Design Eras On Speed Dial
Tony Leo's small shop on Valencia Street is as vibrant as his personality. Packed with colorful home goods and organized loosely by color (because that's the vibe), it's one foot in the past, one foot in the future, equal parts mid-century modern Palm Springs meets San Francisco Mission hipster. The small team of five keeps the store well-stocked, with approximately 75% vintage finds and 25% highly curated pieces by contemporary and local artists. The shelves are filled with items such as locally made hand-thrown ceramic mugs, Tunisian olivewood serving boards, and reasonably priced Italian casual glassware. They even stock pristine PYREX—the authentic vintage kind with all-capital-letter branding—made of superior borosilicate glass. These are distinctly different from today's lower-case "pyrex" products found in big-box stores, which are manufactured using less durable tempered soda-lime glass. This expert blending of old and new creates a truly timeless quality to the store.
Owner Tony Leo of Mission’s Landline. Image courtesy of Edible SF.
Owner Tony Leo himself is also a vibe. Raised in Staten Island, NY, Leo moved to San Francisco to work at Pottery Barn as head design manager in product design before leaving the corporate world to launch a line of cookware. After that, he returned to retail, launching Landline in the summer of 2023. His shop philosophy? Making your party dope. He'll talk a mile a minute, helping you pick out the perfect piece to level up your dinner party or home. This could be a set of new glass votives that also function as mezcal tasting cups; a brand-new jadeite glass juicer that could have been made in the 1950s; a classic Revere Ware cookware piece with its signature copper bottom; or an actual vintage cocktail shaker featured in Vintage Bar Ware, a guidebook on identifying the classic collectibles.
While exploring the small store, you might find yourself running your hands over the smooth seasoning of the vintage cast-iron cookware he stocks. Each piece is expertly restored and smooth as glass with multiple layers of seasoning. And if you happen to have your own cast iron that’s seen better days, Landline is also the drop-off and pick-up point for the Skillet Doctor. He'll take your beat-up, rusty cast iron and strip it down to the raw metal through a process of lye dipping, electrolysis, and vinegar baths. After applying three fresh coats of seasoning, the cast iron—now restored to a condition superior to new—will be ready for pickup at Landline two weeks after you drop it off. The Skillet Doctor and Landline have such a great relationship that Landline has its own dedicated chemical tub for all the cast iron that gets picked up and delivered to them.
Detail of The Skillet Doctor’s precise handiwork. Image courtesy of Edible SF.
Beyond the cookware and dinnerware, you'll also find old-school boomboxes, TV lamps, and, yes, actual landline telephones in stock. And if you're like most folks who no longer own a physical landline, don't worry. Tony will include a Cell2Jack device that connects your cell phone directly to the landline phone, literally bridging the past to the present.
Favorite pieces
Pyrex 4 and 8-cup measuring cups: These vintage pieces are hard to come by and even harder to find in decent condition. All of Landline's PYREX are inspected to make sure there's not a scratch or chip on the edge before it hits the showroom floor. They have a hard time keeping the measuring cups in stock due to high demand, so if you see one on the shelves, grab it.
Sarah Duyer mugs: A local ceramic artist who makes mugs, incense burners, plates, bolo ties, as well as stickers and prints. Her whimsical pop culture-inspired pieces include mugs shaped like pink pencil erasers and small plates designed to resemble fried eggs. Cooks and food enthusiasts will love the mug with various chef knives outlined on the sides.
Ocean Beach glass: These borosilicate glass straws and stirrers are handmade and hand-blown by a team of two. Each straw is sold by the length of the straw and in quantities of your choice. Mix and match the various colors to your aesthetic.
landlinehome.com
717 Valencia Street