What’s old and worn and absolutely perfect? It’s a riddle with many answers, but all of them come down to this: natural material. Whether it’s clay, linen, wood, or wool, if you use it often and care for it well, it just keeps getting better with time.
Use is Beauty
There’s a thrill in buying something new, but there’s more sustained joy in building a relationship with objects over time. Heath co-owner Cathy Bailey finds that lesson in our Rim plates, which have a textured feel at first that becomes velvet-soft with use.
Every time I pick up a piece that has that feel, I know it’s been in my life for a really long time.
Longevity is Sustainable
It’s easy to forget that the most sustainable product is the one you never have to replace or throw away. Heath’s Buyer and Merchandiser, Ryan Curtin, points to Växbo linens and Garza leather furniture, both of which reach customers in their most raw state. “These products rely on their owner to break them in and bring out their best.” The linen gets softer and more absorbent; the leather begins to give and form to the bodies it holds.
Care is an Investment
“If you can work the care process into your ritual with a product, it creates a long lasting experience,” Cathy says, “Many designers and manufacturers have tried to engineer that out, and it seems like a loss. With products that age well, the signs of use are features you love more and more.”
Patina can’t be designed into a product; a product can only be designed to last so long it begins to tell its own story of time, use, and change. It’s a love story between humans and their daily routines.
Patina can’t be designed into a product; a product can only be designed to last so long it begins to tell its own story of time, use, and change. It’s a love story between humans and their daily routines.
See For Yourself
It’s a joy to watch as your possessions steadily evolve from brand new to well worn. Of course, it can be just as inspiring to stumble upon some vintage treasure and try to parse out the history it contains, or imagine the people whose lives it touched. That’s the spirit behind Pass the Plate, a vintage and resale platform where you can buy secondhand Heath—or give your own treasures a new home. If you appreciate patina like we do, it’s well worth a look.
Better with Age
Make caring for your products part of your ritual of use. Read our top tips for caring for Heath dinnerware here.
