How to Use Ceramics for Stunning Home Decor | A beginners guide to loving ceramics

‘May your hands be full of clay and
your hands be full of imagination.’

A very well said quote by one of the pottery artists. So here in this article, I have elaborated on how and why ceramic can be beneficial for life both physically and mentally. 

As an avid ceramic lover, I have just no words to explain my love and passion for ceramic products. I have come up with another ceramic-related article for people like me out there. You can find my earlier article featuring trusted brands in India to invest in by clicking here. I kind of find it not only pleasing but also therapeutic. It feels like some kind of disorder within me. Ha.. Haa.. LOL! But trust me, I found my passion with ceramics and stonewares and anything that is cute, moldable, colorful, handpainted, etc. I have got future plans related to pottery, which you will soon be seeing in my blog.

Therefore,

To put it simply, as an Indian blogger considering my Indian audience, ceramics are essentially the kind of clay used to create vibrant serveware, all of which we see in upscale stores at astronomically high prices. Reason being, in India, people appreciate more of earthen clay cookwares/servewares, banana leaves and a few other leaves for steaming and plating, brass products, steel products, glasswares, etc. Ceramic servewares are very least entertained in India.

In India, it is most commonly called ‘Cheeni mitti ki bartan’ or, say, china clay wares. China clay is found in many states in India, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Assam, and Uttarakhand. The reason this clay is popularly known as China clay is because China clay (or kaolin as it is known internationally) is a white soft plastic clay mainly composed of kaolinite.  The name is derived from Kaoling (now Gaoling), which is located in China, where it was worked for over 1000 years for the manufacture of fine white porcelain. The second name for Chinese clay is also known as Kaolin.

Evolution of ceramics over time

Ceramics have evolved over time in response to cultural, technological, and artistic influences.

1. Ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and China all contributed distinct styles and techniques, setting the framework for future developments.
2. The Middle Ages and Renaissance saw additional advances in ceramic manufacture and aesthetics, with Islamic pottery and Italian majolica being famous examples.
3. The Industrial Revolution constituted a watershed moment in the ceramics industry, bringing mechanical production processes and enabling mass manufacture of ceramics for both residential and industrial usage.
4. The twenty-first century saw the growth of high-tech ceramics, which transformed industries like aerospace, electronics, and medicine. Meanwhile, studio ceramics thrived as artists pushed the limits of form, glaze, and fire procedures.

Step-by-Step Guide to Decorating with Ceramics

So today in this article, let me give you some basic beginner tips if you wish to find an artistic passion related to home decor. As a decor influencer, I must mention 3 major facts that contribute to our overall well-being that are connected with ceramic ware and ceramic decor. I guarantee it.

1. Moulding clay with your own hands or buying a clayware that is pleasing to your eyes both gives you a feeling of relaxation and helps you find beauty in your vision. Which is good for your mental state.
2. 100 percent guarantee that it makes cleaning just easier, and the shine that it brings back gives you a feeling of rejuvenation.
3. Broken ceramics are also, at times, convertible. As an Indian, we don’t believe in using broken ceramics or keeping them within the home, but I definitely reuse them in my gardening area. They still bring beauty to the place.

So starting with my very own Kitchen:
Since this blog features mostly about use of ceramic in kitchen and its styling

Ceramics add beauty to the kitchen. For a person like me, I find happiness in arranging and then rearranging and gradually playing with colors, shapes, and concepts. Every corner of my kitchen has its own purpose and dedicated place for its functionality. My kitchen’s decor has evolved over time based on its functionality and space conservation, as well as the type of display furniture used to balance the weight of the overall ceramic and segmentation.

1. My pantry is dedicated to glass containers, cane products, and enamaled steel, depending on the use like grains, cereals, Flour, etc.
2. My water container sections are of food-grade plastic and glass containers for my kids. There is a deciated corner for my electrical appliances, which sit on ceramic tiles/tray again.
3. Dedicated Cup/Mug stand that plays in heights and sizes.
4. A very pretty and small beverage station, which I have arranged on a lazy susan. Pretty functional where our tea, sugar, coffee, milk supplement for my kids, green tea, and other hot beverage-related stuff are decently occupied and organized in a small space.
5. My breakfast serveware, lunch serveware, and dinner serveware have got dedicated places. So while we choose to buy ceramics for serveware, it is better to go by the thickness, durability, and the amount of usage per day for that particular dish.
   1. For instance, I purchase thick, sturdy, solid-colored breakfast dishes that are easy to microwave, dishwasher, and use every day. My lunchware is fancy because I have meals alone sometimes or with my daughter during vacations. I therefore treat myself to VIP hospitality in an effort to keep myself from staying motivated. My dinnerware I have carefully hunted them depending on the type of cuisine we mostly have for dinner since we belong to the southern part of India.
6. My oil sections, salt sections, and other spices go in ceramic, glass, or plastic as well.
7. Everyday jars are used for cooking and also hold a dedicated place with a touch of cuteness and beauty.
8. Here, I have simply listed the key ideas of how and which kitchen components are the most useful for saving time and effort.

here are some glimpse of my kitchen decor for a rough idea…
 

DIY Ceramic Decor Ideas for Your Home

Tips for Choosing the Right Ceramics for Your Space:

When we talk about any decor and styling, the first thing we must remember is the theme and purpose of the ceramic. If we are not using it, then the ceramics are going to be a waste of time and energy, and if we are not displaying it in a way that isn’t appealing, then that is also going to be the same.

