When this past weekend started, I was emotionally drained.
My wife mentioned needing some unique Christmas gifts, and we had the idea to visit the shop at House Industries in Yorklyn, Delaware.
Earlier that year, through a miscommunication with Rich Roat, we had tried to visit the store on a Sunday with some friends and did not make it in. Rich had promised that he “owed us a favor” for the missed connection.
I emailed him around 8:30 that morning. I figured he might be available on a Saturday, could open the store for us, let us poke around quickly, and then get back to his weekend.
He emailed me back right away:
“The place is a real yard sale right now because we have all of our archive junk in the shop. We’re finishing up a book and it has been our photography staging area. I sure owe you a visit, so I will meet you there at your convenience.”
I knew immediately that Rich’s idea of House Industries’ “junk” probably meant rare work with stories attached to it. I started quietly freaking out with excitement. I kept myself composed, arranged a time, and met him there.
When we walked into the store, Rich apologized again for “the mess.” I was so fixated on everything around me that I barely registered the apology.
I was immediately transfixed. I felt at home among the piles of typography-inspired objects, custom clothing, priceless print tests, and photographs of vintage House Industries work. I am not sure I blinked during the hour we were there.
The band promo pieces shown above, created for MTV years ago, were just one example. Rich’s calm energy and sharp memory for design history, House Industries history, and the stories behind the work were deep, humbling, and inspiring.
Four or five times, Brooke and I tried to buy something that turned out to be historically important to House. We would pick up an extremely rare piece, and Rich would smoothly glide over and quietly say, “I don’t think I can let you leave the store with that one.”
Then he would explain the piece, why it mattered, and why it probably belonged in the archive. We would all laugh at the idea of selling it, put it back, and move on.
It was the first time in a week or more that I completely forgot about what my wife and I were going through. We were both relaxed and invigorated by the design history, the personal stories, and the generosity of the visit.
Somehow, the tour itself was not enough for Rich. After spending an hour with us, he handed us goodie bags filled with cool House Industries knickknacks.
I left hoping that one day Rich finds another reason to owe me a favor.
Thank you to Rich Roat and House Industries for your Delaware location, your skill, your commitment to design, and, of course, your kindness.
“Design is a solution. If you do it well enough, one day it may be considered art.”
Rich Roat