The Story of the Origin Collection.

Design

9 Mar

*oH latest project, White Friars, was designed to embrace the unique character of Chester, featuring works of local creatives and artisans, including Origin Collection: the latest collaboration between ceramic artist Rachel Kay + Studio Taitt.

Saskia:

I was drinking a lot of coffee. We’d invested in a Sage coffee machine, and I couldn’t find a suitable Flat White mug that I loved. Rachel and I are both great believers in the theory that loving the mug you drink from makes the coffee taste better.

At the same time, I had a real yearning to craft with my hands - there was something about the

intensity of becoming a new mother, the changes to my life as I knew it and stepping off the

treadmill, but not stopping at all, that really served me a lens on the future.

I found Rachel’s ceramics collection at the oH Foundation store in Chester, and her curation stood out to me amongst many talented makers. I fell for her hand-shaping technique and natural aesthetic, and was thrilled to see she was hosting a workshop - I signed up! I found the entire experience so therapeutic and was immediately drawn to Rachel’s kind and nurturing nature. Things seemed to click into place. Was this an opportunity to create ‘the perfect flat white mug’? I approached Rachel with my idea to collaborate.

Rachel:

After looking at Saskia’s work online, I immediately saw a shared aesthetic, a beautifully pared-back, minimal, relaxed style that resonated with me. Saskia came to me with a clear brief; she wanted specific coffee cups, a flat white and an espresso. Coffee culture has changed a lot over the past few years. Conscious consumers are much more focused on quality, how their coffee is brewed, the cups they use and the experience as a whole. There’s definitely a greater appreciation for the art behind making a great cup of coffee.

Saskia saw a gap in the market for well-designed flat white cups, and as a fellow coffee lover, I saw her idea as a great challenge.

A successful collaboration is not just about a shared design vision; there has to be a good personality fit, communication style and common goal. Working with Saskia has almost felt too easy. The balance has been perfect. We’ve both contributed to the design process, and it’s been a pleasure from start to finish. It’s pushed me creatively and taken me out of my comfort zone in the best way

Origin Collection is available in four earthy shades.
Photo: RCxStudioTaitt

Saskia:

Rachel and I are the perfect match, both aligned with our tenacity and determination to create pieces we’re both proud of, fit for purpose, and we’d personally purchase. We both wanted to create a collection that felt unique and grounding and developed the pieces based on the experience created.

We both love the ritual of a morning coffee, making it a special moment even if we’re alone. Equally, we take great pleasure in sharing a coffee with someone we care about. That’s why we designed a plate and saucers alongside the two cups to encourage moments of connection and meaningful rituals at home.

Nothing happened quickly; creating a ceramics collection takes time to perfect, and we wanted to do it with efficacy. October 2024 saw our first design meeting, and we then met every few weeks to go over shapes, handles, plates, and the all-important glaze.

The mugs had to feel right in the hand, and on the lips as you sip, and of course: ‘look good’. We tested every iteration ourselves asking, how does the tactility & weightiness feel in the hand? What does the cup bring to the drinking experience? Is it visually appealing?

Across nine months of development, we made countless small refinements, constantly using and evaluating the designs to get them perfect. The shape we managed to perfect with reasonable ease, given we’d already visually imagined it. The glaze was the more challenging aspect. We sampled over 50 different colour combinations before finally finding four we truly love.

Collection features sculptural Mesa plate, two sizes of coffee cups and saucers.
Photo: RCxStudioTaitt

Rachel:

I’m used to working alone, making every design decision myself. This collaboration has brought a fresh perspective, one shaped by shared creativity and a mutual love of coffee. It has pushed my artistic boundaries and, above all, reaffirmed the passion and purpose at the heart of my work.

Saskia:

Watching Rachel work is like watching a magician. Her ability to perfectly shape and replicate each piece from sketch to prototype and beyond is spellbinding, and we’ve both learnt so much through the development process.

The collection is all hand-shaped, giving it an organic, tactile quality. Only the interiors are glazed, leaving the exteriors in their natural clay state, which makes them beautiful to hold. We have worked with two clays: a dark speckled grey and a warm speckled cream.

Both clays have two glaze options, and each colour combination has a matching plate; the Studio Taitt logo inspires its shape. We added two slightly smaller organically shaped saucers to the collection, which, when placed together, echo the same form of the larger plate, and nest easily inside for storage. This provides the opportunity to curate a personal set that’s tailored to your habits.

It’s been such a pleasure to create the Origin collection together, blending our two design worlds into one cohesive vision to offer design-led pieces that are a genuine pleasure to hold and drink from. And while they’re crafted to feel special, they’re made for real life too, dishwasher safe without any loss of finish and microwave safe for everyday convenience.

We hope the Origin collection elevates your daily coffee ritual. Whether yours is a quiet morning espresso or a flat white sipped with friends, we send you our wishes for moments of contentment & enjoyment.

YOU CAN SHOP THE ORIGIN COLLECTION HERE.

You can also shop at R.I Home, a Homeware and Interior Design store in Knutsford, Cheshire, UK.

VISIT RACHEL KAY STUDIO HERE.

design studiowhite friars projectceramic artistorigin collectioncollaborationdesignerchester maker

Monika Swindells

As a creative director, designer, and artist, with a background in architectural design - Monika has rallied a collaborative nexus where artists and creatives from diverse sectors come together to produce imaginatively expressive, meaningful, and boldly innovative work.

Monika’s approach often feels assembled rather than traditionally designed, and embraces craftsmanship and storytelling. Her ongoing commitment to sustainability shapes agile spaces that adapt to the needs of their users.

Blurring genre boundaries, Monika infuses each project with its own story— an intricate, custom-tailored approach that reveals unexpected delights. Monika’s all-encompassing influence shapes everything from the spaces we unravel and the clothes we wear to the human connections that the *ōH inspires.

https://www.andoh.uk

The Story of the Origin Collection.

*oH latest project, White Friars, was designed to embrace the unique character of Chester, featuring works of local creatives and artisans, including Origin Collection: the latest collaboration between ceramic artist Rachel Kay + Studio Taitt.

Saskia:

Rachel:

Saskia:

Nothing happened quickly; creating a ceramics collection takes time to perfect, and we wanted to do it with efficacy. October 2024 saw our first design meeting, and we then met every few weeks to go over shapes, handles, plates, and the all-important glaze.

The mugs had to feel right in the hand, and on the lips as you sip, and of course: ‘look good’. We tested every iteration ourselves asking, how does the tactility & weightiness feel in the hand? What does the cup bring to the drinking experience? Is it visually appealing?

Rachel:

I’m used to working alone, making every design decision myself. This collaboration has brought a fresh perspective, one shaped by shared creativity and a mutual love of coffee. It has pushed my artistic boundaries and, above all, reaffirmed the passion and purpose at the heart of my work.

Saskia:

Watching Rachel work is like watching a magician. Her ability to perfectly shape and replicate each piece from sketch to prototype and beyond is spellbinding, and we’ve both learnt so much through the development process.

The collection is all hand-shaped, giving it an organic, tactile quality. Only the interiors are glazed, leaving the exteriors in their natural clay state, which makes them beautiful to hold. We have worked with two clays: a dark speckled grey and a warm speckled cream.

We hope the Origin collection elevates your daily coffee ritual. Whether yours is a quiet morning espresso or a flat white sipped with friends, we send you our wishes for moments of contentment & enjoyment.

The good space.