Heath Ceramics Factory Store
Home Decor · 400 Gate 5 Rd, Sausalito, CA 94965
Verified September 2026
Photo by marianne muegenburg cothern, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Heath Ceramics started in Sausalito in 1948, when Edith Heath launched the company, and the dinnerware is still made in the same 1959 building on Gate Five Road. That building was designed by Marquis & Stoller in collaboration with Edith and Brian Heath, with a light-filled courtyard, a showroom and a sweeping semicircle factory. Heath says a team of about 40 craftspeople makes each piece start to finish here, almost exactly as it has been since the beginning. This is the actual factory, not a branch store. The showroom sells the current line of dinnerware, tile and tableware, and it also sells seconds: discounted dinnerware that missed first-quality standards, along with discontinued items, samples and one-of-a-kind prototypes, many in near-perfect condition.
What To Expect
Expect a showroom and courtyard that feel calmer than the tourist strip, with the dinnerware displayed the way a shop that makes it should. Seconds are the reason to come on a budget, because Heath says many are in near-perfect condition and the discounts are real. The Overstock Tile Shed keeps shorter hours than the showroom, so if you're tiling a kitchen, ask about it. You can browse in about 30 to 45 minutes, and factory tours run longer, so plan the tour separately. Heath also sells tile, linens and wood serving pieces, and the courtyard is a pleasant spot to regroup after the browsing.
Getting There
The address is 400 Gate Five Road, at the north end of town near the houseboat docks and artist studios, a bit of a walk from downtown and easier by bike, rideshare or a short drive. Heath itself warns that Gate Five Road is in rough shape and recommends approaching the showroom from Harbor Drive instead. If you're relying on GPS, follow that advice.
Good To Know
The showroom is open Monday through Sunday, 10 to 5, and the Overstock Tile Shed is open daily 10 to 4. The phone number on Heath's site is (415) 332-3732, extension 1. Factory tours are limited in size and require an advance reservation, made through the Heath website, so book before you make the trip. Pieces are breakable, so ask the staff about packing if you're flying home.
Our Take
This is the one Sausalito shop worth a special trip even if you weren't already downtown. The discounted seconds are genuinely good deals, and seeing the working factory is more interesting than most of the town's formal attractions. Book the tour if you can, and bring a tote bag for your bowls.