Remodelista LA Market Spotlight: Mt. Washington Pottery

Some brands whisper. Mt. Washington Pottery sort of humslike a kettle that’s not ready yet, but you know it’s going to be. If you’ve ever scrolled
Remodelista and suddenly felt the urge to replace every mug you own (for “a more intentional morning ritual”), you already understand the vibe.

In Remodelista’s LA Market Spotlight, Mt. Washington Pottery stands out not because it’s loud or trendy, but because it’s quietly magnetic: pieces that look
like they belong in a sunlit California kitchen, a minimalist Scandinavian cabin, and a wabi-sabi tea momentall without acting like they’re trying too hard.
Which, frankly, is the most California flex of all.

What the Remodelista LA Market Spotlight Is Really About

Remodelista’s markets have long been a kind of design-world shortcut: one part holiday market, one part home-and-kitchen “greatest hits,” and one part
meet-the-maker moment where you realize the bowl you’re holding was shaped by an actual human with hands (not a factory with fluorescent lighting).

A “Market Spotlight” story typically does three things: introduces the maker, shows signature pieces, and helps you imagine how those objects could slip into
your everyday life. The genius is that it doesn’t feel like a sales pitchit feels like a friend saying, “Okay, listen. This mug is special. Touch it.”

Meet the Maker: Beth Katz and the Mt. Washington Origin Story

Mt. Washington Pottery is the work of Los Angeles ceramicist Beth Katz, who named her studio after the Mt. Washington neighborhoodfollowing an old-school
tradition of letting place shape identity (and letting the name do a little storytelling for you).

Katz’s path to clay isn’t the neat, straight line people love to pretend their lives are. She grew up in Southern California, spent years in fashion and
commercial creative work (including makeup artistry and magazine creative direction), then eventually returned to ceramics as a deeper, more centered life’s
work. If you’ve ever changed careers and felt like you were “starting over,” her story is a comforting reminder: you’re not starting overyou’re bringing
everything with you.

The Look: Wabi-Sabi Meets Scandinavian Calm, with a Side of SoCal Sun

If you had to sum up Mt. Washington Pottery in one line, it might be: organic simplicity with intentional texture. The pieces often carry
a quiet irregularitythe kind that makes mass-produced items look suddenly… suspicious. (Like, “Why is this bowl so perfect? What is it hiding?”)

The influences are often described as a blend of wabi-sabi (beauty in imperfection, time, and patina) and Scandinavian modernism (clean forms, functional
minimalism). Add Southern California landscape energywarm light, earthy tones, natural materialsand you get work that feels grounded rather than staged.

Signature Pieces That Made Remodelista Pay Attention

1) Column Mugs: The “Everyday Object” That Becomes Your Favorite

The column mug is a perfect example of Mt. Washington Pottery’s superpower: taking something you use daily and making it feel a little ceremonial without
being precious. The forms are straightforward, but the glazes and surfaces give them personalitysoft, cloudy tones; subtle depth; that “I found this on a
shelf in a beautiful little shop” feeling.

The best handmade mugs do two things at once: they hold heat well, and they make you slow down. Suddenly your 8:12 a.m. coffee becomes a moment instead of
a sprint. (You’ll still be late, but you’ll be late with taste.)

2) Wabi-Sabi Plates and Tableware: Minimal, But Not Cold

Minimal tableware can go wrong in two directions: too sterile (like a dentist’s waiting room) or too rustic (like you’re auditioning for a pioneer remake).
Mt. Washington Pottery tends to land in that sweet spot where the plates feel modern but still warmespecially when paired with linen napkins, simple
flatware, and food that isn’t trying to be a Michelin audition.

3) Bells: Tiny Sculptures That Also Happen to Make Sound

Remodelista highlighted hanging bellssmall, sculptural pieces that double as decor. Bells are funny like that: they’re functional in theory, but their real
job is atmosphere. Hang one near a door, in a quiet corner, or even from a hook in a kitchen, and you get a gentle reminder that home is a sensory place,
not just a collection of surfaces.

They’re also a subtle design trick: they add vertical interest without adding visual clutter. (The minimalist’s dream: “Look, I decorated! But also, I did
not.”)

4) Good Luck Talismans: A Little Ritual for Your Wall

One of the most distinctive pieces in the spotlight was Mt. Washington Pottery’s good luck talismanporcelain and stoneware forms inspired by a traditional
Indian practice of hanging strings of chiles and lemons (often referenced as nimbu mirchi) to ward off negativity and invite prosperity.

Even if you’re not “a ritual person,” there’s something satisfying about an object that carries intention. Think of it as interior design with a side of
emotional insurance. (No guarantees, but heyneither is your screen protector, and you still bought that.)

5) Faceted Vessels and Planters: Texture You Can Feel

Mt. Washington Pottery pieces often feature carved or hand-worked patterns that make each item slightly different. In planters and vessels, those textures
add a tactile dimensionespecially nice in a room that leans neutral. Put a faceted stoneware planter on a shelf and suddenly the shelf looks “styled” even
if you did nothing else. The plant does the rest.

How to Style Mt. Washington Pottery in a Real Home (Not a Photo Shoot)

Make the Mug the Main Character

Pick one Mt. Washington mug and commit to it. Give it the best spot in your cabinet. Use it when you’re tired, when you’re happy, when you’re pretending
you’re a morning person. The point of handmade isn’t “special occasion only.” It’s “make Tuesday better.”

