Designing finer dining
- Heath crafts artisanal flatware, cocktail accessories and table adornments
- A metalsmith and industrial designer, his creations fuse art and function
- He applies the precision and care of jewellery making to his silverware pieces
Heath Wagoner creates tableware with the precision and polish of a jeweller. The son of a North Carolina fisherman, he often incorporates touches of the sea into his designs, such as oyster-shell shapes, pearls and sardine tins, mixing organic and modern elements. After years designing jewellery, accessories and events in the fashion industry, Heath shifted his creative attention to the table. “I missed hosting dinner parties during the pandemic and turned to my craft to cope,” he says. Drawing on experience with notable brands, Tiffany & Co., Pamela Love, David Yurman and House of Harlow among others, he launched HW Studio, a line of handcrafted flatware, objets d’art and jewellery intended to bring joy and a sense of occasion to dining. Based in Brooklyn, Heath also teaches at Parsons School of Design and the School of Visual Arts.
Discover his work
INTERVIEW
I toyed with metal in high school, making copper bracelets and a wonky wire sculpture of a swimmer. My first true metal piece was a letter opener. The pieces that got me into my university programme were three hollow-form sterling silver rings with a cityscape built up from small town to full skyline.
I have worked in jewellery for most of my career and bring those same practices into my table pieces. I think setting the table is like adorning yourself. I also advocate for mixing things up on the table, breaking up patterns or resetting silver pieces during a meal, so it feels special but not too precious.
Yes, I envision them as objects you will have for a very long time. I am making them at my pace, and they should be consumed at a holistic pace, too. It reminds me of my yaya: she still uses the first cut-crystal cake plate she ever bought, something she has kept and used her whole life.
There are rituals around how we dine, set the table and come together. That is something I pay attention to. For example, I always try to eat desserts with a silver spoon, which makes it more enjoyable. Honestly, go to a flea market and buy one or two silver spoons. When you eat ice cream, it will taste richer, colder and better.
