In the Kiln

Plastics may “make it possible,” but eco-conscious consumers value their products’ origin and craftsmanship above all else. It’s fitting, then, that tastemakers across the globe are welcoming handmade ceramics into their homes, as even the sleekest design retailers are adding roughhewn pottery to their offerings. Each of the designers highlighted below is creating pieces full of heart and soul that are showing up on the most stylish kitchen tables.

Clam Lab: Each and every Clam Lab item is handmade—on a manual kick wheel—with enough TLC to ensure durability for generations of use. As such, the line’s eco-chic Brooklyn audience is adopting Clam Lab’s ceramics as a key ingredient as they cook, eat and entertain. The gorgeous photo gallery on Clam Lab’s website makes one think twice about mass-produced dishware. Not to be missed is the blog that gives a glimpse inside the pottery making process. It acts as an artisan’s diary, documenting the pieces as they are created, and even sharing clay bloopers. The charm of ceramic goods stems from the individuality of each item, and Clam Lab has a delightfully understated way of showing that off.

Pigeon Toe Ceramics: Most people played with ceramics when they were young and can remember how getting down and dirty with their hands provided a certain satisfaction that adults too often overlook. Pigeon Toe’s Lisa Jones came to that same conclusion and decided to get in touch with her blissful inner nine-year-old ceramicist. Three years later, what started out as a personal aversion to buying mass produced goods has grown into a widely celebrated enterprise. Never sure what to give as a gift? Sunset magazine calls Pigeon Toe pottery the ideal gift for everyone. With homespun heirlooms on young consumers’ radars, this quaint ceramics shop and studio gives us yet another reason to support the good people of Portland.

Heath Ceramics: Founded in 1948 by modernist designer Edith Heath, Heath Ceramics has been producing, by hand, tableware and tile out of the same Sausalito factory for over half a century. Though no longer owned by the Heath family—husband and wife team Robin Petravic and Catherine Bailey purchased Heath Ceramics in 2003—the company still prides itself on classic design and thoughtful craft. Evidence of just how prestigious the line of earthenware is, a number of first-rate restaurants (Chez Panisse, The Slanted Door, Brasserie 44) serve on Heath dinnerware, while prominent buildings, such as the Norton Simon Museum, are decked out in Heath tile. The sculptural espresso set is so beautiful that owning it would likely mitigate any desire to head out to Starbucks.