place to get your dishes.  Definitely love the jade green, white, teal and pomegranate color combos with brown...even more, I know I can bang these dishes around and not have to worry about breaking them very easily.  I came on a Thursday so I missed out on going on the factory tour, which I'd love to do sometime.  There's a ton of tile to admire.  The shop is clean and very well organized.  For bargain hunters like myself, there's a clearance shelf with work with mistakes (missed glazings, accidental indentations, etc).

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100

161

mnypny B.

San Francisco, CA

This is a great place to get cool, timeless stuff that will NEVER break. Pricey? Yes, but if you can ever decide on which color/style, you will never have to buy it again. In addition, they periodically offer classes. I recently took an amazing mosaics workshop taught by Lisa Bookstein. It was great to see that everyone in the class was having fun. And there was a TON of Heath tile, among other elements, to work with. Ok, so I just said Heath doesn't break, but you get to work with it for your mosaic project. How? With a hammer! Good times, indeed!

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Elite '08

130

216

jill j.

Mill Valley, CA

When in Marin ... do as the Marinites do!  
Although production has increased dramatically since the place changed hands a few years ago and the marketers have been cashing in on the cache of the Heath name and history, their products stay true to the original idea.  
Heath ceramics have a simple organic beauty, and the Heath Ceramics factory has a real feel-good vibe about it, too.  You can spend a small fortune on handmade ceramic dinnerware and tiles here.  

After coveting everything Heath from afar, I finally broke down and made it in to their seconds sale this past weekend.  The charge for 2 small cups, 2 small bowls, and one vase: over $100.  And that was for all SECONDS!  Commercial clients include Chez Panisse and Hog Island.

Cary did a great free hour-long tour of the factory.  I'd recommend it if you have the time, but it is pretty detailed, and I was fidgeting to be done by the end.

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64

49

charlie w.

Oakland, CA

the sunday morning tour is casual and informative- a great glimpse into the past, present and hopeful future of the art of fine ceramics and stoneware.

post tour, you can shop the seconds and thirds in the factory store, swim though a sea of overstock tiles and nab some great deals in the clearance section.

i walked away with a slightly imperfect aubergine platter that matched one my mother has owned for years. (side note: as i was buying the platter, i commented that my mother had a round serving platter in the same exact color, and how it must be Heath and i had never realized. every employee in the shop swore up and down that it was not a color that they had ever really produced, and was just an experiment or a mistake in the glaze. i drove straight to mom's house, and sure 'nuff, the round platter is also Heath, and the glaze matches exactly.)

truly a fun way to spend a sunday morning!

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Elite '08

127

479

Katharine A.

Menlo Park, CA

I have been in love with my mothers heath ceramic plates since I was little.  Classic and well designed.

Outlet prices are good deals.  Most of the imperfections are minor.

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6

53

Ann F.

San Francisco, CA

They have very very pretty tile.  And a wonderful room in the back with overstock that sells for a heavy discount.  We got our beautiful opal pacific blue tile (undecided for bathroom or kitchen) for $5/sq ft for the "seconds".  The "seconds" are still gorgeous and way cheaper than the $27.50/sq ft price that we can't afford on our renovation budget.  Thanks to Jeri for clue-ing me in on this place over drinks at Cesar (another place I need to write up sometime, terrific white sangrias!).  Oh and another bonus point, they let Mr. Harvey in to sniff the tile.  He just had to watch that swishing tail of his.  The non-tile stuff that was in the front shop was amazing too, just too pricey for us at this point.  Maybe later.

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Elite '08

208

658

Liz S.

San Francisco, CA

"The story of Edith Heath is the story of American Modernism" - from "Heath Ceramics, the Story of Simplicity" by Amos Klausner

For over 50 years, Heath Ceramics has been making beautiful tableware and tile in its Sausalito factory, using the same methods started by its founder Edith Heath when she converted her at-home studio operation into a space that was big enough to produce commercial product.

