Ceramicist Margarida Melo Fernandes makes pieces to order out of her humble studio in Lisbon, Portugal, where she slip-casts and throws simple, rustic ceramics. (For a look at her studio, see our post Artful Ceramics by Way of Lisbon.) A selection of Margarida’s pieces recently caught our attention and has us thinking about the power of one beautiful soap dish in the bathroom, a traditional butter dish at the table, and handmade porcelain knobs on a dresser. Here’s a closer look.
Above: A set of 2 Bowls in a white glaze with a hint of green at the edge is €12 ($13.67).
Above: The set of 2 Bowls is available in different glazes with the option of a mahogany wood plate for presenting a group of four.
Above: Intended for use with watercolor pigments and ink, the finger-size Godet Bowls can also be used as salt and pepper bowls at the table or for storing jewelry; €4.50 ($5.13) each.
Above: The Butter Dish is modeled after one that Margarida’s grandmother had, keeping butter fresh and at room temperature inside the top of the dish with a quarter cup of water at the base for an airtight seal. “The shape belongs to the shape of the butter,” says Margarida, “and the idea is to bring the butter to the table without publicity or brands.” It’s €35 ($39.88) and available in a cool gray glaze.
Above: The Bowl Dose (shown in gray) is wide enough for breakfast, soup, and rice or salad dishes; €26 ($29.62) each.
Above: The Margarida Melo Fernandes’s Salad BowlSalad Bowl is a medium-size bowl that can be used in the kitchen, at the table, and in the bath; €50 ($56.97).
Above: During the holidays Margarida visits Alentejo, the dry, southern region of Portugal known for its cork trees. While there, she always uses cork as a soap dish and thought to combine porcelain and cork together. The Soap Dish is €19.50 ($22.50).
Above: The 1/2 Dose Plates in a stack of different colors (far right); €23 ($26.21) each.
Above: “This plate is inspired by a soup plate of the past, the kind you can find in every house in Europe,” says Margarida.
Above: The Soup Plate, €30 ($34.18), gives the soup a frame against the table, “like if the soup inside the plate was a painting.”
Above: Margarida’s Monogram Tableware pieces are the same price as her bowls and plates with the additional monogram fee; e-mail Margarida for more information. For more ideas in monogramming, see our post 10 Easy Pieces: The Modern Monogram.
Above: “When I was younger, I would look for porcelain door handles at the flea market and would dream about a house full of doors with colored knobs,” she says. The Handles are inspired by the antique porcelain knob but are smaller and designed for dresser drawers and wardrobes; €8 ($9.11) each.
More for the ceramics fiend:
- 10 Easy Pieces: Handmade Dinnerware from Ceramics Studios
- Owen Wall: London’s Ceramicist to the Culinary Stars
- Ceramic Table Lamps from an LA Modernist
- At Home with an Artful Couple in the South of Paris
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