At a glance: Pigeon Toe is a stunning line of ceramic pieces for the home, newly expanded to include ceramic jewelry as well.
Who’s behind the brand? Lisa Jones, who began throwing pottery in the fourth grade, but then left it for the worlds of oil painting, photography, and graphic design. While working as a designer she tried out the wheel again as a stress-reliever and found that she loved it, was good at it, and people wanted what she made. Pigeon Toe was born shortly after, in 2009. Since then the company has grown enough that she no longer creates every piece herself, but every piece is still handcrafted in her studio, either by her or someone on her small and trusted team. Oh and she does all the graphic design for the company as well.
What do they do? Lisa and her team hand-craft achingly beautiful ceramic pieces for the home as well as her new striking jewelry line. Everything is simple and clean, beautifully thoughtful in design and execution. And everything is made to last. They have a core selection that Lisa says will always remain at the heart of the line, but they also add new pieces every season. And with the addition of the wearables section, the brand as a whole is really branching out and becoming more conceptual.
What’s their motto? Heirlooms for the modern home. Lisa says she wants her pieces to be the “things your kids argue over when you die”. Slightly morbid, very funny.
What materials do they use? Clay, sourced and sculpted locally in Portland, and fired in a kiln powered by solar and wind energy. The glazes are all non-toxic, lead-free and food-safe. The small line of textile goods they have is made of water-based ink printed on a linen/cotton blend.
Where are they based? Portland, Oregon, where each and every item is lovingly made by hand.
Editors’ favorites from the line? We are in love with the Folded Miso Bowl; the simple elegant line and that organic curve make us want to drink everything out of it and always have it warm and cupped in our hands. The sweet little Mini Creamers are not as useful in our everyday lives but they’re so beautiful and curvy, they look like little chubby baby birds. The Rocking Votives are super inviting too, we recommend getting them in a mix of different warm glazes. Also check out the new jewelry line, especially the Fringe Necklace which feels toothy and tribal.
Where can I get the goods? You can get them directly through the Pigeon Toe website where everything is made to order (allow 3 weeks for production, or 7-10 days for the wearable collection). The wait seems long but you get to choose the color of your glazing (when applicable) and know that those pieces were produced specificially for you.
Pigeon Toe goods are also available at a ton of stockists throughout the US, Canada, Australia and Japan (see here for more info). There are also a number of online retailers carrying the goods including Zady, Koromiko, Lin Morris, and Until Further Notice, which might be a good option if you want something in-stock without the fabrication wait.