The style is mid-century modern, very minimal, very Bauhaus, and is as relevant today as it was when she received her first order from Gump's in 1944 after they saw her show at the Legion of Honor.  Years of focusing on producing beautiful wares has resulted in the achievement of many different colors and glazes.

Along with being part of the permanent collection at MOMA, you can find Heath tableware at stores such as Friend, The Gardener, and Barney's New York.  You may have eaten off of her plates at either Chez Panisse or the Slanted Door, who have commissioned their own unique designs from Heath.  Her tiles are a staple product at Ann Sachs stores.

And right in our own backyard is the original factory, which still makes every single product sold, under the careful watch of their trained experts.  While Edith Heath died about year ago, the company was bought in 2003 by Catherine Bailey and Robin Petravic, who are dedicated to the original vision of the company and determined to preserve its artistry, aesthetic and craftsmanship.  That means keeping the factory in operation as is and not saving costs by moving production overseas.

The prices of these ceramics reflect what it takes to maintain this integrity.  Because they use top materials, do many of the manufacturing steps by hand, treat their employees fairly, and custom make every order, this means that you are not going to pay the same prices as at Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrel.  But when you see the simplistic beauty and quality of the pieces, it is easy to tell the difference between this product and mass produced items from overseas.  They have a weight and a patina that begs you to touch them, and the colors are gorgeous.

Luckily for us, we can go visit the factory store 7 days a week.  There you will find 2nds and overstocks at reduced prices, including pieces from the Chez Panisse and Slanted Door designs.  
In addition to the ceramics, they a small selection of things like Lotta Jansdotter aprons, Miette cookies, Rechutti chocolates, Pancake and Franks letterpress cards, Chez Panisse cookbooks, and the recent "Heath Ceramics" book by Amos Klausner.

On Saturdays and Sundays at 11, you can also take a free factory tour.

If you are interested, keep your eyes open for their Open Studio days.  Right now, May 5-6, they are having Open Studios, which includes:
- hourly factory tours with a chance to do your own hand-glazed tile at the end (I took one yesterday and it was fascinating)
- 15% off everything in the factory store, including dinnerwear, tile, home, and one of a kind samples.
- BBQ and live music to enhance your visit

The factory tour is excellent, and a rare treat to see the original machinery from the 50's and 60's, as well as their well-trained employees executing their craft.  

They also have a wedding registry available.  Pieces make a beautiful gift for someone or for yourself.  I have several pieces, and I am saving my pennies to buy a set of dishes that I know will give me pleasure every day, and last a lifetime.  Plus, I am proud to support a local company who still believes in the beauty of hand-crafted design.  We try to eat locally grown food - why not take it one step further and eat on locally made tableware?  

Go and check out this local treasure.

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36

102

Ann P.

San Francisco, CA

Anybody who grew up in Marin and had slightly interesting parents did time at Heath. My mom like another reviewer was also totally obsessed with this place. We bought all of our bathroom tile for all of our remodels here. We ate off of Heath, we bathed in it, we splashed against it. So what do I do when the eBay stock went up to $50 (Looooonnnnggg time ago), I bought a full set of blue moonstone. Love it. Old Marin. Good stuff.

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13

49

Alex L.

Redwood City, CA

Beautiful pieces of stoneware.
Each piece is a work of art.

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Elite '08

253

167

Jeff D.

Oakland, CA

We just bought a set of dishes from here.  

lalalalalalalala

We love love love the timeless classic bauhaus-inspired design.  Heavy stoneware - dishwasher safe.

Not cheap, but you get what you pay for

lalalalalalalala

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5

39

Dave K.

San Francisco, CA

I grew up in this place.  No seriously, I spent many long days here as a child.  Back in the late seventies and early eighties, my mom was totally obsessed.  She still is, and in her late sixties is still laying tile as a hobby.

I remember sitting there on the dusty floor in the "seconds" room as she fondled each 2" square tile by hand, looking for the perfect imperfections.

