Lately I’ve been drawn, against all odds, towards cheerful yellows and periwinkle blues, ginghams and Liberty florals—a deviation from my usual style that I suspect has something to do with the dreariness of the past year.
Evidently I’m not the only one yearning for color these days. Recently, browsing through the online shop of English department store The Hambledon (whose owner’s family home we featured last fall), I stumbled upon Vaisselle, a line of brightly patterned vases, bowls, pitchers, and plates helmed by a French designer in London, all handmade and hand-painted by a family of artisans in Andalucia, Spain.
“The idea of Vaisselle was born during our dear lockdown,” writes founder Léa Zana on the Vaisselle site; she started the project on Instagram. “Not being able to go out for delicious food in our favorite restaurants or bistros really pushed me on how to rethink meal times. The food I cook is terrible, so I had to find a way to make it exciting and yummy.”
It’s an idea I can get behind. Take a look:
![a collection of vaisselle pitchers and vases—including, from left to rig 17](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/the-hambledon-vaisselle-733x917.jpg)
According to the Vaisselle website, the Spanish makers “use traditional techniques of craftsmanship, meaning the environmental footprint is intrinsically small. Our ceramics are made from local clay and decorated with lead-free paints and natural pigments.”
![a colorful, maximalist tablescape. the blue painted plate is the bon appetit pl 18](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/vaisselle-boutique-flatlay-733x510.jpg)
![a favorite is the genie in a bottle vase, shown in tone on tone lilac and red f 19](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/vaisselle-genie-in-a-bottle-instagram-733x733.jpg)
![a collection of bright vases. 22](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/vaisselle-vases-instagram-733x733.jpg)
![undersides of the petite dip me bowls with checkered interiors (\$37 each via l 23](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/vaisselle-boutique-dip-me-bowls-liberty-london-733x880.jpg)
![checkered plates, ready for summer, from the gingham collection. 24](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/vaisselle-boutique-instagram-733x916.jpg)
For more cheerful tableware, see:
- En Soie: A Whimsical Home Goods Company Lands in LA
- 8 Favorites: Handmade Ceramic Spoons
- Functional Art: Hand-Painted Ceramics by California Artist Rebekah Miles
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