Inside the Collaboration: Schoolhouse x Notary Ceramics
Here at Schoolhouse, we’re proud to consider Portland, Oregon home—most especially because of the inspiring makers we get to call neighbors. Just up the river, for example, in the historic Sellwood neighborhood, the team at Notary Ceramics is creating homewares designed to last for generations.
One look at Notary’s pieces, and it’s easy to see what we have in common. We share a love for the handmade, as well as intentional design. We also believe that the best possessions are timeless—and that anything worth owning now is worth owning forever. Needless to say, it wasn’t long before we approached one another about a potential collaboration.
Many discussions and prototypes later, we’re pleased to introduce an all-new lighting collection featuring shades hand-thrown by Sarah Van Raden, the owner and potter behind Notary. To give you a behind-the-scenes look at the collaboration, we asked Sarah to give us all the delightful details.
How did the collaboration come about?
SVR: Schoolhouse has always been on my radar as a Portland-based company that has a similar ethos to Notary, so it has always been on my bucket list of companies to work with.
When we finally had the bandwidth to do a larger-scale collaboration, I reached out. It turned out that Schoolhouse had also been thinking about us. I'm not sure exactly how our paths eventually crossed, but I think we were both kind of destined to work together.
What is your approach to design?
SVR: I try to create things that are both functional and timeless so they can be used for generations. I don't want them to enter the market and then leave in another five to ten years because they're out of style. That is why our palette is so calm and neutral. It’s inspired by nature and Oregon—this is where I'm from.
What similarities do you see between the Schoolhouse and Notary Ceramics philosophies?
SVR: We both have a thoughtful approach to very purposeful design, creating timeless, one-of-a-kind pieces that will stand the test of time.
What inspired the ruffled edge on the shades?
SVR: I’ve been playing with my lighting collection for the past four to five years. I was inspired by this more feminine, soft, curvy body, so I started playing with these ruffles.
When I got together with the designers at Schoolhouse, that was one of the first things they were attracted to as well. We decided to bring in this fluid shape, which would sit well with more industrial Schoolhouse pieces but also be a slight departure in this more organic material.
How does each shade come to life? What is the production process at Notary Ceramics like?
SVR: Every shade is handmade. We start on the wheel, where I throw each piece myself. Each ruffle is hand-pinched—I wait for it to be leather-hard and pinch each ruffle with my fingers, almost like a pie crust. Each ruffle is a little bit different from the next.
After that, my incredible assistant, Tina, preps each piece for its first firing. When it comes out, she stamps it and glazes it by hand. We dip and pour our glazes, so they all come out unique. Once it's glazed, it goes into its last firing, and when it comes out, it's finished.
What is your favorite fixture in the collection and why?
SVR: My favorite piece in this collection is the flush mount, mostly because we haven't gotten to experiment with any flush mounts on our side of things. To see that come to life with these beautiful high-end components that only Schoolhouse has access to is pretty exciting.