I used to browse the aisles, looking in the ceramic tea pots for a crackerjack-esque prize that was never there.  hours.  litterally hours on end, week after week.

I should be totally twisted, but I came out mostly normal.  But, if there is one thing i can do - I can spot a Heath plate/bowl/cup/etc from across the room.  I'm strangely attracted to it.  I always turn it over to validate what I already know.  It always says "Heath" underneath.  Of course they are beautiful, but its as if when i see it, I'm transported back to my childhood.  The texture, the earthen color, the cool feel of the ceramic....

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115

120

Bart C.

San Francisco, CA

Edith Heath was a ceramicist specializing in beautiful ceramic tableware and architectural tiles for buildings. She was a trailblazer whose work ignited the mid-century pottery movement in California in the 40s-60s.

If you're familiar with modern architecture and design you will instantly recognize her work everywhere - from the permanent collection at New York MOMA, from buildings in the pages of Wallpaper Magazine, to the tiles on the Yerba Buena Center and Chez Panisse. Even Frank Lloyd Wright used to specify that Edith Heath tableware be used in his projects.

Anyway she operated out of this cool workshop on one of Sausalito's back streets. You can still visit today and shop in the large front room where all of her tableware and tiles are available. But ... don't miss the seconds room in the back. We redid an entire room in these beautiful OG Edith Heath tiles that we bought in the seconds room and paid about 1/6 of what we would have paid for basic tiles in a SF design store.

Not to mention that to get to the seconds room you have to walk right through the heart of the workshop, past the tables where the ceramics are shaped and the giant kilns where everything is baked which is worth the trip in and of itself.  Edith Heath died a few years ago but you can still very much feel her spirit here. Don't miss this.

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Elite '08

14

121

Jen L.

San Francisco, CA

Beautiful yet functional mid century modern ceramic ware and tiles.  Their craftmanship is stellar.  They even offer a cool free tour of the factory on the weekends and talk about how various items are made by their staff.  I was a kid in a candy store (I'm a ceramic goer & enthusiast)  They have gift certificates & a gallery of the late Edith Heath's more funky but fun ceramic tiles. I hope they consider bringing some of the latter into production.

Yep, it's spendy but if you shop @ their factory outlet, prices on their 2nds-dishware and tiles (in a separate room)  come down considerably.  And I found their staff very friendly & eager to answer questions.  I know what I want for my birthday...

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4

40

mahi m.

San Francisco, CA

They get 5 stars for their beautiful dishes and outlet pricing, but the service drops them down to a 3.

It's an outlet store and I try to remember that all the staff are just frustrated potters, but we got a curt email six months after our wedding saying our dishes were going to be returned if we didn't pick them up ASAP. We thought "hmmm...we picked up our dishes...what are they talking about?" and it turns out some nice folks bought us a little something extra and Heath hadn't been able to track us down because they "didn't have our email". Which they told us in an email. Ah.

When we made it over to pick up our lovely bowls, I noticed a stack of dishes on a nearby shelf that seemed to have a very bastardized version of the names of two friends who'd recently wed. I said "I think I know those folks" and they said "Really? Do you have contact information for them?"

So, the gift registry could use some work. You'll love the dishes, though.

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16

179

Mister X.

San Mateo, CA

So, you went to visit grandma and broke one of her dusty pink cups, what to do?

Well, there is always the $1 section at Heath Ceramics. There are some dusty pink cups and saucers that have sat unclaimed for at least a couple of years...

Heath Ceramics has an outlet in Sausalito where they sell some of their Heathware and tile seconds at about 30% off. In most cases, you'll be hard pressed to tell what makes a piece a second, but not always. Sometimes the handle of a cup is a little crooked, or the glaze inside a bowl isn't quite right. You, like Boots, might think this adds character to the piece. More power to you, pottery is not about perfection.