Build a Soft-Contrast Table

If your pottery is light-toned or matte, pair it with natural contrast: walnut wood, blackened steel flatware, linen, or even a dark loaf of bread. Wabi-sabi
styling works best when it’s not monochromeit’s quietly varied.

Use Talismans as an Entryway “Reset”

Entryways are emotional choke points: shoes, keys, packages, and the mysterious junk mail that reproduces like rabbits. Hang a talisman (or a bell) where you
can see it as you come in. It becomes a cue: you’re home now. Your nervous system can unclench.

Create a Shelf That Doesn’t Look “Shelfy”

Open shelves can look staged fast. The trick is mixing heights and textures: stack two plates, add a carved vessel, tuck in a small plant in a faceted
planter, and leave some breathing room. Negative space is not “empty.” It’s “intentional calm.” (Also: it’s easier to dust.)

Where This Work Lives in Los Angeles Culture

One reason Mt. Washington Pottery resonates is that it fits the broader LA maker ecosystemceramics that show up not just in design circles, but in the
places where people actually shop, eat, and gather. You’ll see similar work energy at craft fairs, curated markets, and small specialty shops.

For example, LA’s Now Servingpart cookbook shop, part kitchen candy storehas been noted for carrying Mt. Washington Pottery bowls alongside cookbooks and
cooking tools. That context matters: it frames the pottery as something meant to be used, not just admired.

The brand also connects to the wider design conversation in LA, where ceramics cross into furniture and sculptural work. Beth Katz has been included in
design-world projects that treat clay as material culture, not just tabletop decor. Translation: this isn’t “cute pottery.” It’s design that happens to be
useful.

Buying Handmade: The Case for Fewer, Better Things

Here’s the part nobody wants to admit: you don’t need 14 mugs. You need one mug that makes your day better. Handmade ceramics are a small rebellion
against throwaway cultureobjects with weight, time, and visible decision-making.

When you buy from a studio like Mt. Washington Pottery, you’re also buying the story of where it was made: the local landscape influence, the maker’s
background, the community of shops and markets that support independent work. It’s not just “shopping.” It’s participating in a craft ecosystem.

Care Tips: Keep It Beautiful Without Being Nervous About It

Handmade ceramics are sturdier than people assume, but they’re not indestructible (neither are we, emotionally speaking). A few practical habits help:

• Use it regularly: daily use is how handmade objects become meaningful.
• Avoid harsh shocks: sudden temperature swings can stress ceramic over time.
• Check maker guidance: care recommendations can vary by clay body and glaze.
• Let small variations be the point: slight differences are not flawsthey’re proof of life.

Conclusion: Why This Spotlight Still Matters

Remodelista’s LA Market Spotlight on Mt. Washington Pottery works because it highlights what great handmade design always offers: objects that elevate
everyday routines without demanding you turn your home into a museum. Beth Katz’s work carries a calm, tactile beautymugs you reach for instinctively,
tableware that makes simple food feel special, and talismans and bells that add meaning without shouting.

If you’re curating your home one thoughtful piece at a time, Mt. Washington Pottery is the kind of brand that makes the whole process feel less like
“decorating” and more like building a life you actually want to live in.

Bonus: of Market-Day Experience (Because the Best Part Is Touching the Clay)

If you’ve never been to a curated design market like Remodelista’s LA event, imagine the friendliest kind of sensory overload. You walk in thinking you’re
“just browsing,” and five minutes later you’re holding a mug with both hands like it’s a small, warm animal you’ve agreed to protect. The air is full of
conversations that start with “How is this made?” and end with “Okay, I probably don’t need this… but also I absolutely do.”

The pottery tables are always the gravitational center. People drift toward them the way they drift toward a kitchen at a party. There’s something about
handmade ceramics that invites a slower pace: you pick something up, you feel the weight, you notice the curve of the rim, and your brain starts picturing
your own life using it. Not “someday,” but tomorrow morning. You can practically hear your coffee hitting the bottom of the cup.

Mt. Washington Pottery fits that moment perfectly because the pieces don’t need explaining, but they reward attention. The surfaces have just enough
texture to make your fingertips curious. The shapes look simple at first, then you realize the proportions are doing a lot of quiet workbalanced, steady,
and reassuring. It’s the design equivalent of someone who doesn’t talk much, but when they do, it’s exactly the right thing.

Markets also give you something the internet can’t fully deliver: context. You see a column mug next to a carved planter, near a bell that catches the
light, and suddenly you understand the “world” of the maker. It’s not just a product. It’s a point of view. And because you’re surrounded by other
makerstextiles, wood, paper, candlesyou start connecting the dots in your own head: “Oh, this would look good with that linen runner,” or “That planter
would make my sad windowsill feel like it went to therapy.”

The best part is the human side. Even a quick exchangeasking about a glaze, mentioning where you’ll put the piece, hearing a small story about inspiration
changes how you experience the object later. Weeks afterward, you’ll reach for the mug and remember the table, the buzz of the room, the tiny decision you
made to bring something handmade into your routine. That’s the real luxury: not the price tag, but the feeling that your home is full of objects with
memory and intention.

And yes, you will probably baby it for a day or two. You’ll wash it like it’s a newborn. Then life will happen, you’ll stack it with the other dishes, and
it will become what it was always meant to be: part of the everyday. The moment you stop being precious with it is the moment it truly becomes yours.