Remodelista Reconnaissance: A Handmade Ceramic Basin

by Fan Winston

A while back, I wrote about a thoughtful, eco-conscious remodel in Melbourne, Australia (see Retrofit Over Rebuild: An Architect and Interior Designer’s Sensitively Restored 1970s Home). The original home was hand-built—and so, too, were many of the elements inside the home, from the furniture-quality kitchen cabinetry to this hand-thrown ceramic basin I can’t stop thinking about. Here’s what I unearthed about the artful wash bowl.

The Sighting

nuud studio's monty sibbel restoration 0 Above: The handmade basin, atop a handmade vanity, in the handmade home of Brad Mitchell and Kerli Valk, the founders of Nüüd Studio. Photograph by Tom Ross, courtesy of Nüüd Studio.
black ceramic basin and custom sink vanity. bent street project bath remodel by 1 Above: Turns out, the ceramic basin also featured prominently in this project covered by Margot in Bathroom of the Week: A Spa-Style Refresh for a Modest Bath in Melbourne, Before and After. Photograph by Lisa Cohen, courtesy of Kim Kneipp.

The Source

These artful hand-thrown hand basins are by Lindsey Wherrett, a former architecture student from Scotland who discovered a passion for ceramics while traveling in Japan and now resides in Tasmania, where she makes these basins (as well as tableware) for a growing clientele of designers, architects, and admirers of hand-crafted everyday objects.

lindsey wherrett ceramics basin in mist 2 Above: “I was asked to make a hand basin by a local architect around seven years ago, I think,” says Lindsey. “It takes a while to develop the skills required to make larger pieces in clay, but I enjoy the physicality of it and it was good to dip my toes back into the architecture and design world. So I persisted with it and found there was a lot of support for the product.”
lindsey wherrett ceramics basin in mist 3 Above: Her basins are made to order and range in price from $1,040 to $1,630 (USD) depending on the glaze, and can be shipped worldwide. Custom inquiries are welcomed. For more information, go to her website.
Above: “The clay for the main body of my work comes from Australian commercial clay producers,” says Lindsey. “I do use some wild clay which I dig in small quantities from various locations around Tasmania, but this clay is only used in my glazes. These wild clays give very unique properties and are quite special to work with.” Glaze samples are available for purchase.