Hand-turned bowls and handmade wooden serving utensils. Functional, unique, beautiful, and handmade in the United States! Hanging on the wall in Phyllis’s office here at Heart of the Home is a disreputable-looking piece of paper with a corner torn off of it. It is an essential part of her equipment for the store because it has written on it, in bold Sharpie-marker black, the guiding principles behind what we do. Phyllis and her daughter Cat sat down almost 25 years ago when they founded Heart of the Home and thought carefully about what they wanted to bring to their customers.
There are 5 basic principles that they laid out, and these guides still inform our choices every time we go shopping. Here’s what we consider:
The first one is Functional. We really want to present things that you can use in your home. Our pottery is an excellent example - it’s all dishwasher and microwave safe. Phyllis's pottery rallying cry: “No useless pots!”
Second is Beautiful. It has to speak to our idea of an aesthetic object. Is it lovely to the eyes? Does it feel pleasant in the hand? When worn on the body?
Thirdly is Unique or unusual. Not something you see everywhere. We want our visitors to find something they’ve never encountered before. We love sharing those “wow, look at that!” moments with our clients.
Fourth and very importantly: Handmade. Let's support small businesses and committed artisans.
And finally, Made in the USA. Our craftspeople are living their dreams, making a living by making beautiful things, and it is our privilege to help them do that. By presenting the work artists in the United States, we support the long and storied tradition of American Craft.
We still believe in these basic ideas and try to practice them every day. Much of what you'll find at Heart of the Home was chosen for your enjoyment because it met three or more of these criteria. We pride ourselves especially in our commitment to Handmade in American, and 25 years of listening to enthusiastic customers tell us they value that, too!
There are 5 basic principles that they laid out, and these guides still inform our choices every time we go shopping. Here’s what we consider:
The first one is Functional. We really want to present things that you can use in your home. Our pottery is an excellent example - it’s all dishwasher and microwave safe. Phyllis's pottery rallying cry: “No useless pots!”
Second is Beautiful. It has to speak to our idea of an aesthetic object. Is it lovely to the eyes? Does it feel pleasant in the hand? When worn on the body?
Thirdly is Unique or unusual. Not something you see everywhere. We want our visitors to find something they’ve never encountered before. We love sharing those “wow, look at that!” moments with our clients.
Fourth and very importantly: Handmade. Let's support small businesses and committed artisans.
And finally, Made in the USA. Our craftspeople are living their dreams, making a living by making beautiful things, and it is our privilege to help them do that. By presenting the work artists in the United States, we support the long and storied tradition of American Craft.
We still believe in these basic ideas and try to practice them every day. Much of what you'll find at Heart of the Home was chosen for your enjoyment because it met three or more of these criteria. We pride ourselves especially in our commitment to Handmade in American, and 25 years of listening to enthusiastic customers tell us they value that, too!
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