How to decorate with studio pottery
Studio pottery by famous artists is surprisingly affordable. We show you how to use your pieces to add an artisanal feel to the home
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Studio pottery is big news – and getting bigger. Ceramics by 20th century British potters have been a strong if niche collecting area since Bernard Leach started the movement in St Ives in the 1920s but now it’s gaining more mainstream ground as people realise its artisan beauty.
‘Pots get under your skin,’ says Marijke Varrall-Jones, director of Maak, the London auction house that specialises in British studio ceramics, ranging from tableware by Bernard Leach and Lucie Rie at one end of the timeline, to bowls and vessels by Edmund de Waal and Rupert Spira at the other, with around 80 other potters in between. ‘You buy one pot and it leads to another. They have such strong aesthetic appeal. It’s a market driven by passion and people become very knowledgeable’.
And, it’s not as expensive as you might think. Comparatively, studio ceramics are more affordable than paintings, prints or sculptures by artists of equal stature. So you can easily pick up pottery at auction by some of the biggest names of the 20th century for just a couple of hundred pounds.
Once you’ve started your collection, it’s easy to incorporate them into your home. These seven steps provide easy ways to use studio pottery to bring a relaxed artisanal feel to your living space.
1
To show off a studio pottery collection to maximum effect, combine different shapes and styles that work together tonally against a plain background
2
Use rough linens and reclaimed wood to contrast with smooth ceramic surfaces on a dining table
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The earthy colours and painterly glazes of studio ceramics combine to create a rich table collection
Sho–ji Hamada plate, £2,450 for pair; Sho–ji Hamada plate with trailed glaze, £2,450, all Oxford Ceramics Gallery. Michael Cardew bread plate with swirl, from £300, Joanna Bird. Janet Leach faceted bowl, £650; Bernard Leach lidded conserve jar, £850, Oxford Ceramics Gallery. Cutlery, from a selection, Briggs & Oliver. ‘Stirling’ flax fabric, £59.50 per m, Ian Mankin. Yellow ‘Mendip’ fabric, L292, £96 per m, Fermoie. Glass, £9, Ines Cole. Antique cross-stitch napkins, find similar at Pimpernel & Partners. Italian striped linen napkins, £12 each, The Linen Works
4
Warm hues of mustard yellow and antique oak combine with cool stone grey pots to create a soothing and relaxed living space
On coffee table: Janet Leach plate, £645; William Marshall large bottle vase, £950; William Marshall porcelain vase, £650; Janet Leach cut bowl, £350, all Oxford Ceramics Gallery. Richard Batterham glazed jug, £75, Joanna Bird
Other items: Antique oak shelf, find similar at Lassco. ‘Bluebell’ sofa in ‘Ash’ soft wool, £1,600, Sofa.com. ‘Poste’ coffee table, £245, Loaf. Bamboo chair, £650 for pair, Puckhaber. Reclaimed wood stool (used as side table), £59, Ines Cole. Cinnabar rug, £195, Loaf. Curtain in ‘York Stripe Green’, £95 per m, Fermoie. ‘Gaston’ lamp, £95, Loaf. Grain sacks (on sofa), as before. Cushions, from left: Geometric cushion, £100, Appley Hoare Antiques. Yellow ‘Rabanna’ fabric, £96 per m; green ‘York Stripe’ fabric, £96 per m, both Fermoie. ‘Angus Stripe Nordic Ivory’ linen, £39.50 per m, Ian Mankin. Decorative cushion, £35; hound and linen cushion, £38, both Annie Wharton. Yellow ‘Chanterelle’ linen, £96 per m; green ‘Hamble’ fabric, £96 per m, both Fermoie. Geometric cushion, as before. Other items: MDF tongue-and-groove panelling, £69 per 1.22 x 2.44m panel, Scumble Goosie. Painted in ‘Yellow Pink’ Intelligent matt emulsion, £43.50 per 2.5l, Little Greene. Wall painted in ‘Old White 4’ Estate emulsion, £39.50 per 2.5l, Farrow & Ball
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Mix and match studio pottery for a relaxed look. A varied collection is easy to add to and doesn’t feel too precious for everyday use
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White tongue-and-groove boards, hessian curtains and vintage wood create a calm and creative work space, creating a studio feel that’s ideal for displaying pottery
Other items: ‘Crate Mate’ side tables used as shelves, £125 each, Loaf. 1930s black base table, £550; large antique paintbrush, from £15; confit pot, £60, all Appley Hoare Antiques. Craftsman stool, £155, Ines Cole. Green antique book; wooden ruler, both from a selection, Briggs & Oliver. Yellow ‘York Stripe’ fabric (underneath), £96 per m, Fermoie. Yellow ‘Arley Stripe’ fabric (on top), £46 per m, Jane Churchill. Ceramic tools; apron; brushes, loaned by potter Carina Ciscato
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Take inspiration from the chalky white backdrops of potters’ studios with natural textures and rustic furniture that echo the patterns and tones of the ceramics
