Tucked away in small studio in Ponsonby, Houston Design Co’s sole owner, designer and worker Holly Houston creates perfectly imperfect ceramics for discerning homes and restaurants
The story behind Houston Design Co
Holly Houston: “I come from a long line of creative women, so I have always filled my time with knitting, sewing, painting and cooking, yet none really felt like it could become a career.”
“I took a sculpture course with Harriet Stockman, and within a few weeks I had a table set up in my front room, a bag of clay and a head full of ideas. That was over three years ago, and now I’m a full-time potter with a small studio in Ponsonby, Auckland, where I make a range of functional objects for homes and people. I make every single piece on the wheel or using hand-building methods.”
“I love that the process starts with a lump of earth which can then be transformed into something so useful in our everyday lives. Working with clay has taught me not to worry so much about the outcome of my work.”
“A piece of pottery has to go through so many stages to completion, and it’s highly possible that it may break along the way or explode in one of the firings. You can’t be too precious; you just learn from the mistake and keep moving forwards. Now I just focus on enjoying the process and enjoying the end result, whatever that may be.”
Houston Design Company
houstondesignco.bigcartel.com
Words by: Tina Stephen. Photography by: Holly Houston and Jordan Stent.
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