The Beautiful Imperfection of Astier de Villatte

Walk into any home that owns a piece of Astier de Villatte, and you'll notice it immediately: the slightly uneven rim of a dinner plate, the way the glaze pools a little differently on every mug, the soft, chalky white against deep black clay. Nothing matches perfectly — and that's exactly the point.

A Parisian Workshop, Not a Factory

Astier de Villatte was founded in Paris by Ivan Pericoli and Benoît Astier de Villatte, two friends who wanted to make objects the old way: by hand, in small batches, with all the irregularity that implies. Every piece starts as black terracotta clay, hand-poured into vintage molds — some of them centuries old, sourced from flea markets and antique dealers around France. The clay is then dipped in a glossy white tin glaze that never sits quite the same way twice.

The result is dinnerware, vases, and candlesticks that feel less like tableware and more like small sculptures — the kind of objects you find yourself picking up just to look at.

More Than Dinnerware

While Astier de Villatte is best known for its ceramics, the house has quietly built out a world around the table:

• Scented candles, made in the same ateliers, with fragrances developed to be worn as much as burned
• Incense and incense holders — including sculptural pieces shaped like a mushroom or a Marie Antoinette silhouette, equal parts function and whimsy
• Stationery and notebooks, bound in the same spirit of quiet, handmade luxury
• Body care — soap, cream, and even a beautifully packaged dishwashing liquid, because why should the sink be the one un-beautiful corner of the kitchen?

The Ceramic Mushroom Family

One small, much-loved detail in the collection: a trio of ceramic mushrooms — Baby, Mummy, and Daddy — each a slightly different size, each entirely its own. They're a good stand-in for the whole Astier de Villatte philosophy: playful, a little eccentric, and made to be collected one piece at a time rather than bought as a matching set.

Why We Carry It

At Homebody, we're drawn to things that don't try to look perfect — objects with a maker's hand still visible in them. Astier de Villatte does that better than almost anyone. Every piece we carry is meant to be used, lived with, and eventually added to, plate by plate, candle by candle.

Shop our full Astier de Villatte collection in store or online.