The preparation, process and outcome the weekend was beautiful. I’ve tried to capture some of it here. This really was the most amazing food event at Heath to date. The food stole the show while the backdrop of the evening was constructed of a meticulous display of products brought by Shin Nakahara (founder of Landscape products/ Playmountain) from Japan. The products will be at the store for three months, every objects is a treasure with a story, from the tiny tops turned from scrap wood ($10) to the sets of porcelain bowls ($540) from the 400 year old kilns of Chin Jukan pottery.
You’ll notice all of the food was made in Adam’s studio at Heath which was converted to a kitchen for two days. The food effort was directed by Sylvan Brackett of Peko Peko who specializes in Japanese catering and came down from Oakland along with Yuri Nomari, who came over from Japan just for this opening.
The whole event was conceived and currated by Adam Silverman and Shin Nakahara.
Opening tomorrow evening 6-9. This is going to be amazing. There has been 2 days of non-stop cooking in Adam’s studio going on for the opening tomorrow. The product is set up, I can’t believe how beautiful it all looks, everything is a treasure. I took all these photos this afternoon, hope to see you there tomorrow.
Yup, those are Heath tiles. Ovals in gunmetal (believe it or not), made to look blue by the under mount lighting. A very nice installation, indeed. You can vaguely make-out Carrie & Mr. Big making out, but quite clearly the tile is the main focus here. (It’s worth noting, that this is the first and last time that I will use the names Carrie & Mr. Big in a sentence).
Robin and I happened to be on our annual NY trip at the same time as ICFF. After several hours of skimming the aisles of the show we had design burn out, and remembered why we don’t do trade shows. In the context of the gigantic trade show hall, even the most wonderful designs or products can seem to lose their soul. Regardless, this is the forum that exists, and we enjoyed observing. There was one really interesting find, it was the New Caribbean Design Collection. It was refreshing in its design and use of materials. Rather than “the Caribbean” becoming just another place to produce low-cost products, designed by outsiders, this collective designs and produces interesting and appropriate pieces using indigenous materials and local designers. The result is beautiful holistic design with an identity and preservation of a rich craft culture. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this model were successful and could spread to other cultures/countries?
Our Open Studio and Sale is this weekend. The Sale part starts tomorrow (Friday 5/20) and runs through Sunday (15% off everything in the store!). There will be fun stuff going on in Sausalito and LA all weekend, food, tours, tile making etc. In Sausalito we have a particularily good samples cart, and I’ve taken a few photos. There are many one of a kind pieces, all priced as samples (highly discounted, plus you get an additional 15% off any marked priced). Each night we’ll put out some fresh products, so you should be able to come on Sunday and there will still be some interesting pieces. Check out some preview photos of the sample cart and the store here.
If you’re in the Bay Area, I hope to see you this weekend.
Our friend Lynn Russell of Satsuma Press (who, by the way, prints our lovely letterpress gift cards) has a beautiful 6 year old boy named Liam. Liam has a rare neuromuscular disorder called Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2 and she is raising money to build an accessible bathroom for him this summer. She has put together a fantastic raffle with over 50 prizes that were donated to her from lots of her interesting designer and maker friends. Technically she’s not allowed to call the event a “raffle” because of some paypal legalities, but if you “donate” $15 through this link you might be a lucky recipient of any of a number of very cool prizes (including a Heath Summer Seasonal bowl set!), and most important you’ll be helping Liam out.
I wanted to share the shots of our completed Ferry Building Store and its’ design. We worked with Commune Design again (as we did for our LA store), and it was a fantastic collaboration. Here’s a little more about why we did what we did in the Ferry Building and why I think it works…
To me the Ferry Building is a center of a lot of good things that are happening and being produced in San Francisco. Being there emphasizes our commitment to being a focused local company, and gives us the perfect outlet to explain why we do what we do. The key to making the store work on all levels was working with Commune. They really nailed how Heath could create an appropriate retail store. Before we started to work with them (when we were thinking about LA) I really didn’t think I could find anyone who would really “get” what I wanted to convey in a store. First, I didn’t want our space to feel like just a store (so in LA we had the concept to have Adam’s studio visible right in the space), then I was terrified that any designer we would hire would not be able to get the right balance between “current design” and “classic heath”. I wanted that mixed with a current California vibe, and our strong mid-century roots. I didn’t want anything “of the moment” or cliche “mid-century”. Commune created the perfect balance, in function and material. Heath’s store in the Ferry Building is highly functional, has a great balance of color and materials, and still let’s the product take the center stage. Most of all it doesn’t look like it’s trying too hard. The wood mixed with ceramic speaks to the straightforward nature of our message, and the orange steel highlights our love of contrast and color. It’s just a great mix of the right materials to work with our ceramics, and appropriate proportions to highlight what we’ll selling. The space is inviting, and at the end of the day (literally) it all rolls into a little 300 square foot box. It’s also consistent with the look and feel of LA, and obviously inspired by our class 1959 Marquis and Stoller Factory and store in Sausalito.
I almost forgot, it’s Earthday, notice there’s no packaging…it’s key to the whole thing, and it’s not just for the look. (though it’s integral to the successful feel of the store). There’s no packaging to dispose of after inventory is moved from the factory, we just don’t do it. If you can make it to any of our three stores to get your Heath, the only packaging that will touch your Heathware is some used newspaper. That makes my day.
Well, no one else may notice (except whomever styled and directed this ad), but I’m flattered to have our mug in there. Okay, it’s not totally in focus and it’s partially out of the frame, but it’s clearly the Heath mug. You can screen through the commercial slowly – there are only three props that are recognizable. This dresser, this eames coffee table, and the Heath mug in linen. I think it’s a nice group to be a part of. The ipad looks cool too, but I can’t think of why I need one.
