Pottery purism for your porch
Creating your outdoor oasis is simple and fun!
How would it feel to own something handmade by someone who’s devoted their life to ceramics? There are countless ceramics designers, but rarely one whose work has made it into Huffington Post’s Top 15 Home Décor Trend Setters from the South in only two years since its creation.
Courtney Hamill created Honeycomb Studio in 2012, after quitting her job as a non-profit fundraiser to pursue her passion for pottery. After saving for years, Courtney could finally set up her own business and create the designs she’d been dreaming of.
Honeycomb Studio offers ceramics that combine luxurious metallics with clean porcelain whites and night-sky blacks, creating minimalist pieces that are wonderfully suited to your backyard or porch.
“I don’t overthink my designs; I just make what appeals to me,” says Courtney. “I would say that my personal aesthetic is fairly minimalist with a little bit of glam thrown in, and a little bit of quirk.”
Courtney studied under master ceramicists Rick Hensley and Donna Polseno, building on her own craft whilst learning from them. Yet there’s a clear sense of style and personality in Honeycomb Studio ceramics which is entirely Courtney’s own.
“I’m not pulling from the same well as others or inadvertently copying their ideas. Since my main source of inspiration starts with the basic form of a piece, there’s plenty of inspiration to be found in nature, fashion, and objects that we encounter every day.”
Courtney’s Vessels collection particularly captures this; gleaming golds, matte monochromes and unique structures make her apothecary bottles and vases a visceral delight. Plus, the wonderful thing about ceramics is that it’s (reasonably) weather-proof. If you’ve struggled to find that perfect piece for your outside space – worry no more. These timeless pieces can add a dose of personality and creativity to both interiors and exteriors.
“The Vessel series utilizes hand-casting techniques to explore decorative vessels of all shapes and sizes. From the smallest bud vase or hand-carved bitters bottle, to the apothecary jars and organically shaped vases, each piece offers a both a sophisticated and fully-functional (water-tight, etc.) decorative element for the home,” explains Courtney. “Most vessels include my signature metallic element, which elevates them to something truly special.”
Honeycomb Studio is perfect for those of you who like classic work with an edge. Alongside the Vessels collection, Courtney also creates wearable brooches, bowls, plates and holiday heirlooms – so you can throw a memorable dinner party or have an uber-glamorous Christmas tree come December. Porcelain doves and candle holders make pieces that are classic enough to work the entire year round, and the Antlers collection even has gold-tipped horns for that standout garden piece.
After a huge success in the US, Honeycomb Studios is finally coming to the UK so you can revamp your porch with pottery perfection this summer. AW14 will see Courtney’s Antlers collection come to Liberty of London for her first London line. And she’s not stopping there:
“The second half of the year is shaping up to be extremely busy and exciting,” says Courtney. “In the US, I had an exclusive holiday line that will be launching with a national retailer. This partnership hasn’t been announced yet, so I have to keep it a secret for another month, but I’m very excited. I’m also working towards launching a new line of table lighting, which is extremely exciting. The initial line probably won’t officially launch until early 2015, but I’m looking forward to previewing it this fall at various events.”
Courtney’s collections include some of our favourite home picks for the summer months and we can’t wait to get our hands on her beautiful design!
Visit www.honeycomb-studio.com for more information and to shop her design.
Photo courtesy of: Kimberly Murray Photography