So when we fix a theme in our mind depending upon individual choice and taste of colors, it will be easy to wind up the shopping. When I say shopping, it sure is a tedious job, as arriving at a conclusion gets difficult for certain people like me. Firstly,

1. Choose the theme that goes well with your type of house and the taste of your home.
2.  Then choose the display furniture and shelves that will be accommodating your ceramics. They need to be sturdy, and the color needs to be pleasing to give the overall look at the end.
3. You will either have your own collection of ceramics or you might choose to go shopping to set up a new style.
4. Choose things according to the way you want to place. looking for colours of ceramic also plays a crucial role.
5. Choosing quality ceramics is something that helps with wear and tear.
6. Play with the placement and arrangement, mix and match textures and prints, understanding which geometry go together.
7. In that case, check for shapes, size, and purpose of your collection. In that way, we’ll have a clear budget in mind, which will result in an efficient decor setup.
8. Now styling is something that comes out of one’s own choice of exploration and passion. It is kind of a never-ending task for me. But for a beginner, the advice would be to stick to ‘basics and purpose’. With time, you retain the purpose yet keep upgrading and exploring the type of materials.
9. Traveling is one key solution to explore in Decor. As we travel and read books, our sense of style develops, and we can be creative.

Types of ceramic most commonly used on kitchen styling:

When we say ceramics, most of them understand it as crockery that is shiny and breakable. Few are those who understand the ceramics and varieties and their uses.

Vitrified ceramics:-
Vitrified pottery, also known as ceramic glass, is a type of pottery that has been heated to temperatures so high that it resembles glass rather than traditional earthenware. They are most widely used in flooring and backsplash. like floor tiling and wall tiling. 

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Stoneware :-
This is commonly used in decor and kitchenwares. vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic made primarily from stoneware clay or non-refractory fire clay.

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Porcelain:-
Porcelain is white vitrified translucent ceramic. It is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between 1,200 and 1,400 celsius.

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Earthenware:-
Earthenware is a type of pottery that is fired at low temperatures, which means that its mineral components do not vitrify or turn into glass. As a result, it is porous and opaque, and it retains a rich clay color.

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Bone china:-
white porcelain containing bone ash, made in Britain since about 1800. It is widely regarded as the luxurious emperor style look.

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Terracotta :-
Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta, ‘baked earth’ or ‘cooked earth’ is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic. One of the most commonly used household items.

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Glass ceramics:-
Glass-ceramics are polycrystalline materials created by controlled crystallization of base glass, resulting in a fine, uniform dispersion of crystals throughout the bulk material. Crystallization is accomplished by subjecting suitable glasses to a carefully regulated heat treatment schedule, resulting in the nucleation and growth of crystal phases.

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Pottery ceramics commonly used for making servewares :-
There are five main types of clay for pottery. These are earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, ball clay, and fire clay.
1. Earthenware fires at lower temperatures and can have an earthy look.
2. Stoneware fires at mid to high temperatures and is often buff or tan.

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Air dry clay pottery :-
Air dry clay is a type of clay that does not require baking or firing in a kiln to harden. Instead, it dries and hardens over time through exposure to air. It is commonly used for pottery, sculpture, and other crafts. Air dry clay can be made from a variety of materials, including paper, wood pulp, and natural clay.

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Carbon ceramics, Titanium carbide, bioceramics, and ceramic matrix composites are all commonly used in Industrial and dental field mostly.

How to Care for Ceramics:

To care for ceramic is not at all job that needs experties but yes you definitely need to know how to handle each of the type of ceramics or say clayware.

Different claywares and ceramic need different ways of cleaning and storing. some earthenware and terracotta just need gentle soap washing without any scrubbers.

Most  of the ceramics get amazingly cleaned in dishwashers. they take less time to clean manually as well. A gentle wet cloth wipe and a gentle dusting at intervals also helps your ceramic stay for long time.

They dont wear off in terms of quality and last longer if we take care of breakage and cracks. Sometimes i even reuse the cracked ceramics into some other corner of my home.

*Note*
The photos (‘Types of ceramic most commonly used on kitchen styling‘) used for explaining the type of ceramics are from different source just to make the audience get a rough idea. It does’nt belong to the Author.

Monisha C.