You may not be able to find enough pieces to complete a set on your first visit, so ask the generally helpful staff whether the style and colors are some that are made all the time or a seasonal one that they are just trying out. If it's one of their regular designs (and some have been since the 50's) you should be able to complete your set on subsequent trips.

If you are looking for tiles, ask them to show you where their tile seconds room is. It's hidden in the back. Or, if you are looking for a bargain on cups, check out the shelf on the other side of the showroom ($1-$10), but don't get too excited as you walk in. Those pieces are regularly priced, as are the ones on the far wall. The staff has pointed out to me on all of my four visits: "you can tell which items are on sale by the sticker underneath, see it's got two prices". I've been tempted to point out to them that there is an easier way to tell what's not on sale. The non-sale items on the far wall are glued to the display so you CAN'T see the sticker.

If you like pottery, this place is recommended. By walking to the tile seconds room, you can see their operation, molds, ovens and all. The discounts aren't that deep, but it's still something! I like their bowls and dishes, but I'm not crazy about their cups (the ones with the handle at the bottom). Yes, they are very unique, but there is a reason why everyone else places the handle higher up. Heath's cups can be hard to pick up and hold sometimes.

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1

25

Jasmine A.

Los Altos, CA

Gorgeous mid-century tableware.  Very Bauhaus.  Based on reputation, history, and most importantly their lovely wares, I am looking forward to possessing some beautiful Heathware this year.  My fiance and I registered here this month after I admired a friend's decades-old piece of Heath pottery at a dinner party -- we then had a lengthy conversation about Edith Heath, her glazing process, where and how long they'd been around (since 1948) and where to go to get some of this gorgeous stuff!(Sausalito).

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29

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Juliette T.

Sunnyvale, CA

Heath has great quality, beautiful tableware (I have the moonstone blue style) at pretty reasonable prices (a little expensive, but lasts forever).  You can order online, and some stores sell these products, but go to Sausalito and you can buy "seconds" at the store.

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Elite '08

659

526

euge l.

San Francisco, CA

love their wares.

oooo is that outlet pricing i see? you can save a shitload on nice fucking wares if you are willing to overlook small things, like tiny imperfections, hey, thats what makes us interseting, discontinued, blaablaa.

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6

27

mary b.

San Francisco, CA

i love this little outlet from the prices, to the history, to the fact that a woman started this business many years ago.

some items obviously belong in the outlet, but most seem to have accidentally ended up there since their defects are so hard to detect.  i like to go there for hostess gifts and housewarming presents.  every kitchen should contain at least one heath item.

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Elite '08

135

335

Steven N.

Pacifica, CA

This morning Suzette G. and I were tossing around some things to do today and I logged on to my computer to check my email etc. while she and the kids were getting ready. Of course I had to hit Yelp to see if anything interesting was going on. I saw that Liz S. had new reviews so I clicked on her profile to see what the latest was and that's when I saw her review for Heath Ceramics, they were having an open house weekend with discounts on the merchandise  and a factory tour. We had our plan for the day.
Less than an hour later we are sitting in the waiting room getting ready for the tour which takes about 45 Minutes and is very interesting and informative. We got to make our own tiles which will be shipped  to our house in a few weeks and we also bought a couple of pieces.
This is a very cool activity for a family. The tour is free though the pieces are a little pricey but you have to realize that you are getting a piece of art and not just a coffee cup or a bud vase.
Special thanks to Liz S., Yelp and Heath Ceramics for helping us to have such a great time.
I made sure to tell them I heard about them on Yelp.

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98

63

Tom P.

Oakland, CA

they sell lovely things. the ceramics have that wonderful organic quality that means they're hand thrown. i love the gentle irregularity of the bowls, the quiet dignity of the japanese-style trays and the cheerful colored glazes inside so many pieces. this is the kind of artisanal stuff you want to save your money for. just looking at the showroom, with its orderly collections, made me feel peaceful. simple elegance like this is timeless. go see for yourself. i bet you'll buy.

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