Seven Questions for Heath Ceramics’ Catherine Bailey

Simple. Good. Designed to last a lifetime. That’s three ways to describe the products of Sausalito-based Heath Ceramics, the pottery founded in 1948 by Edith Heath, but “beautiful” is usually the first word that comes to mind. One of the few remaining mid-century American potteries (and the last one left in California), Heath Ceramics handcrafts tile and tableware in its original factory and recently opened a Los Angeles outpost with a storefront that looks plucked from an Ed Ruscha painting. The company is still going strong thanks to a dedicated team of artisans and Robin Petravic and Catherine Bailey (pictured above), the husband and wife team who purchased Heath in 2003 after careers designing products for the likes of Motorola and Nike. In answering our seven questions, Bailey, Heath’s creative director, tells us how she discovered Heath, why eBay isn’t the best place to buy ceramics, and the oddest custom order the company has received so far.

1. How and when did you first encounter Heath Ceramics?
I’ve always been interested in pottery from the early to mid century. When I was in college (in the late 80′s), I found a few pieces of Russel Wright‘s—this represented great American industrial design to me. Later, I was collecting Eva Zeisel and came across some Heath at vintage stores and also on eBay in the mid-to-late 90′s. The interesting thing is that I don’t think I really understood Heath until I entered the factory store in 2002. Unlike Zeisel’s distinctive and expressive forms that are evident even in a poor photograph on eBay, Heath’s beauty and uniqueness is understood once you pick up a piece, or at least when photographed in a way that the materials and textures can be understood.

2. How has your previous career as an industrial design consultant affected your approach/work at Heath?
It made me appreciate the holistic nature of Heath. As a consultant, I was focused on a specific design need of my clients. At Heath, I get to design the whole company and not just the brand and products, but I can steer the direction of the company based on my values and beliefs.

3. Tell us about Edith Heath—who was she and what was she like?
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with her personally; she was quite old when we took over the business. So what I know comes from experiencing her work by working with the same materials and in the same environment she did.

I can tell you she was determined, innovative, persistent, and stubborn, and not likely to follow trends, which is one reason that Heath is still around and all the other potteries have disappeared. She believed that how the ware was made was integral to the design and thus the company’s success. Nothing has been outsourced to another manufacturer. She believed that if you made good honest products that they would sell themselves. She had great personal style.

4. What’s the oddest or most unusual/remarkable order or request you’ve received from a Heath customer?
Place settings for a college boardroom in the school colors. I’m used to school colors allocated for school mascots and football uniforms, not used on dinnerware, so it was quite surprising.

The most remarkable one I can’t talk about right now. It’s secret for another month. It’s a dinnerware project.

5. What is Heath’s best-selling design/product and to what do you attribute its success?
The coupe line, designed in 1948 and in constant production since. I’ve updated the colors, but it’s completely timeless in its shape. It’s the definition of classic modern American dinnerware, with colors that are relevant now. Also, there’s a subtle handcrafted nature to the glazes and shapes. This reminds customers that it’s made here, in California, at a small factory. We don’t change the colors often, so sales continue to the same customer for years and years as they build a set, and replace pieces (though it’s really hard to break!).

6. Best/most memorable design-related encounter?
Ted Muehling in his New York studio. It’s like a workshop from another time with songbirds in cages.

7. Proudest design moment?
I’m pretty proud of the current moment. Our sales are okay right now, and I feel like it’s a good accomplishment that enough people are choosing to support our company by buying really classic beautifully designed dinnerware made in California. Our message of buying something once to last a lifetime is one that hadn’t been thought of to be a smart business model. I’m proud of not compromising the design integrity or any of the values of Heath.

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