Ceramics update
8th January 2018
When I joined deVOL a year and a bit ago, the ceramics studio was at the beginning of its journey. Claire had just joined and was working in the studio with Hannah from our sister company, Floors of stone, and one of our former ceramicists, Ed. The studio they worked in was a sweet little square building with pretty windows just across the mill and beside the river.
I wanted to write about the ceramics studio, who’s in there and what they’re making. I love being able to work with the ceramicists, even if it’s just processing their orders, they are all so good at what they do and it’s so interesting to watch them at work, they make deVOL such a creative space to work in along with all the other makers. As well as this, they also regularly provide cake/baked goods for each other, so it’s always worth a visit.
Everyone has ceramics in their home, ornaments, kitchenware, even if it is just your toilet. Someone made that out of once wet mud, for you to have in your home every day, and there’s something kind of special about that, not toilets, the handmade part. This is something that also I think makes deVOL really special, offering something additionally handmade to compliment your handmade kitchen. In a year and a half, lots has happened; Ed left to pursue a career in Taiwan, but the ceramics team quickly assigned a new member, Kat. A new building just next to the original studio was built so the girls could have more room to design and make, it’s very spacious, filled with antique dressers and shelves from the cellar to dry and store all of the lovely things they make. So, who’s in there?
Let’s start with Claire. You may know, very recently Claire won an award for ‘Best Tableware’ for her collection of deVOL’s handmade ceramic kitchenware at the House Beautiful Awards! She totally deserved this, her whole range is so lovely and unique, and made all by her of course. Her tableware range consists of mugs, espresso mugs, plates, pourers, colanders and bowls, all in a select few different shades/glazes. I love working on Saturday and seeing customers choosing and buying her ceramics, they get lots of attention and compliments, it makes me happy to see her work be really appreciated. As well as this Claire also makes The Emerald Green London tiles that are featured in our St John’s London showroom, they’re quite original and have proven to be very popular. She also assists Stephanie, our metal jeweller, by casting each pendant lamp and creating the crackle effect, again really popular with our customers. We are proud and lucky to have Claire represent deVOL and we are excited to see what she brings in the future!
Hannah had experience in ceramics from her Decorative Arts degree and was offered a place in ceramics part-time alongside her sales advisor job in Floors of Stone, Hannah blossomed in the studio, proving to be a really valuable member, which quickly led to her becoming a full-time maker. Hannah’s work is simply beautiful! She has created a range of handmade tiles, perfect for a splashback or coasters, or something of a larger scale, like the whole wall of a bathroom/mudroom. These tiles are so picturesque, they just have a way of transforming the feel of the room to a state of calm and utter exquisiteness!! There are 6 different designs of her tiles, each one is influenced by the grounds at Cotes Mill. The Cotes Meadow tiles are my favourite, every single one is different and the making process looks so fun. Hannah handpicks flowers from the grounds, before pressing them into the clay with a little clay roller. Lots of meadow tiles together can create a lovely display of wild fennel or falling sycamores, a wonderfully simplistic yet very eye-catching design. Hannah’s most recent idea was her pink metro tiles. White metro tiles have become super trendy, you see them almost everywhere now. Hannah’s pink tiles are lush, they are kind of quirky and conspicuous. She has chosen to make them to an uncommon size, where they sit better in a herringbone pattern (an arrangement of rectangles). They are the softest shade of pink, each one ever so slightly different. They have received many many compliments and look beautiful displayed in the Floors of Stone showroom.
The final member of the ceramics team is Kat. Kat joined us straight from Loughborough University, graduating with a degree in Fine arts which specialised in ceramics. Her positive personality and passion for making made her a great addition to the team. She has been working with porcelain since she joined in August, and is aiming to create a small range of porcelain pendant lamps. These aren’t for sale just yet, but they will be on display soon in our new Millhouse showroom! (another project we’re working on!) and I know they are going to look great in there. They are very delicate and elegant objects, a very pretty finishing touch to any space.
We have a selection of Claire and Hannah’s ceramics carefully displayed in our Cotes Mill showroom, and a teeny display in our London showrooms. But the best way to get your hands on these beautiful ceramics is by emailing us at enquiries@devolkitchens.co.uk. Claire’s kitchenware is available to send anywhere in England, whereas Hannah’s handmade tiles can be shipped worldwide. All of the ceramics are made to order! But please bear in mind this is a lengthy process and can take up to 5 weeks to create, dry and complete your order ready for delivery. Kat’s pendants are very nearly ready and will be for sale soon so watch this space! Our ceramics are the perfect gift for others or yourself…
Here are the links to Claire and Hannah’s page in case you wanted a little browse!
https://www.devolkitchens.co.uk/interiors/ceramics/kitchenware
https://www.devolkitchens.co.uk/interiors/ceramics/tiles
