Our schedule has been unpredictable at best so staying on top of household tasks hasn’t been a priority. But I’ve been busy putting my personal touch on this place the last several days (which may have involved adding no less than four plants to our collection and planning for even more) and the rest of the week will be devoted to cleaning and organizing. Storage has been a challenge–one that we’ve never had to deal with before thanks to an incredible rental with five closets and built-in shelving. I love my beautiful treasures that can be displayed (the living room and bedroom shelves were designed for that after all), but finding places for all our clothes and shoes, linens, papers, documents, toiletries, and general utility items–the things we prefer to keep tidy and hidden–is tough. I have a couple random boxes left to unpack and then it’s framing a few pieces of art and hanging the rest of the curtains. The kitchen and bathroom projects down the line are a sore subject for me (they exist, I promise), but it’s getting there!
As I mentioned on Instagram, you have a great ceramics and pottery collection! Do you have any favorite potters or designers you like to collect from? Do you have any tips for buying pottery online without seeing it first hand? I’m trigger shy when it comes to online buying because I tend to be picky about how a piece feels as well as how it looks. I especially love the large bowl on your dining table and how you mix colors in your collection while still keeping things fairly neutral. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! I downsized my collection before our move but I’m so happy with the pieces I kept and how they all fit together. The majority of my collection was purchased locally either from thrift and antique stores, local pottery stores, our big art festival, or pottery sales at our university. I’d definitely recommend checking if any of those options are available in your area. Local talent can often be overlooked thanks to the internet but I’ve found some truly special pieces sometimes when I wasn’t even looking. The bowl on the dining table is by Wade Franklin who is a favorite of mine. He’s local and doesn’t have a website sadly!
I sometimes have a hard time buying online when I haven’t seen it first and occasionally wait until I’m visiting another city and can get it in person. Sorry, I know that’s probably not helpful. I do love FERN in Cincinnati and have gotten several pieces from there. I’d really just recommend being slow and careful with your purchases because I’ve bought a lot, even locally, on impulse and later regretted it. I like to make sure I really have the space for something AND make sure I absolutely love it before buying. If you come back to it again and again, it’s probably the one. I think those rules make up for not being able to see and feel a piece in person beforehand.
In these photos I’ve got some Morgan Peck, Jacqueline Klassen, Bzippy & Co, and Michele Quan. Also the Etsy shop Houseworking (https://www.etsy.com/shop/Houseworking) has some really, really great pottery. Didn’t mean to make this such a long response. Hope it helps!
No apologies needed for such a thoughtful and helpful answer. Thanks. :-)