These jewellery designers are making the leap to homeware and we are here for it!

The coming together of people around a table to share food, art, and culture is one of society’s oldest traditions—a ritual as ancient as it is sacred. In the stillness of lockdown, homes became a canvas for expressing creativity and the age-old art of ‘tablescaping’ was revived as we found solace in the mundane. Disposable incomes had a new outlet—vases in organic shapes and texture, maximalist linens, coloured glass candlestick holders, and kitschy objects. The emergence of house-proud humans, along with the rise of social media, led jewellery designers to turn their attention to the world of interiors. 

Jewellery, as we see it, is a wearable object, but the mark of a true designer lies in the ability to work across disciplines while maintaining their signature style. For many designers, the transition from jewellery to homeware is seamless. Australian brand Dinosaur Designs, renowned for their use of resin, brings the same artistic sensibility to their homeware as they do to their jewellery. “We come from an art background and approach each design project like a painting or drawing,” says co-founder and creative director Louise Olsen. Blurring the lines between sculpture and painting, co-founder and creative director Stephen Ormandy adds “because our pieces are all handmade, they have a uniquely tactile quality.”  

One designer who has successfully made the leap from jewellery to homeware is Anissa Kermiche, whose iconic ‘Bum Vases’ have found their way into homes around the world. Much like her jewellery, Kermiche’s design codes celebrate the female form in all its glory, blending high and low, bringing artful design into everyday life. 

Rosh Mahtani, founder of the London-based jewellery brand Alighieri, has long been a collector of antique sculptures, vases, and candlesticks. This year, she introduced Alighieri Casa, a series of homeware pieces that embody the same ethos as her jewellery. “I like to think of Alighieri as a universe that connects people through objects and rituals,” says Mahtani, who has spent the last five years working on larger homeware pieces. “There’s a beautiful synergy between how we create jewellery and our Casa heirlooms. I begin each piece with blocks of wax, carving forms and textures, and heating my tools with the flame of a Roman candle. I love breaking down traditional barriers and classifications, treating each object, whether a medallion or a dessert spoon, as a talismanic piece in the world of Alighieri.”

For jewellery brand Completedworks, the transition to homeware was less intentional. What began as a collaboration with a friend experimenting with ceramics quickly evolved into a significant part of their business. Founder Anna Jewsbury discovered a new dimension of creativity while working with ceramics. “In creating ceramics, you get this opportunity to mould with your hands—by squeezing, kneading, rolling, and pulling,” she notes. Unlike jewellery-making, where the hand movements are more precise and controlled, ceramics offered a different kind of physical satisfaction. “I suppose it is a bit like a pianist wanting to pick up a violin,” Jewsbury reflects, capturing the nuance in tactility that drew the brand towards ceramics.

 

 

However, Completedworks was not just scaling up their existing works, but introducing a new material. “When you work in a new category, you’re often dealing with a completely different material that has its own behaviour and properties,” Jewsbury explains. “Each material has a unique density, weight, and resistance. So when we want to explore a specific idea, it’s about finding the material that offers the right resistance to convey that concept.” This sensitivity to the material’s properties became a crucial factor in successfully navigating the crossover from jewellery to homeware.

The democratisation of design and the emergence of indie brands have transformed our interaction with beauty in our lives. Homeware giants like H&M Home are collaborating with independent designers such as Uncommon Matters and India Mahdavi, bridging the gap between exclusivity and accessibility.

Our homes have evolved into spaces of self-expression where every choice—whether it’s colours, textures, or objects—reflects our personalities and tastes. No longer just places we live, they have become an intimate extension of who we are, with each element carefully curated to tell a story that transcends words.

Gone are the days when the finest crockery was reserved for special occasions, or jewellery was kept locked away. Today, both have found their place in the everyday, where beauty and design are meant to be lived with, not just admired.

Images: Courtesy the brands

This article first appeared in Harper's Bazaar India, September 2024, print issue.

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