With no blog and no e-mail for four days, what’s a woman to do? Read, knit, and drink tea of course! Also, this freed up some time for pleasurably browsing of the web, leading me to find Switzerland’s Terra Keramik. A sucker for classic ceramics, it is more than a matter of coincidence that Terra Keramik was established the same year I was born (1984).

In a world overrun with mass manufacturing and faceless corporations, it is a true delight to find a company that still makes all of their items by hand. Terra Keramik Founder and Creative Director Felix Volger had this to say about the age-old process:

Notwithstanding our high standards and expectations, our products are handcrafted and therefore not perfect. They can be considered ‘perfectly imperfect’. Good design should simplify and not complicate. If our products can bring a little fun and joy into your life, I will be very happy.

Can a product that requires intense heat to be created ever be sustainable? According to Terra Keramik … hell yeah! In addition to using non-toxic glazes and recycled paper/packaging, the company purchases renewable energy via their local power grid. Imported for nearby Germany, the clay used to make all of Keramik’s products is formulated to require less heat during the firing process, which “reduces [the company’s] energy consumption by 20%.”

OK, so their creations and company policies are green, but what about the designs themselves? Clean lines and intense colors are consistent across the entire line of dinner- and beverage-ware. Layered together or standing alone, each of Keramik’s pieces is perfectly balanced as both a tool for a good meal and an artistic compliment to your culinary creations (or even that weekday order of Chinese). Oh, and about that tea - Terra Keramik’s bird-topped teapot makes each cup a bit more visually indulgent, proving that timeless, sturdy designs are worth more than money.

For the longest time, Keramik’s creations were only available in Europe. In November 2006, the company’s online store for North America was launched, already being featured in Food & Wine, Natural Home, House Beautiful, and Traditional Home magazines in 2007 alone. This isn’t the last time you’ll be hearing from these folks, oh no - if Martha Stewart doesn’t already know about them, she should!