We recently spotted a new tableware range created by the British design duo Custhom. The collection has been carefully developed by Jemma Ooi and Nathan Philpott—a couple who met at the Royal College of Art London and who have been creating hand-made, sustainable items for the home since 2010. The simple forms and sweet sentiment behind this range stayed with us—so we thought we’d share them here.
Photography courtesy of Custhom.
The range centers around the idea of sharing the first meal of the day (our favorite) and includes a milk jug, a taller water or juice jug, a capacious cup, a simple plate, and a bowl. “Counter is a collection of practical pieces we had been searching for for our own home and struggled to find,” explains Jemma. “As with all of our work, we design for shared living spaces, and this is no exception. Keeping the forms practical yet minimal was our intention for the collection so each item could be used for breakfast and beyond; to be adaptable, beautiful, and useful.”
“Choosing stoneware meant the material itself was robust and functional, yet retained the beautiful and natural grain of the raw stone,” Jemma adds. “When creating the forms, we went through a process of sketches and model-making out of cardboard and plasticine. Each piece was first modeled three-dimensionally. Following this, clay moulds were made and the pieces were cast, then hand finished.”
“The process has evolved over the last three years,” Nathan says. “We have been constantly tweaking, moving between parts of hand-building, hand-throwing and casting, and working with a range of wonderfully talented makers in order to achieve the balance of function and form in a range we are really proud of.”
The cups and bowls are glazed “for function” on the inside rather than the outside of each vessel. “The use of glaze for function meant we could keep a raw, matte finish on the outside of the ware,” Jemma explains. “This highlights a tactility often forgotten when hidden under a glaze.”
The wares are slip cast in London and made in small batches with particular attention paid to detail. “We want these pieces to be enjoyed, shared, loved, gifted, and cherished,” explains Jemma. “To hold your favorite flavors, to encourage traditions, or to be the starting point to newly formed rituals and simple pleasures.”
For more on hand-made ceramics, might we suggest:
- Artist Visit: Kaori Tatebayashi’s Ceramic Garden
- “Beauty Is Eternal”: Colorful Ceramic Vessels by Two London Creatives (and Friends)
- Object of Desire: Whimsical Painted Plates by a French Ceramicist
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