With shorter, colder days approaching as autumn fully settles in and winter draws nearer, we thank our lucky stars for the joyful, last-days-of-summer-spirit of the new Villa Bologna and Gavin Houghton collaboration.
Launching tomorrow, the collection brings together the Maltese heritage studio with the London-based interior designer and ceramicist through a series of five plates and two vases. For Sophie Edwards, who runs Villa Bologna Pottery with her husband Rowley, the project felt both natural and serendipitous. ‘I have long admired Gavin’s work as both an artist and a ceramicist,’ she says. She was introduced to Gavin’s plates when his husband, photographer Boz Gagovski, gave one to her while they were working on a shoot. ‘I adored it instantly and displayed it in pride of place in our kitchen, where it has been loved ever since. When the opportunity came to collaborate, it felt incredibly special.’
It is easy to see why. Gavin’s artistic sensibility, which is nurtured in his eclectic interior design practice and enriched by his life in Morocco, feels at one with Villa Bologna’s breezy, convivial, Mediterranean identity. ‘We both share a love for bold design that is rooted in tradition but also full of fun and energy, which makes the collaboration feel seamless and exciting.’
The result is a range designed to delight. Plates loosely inspired by the Bloomsbury aesthetic are hand painted with a relaxed, easy touch in a Delft-esque blue are enlivened with bold red dots. The colourful, joyful figurative vases–an instant conversation starter–are sure to bring personality to any table or mantelpiece. ‘The overall mood is light-hearted and playful, to bring a smile to your face,’ Gavin explains. ‘People living with these pieces should have fun; the plates can be mixed up and added to. Sitting in a fun table cloth adds to the party.’
As with all Villa Bologna pieces, each design has been hand made and hand painted by the pottery’s artisans in Malta, ensuring no two are ever quite the same. The collaboration stands as a testament to the enduring appeal of hybrid ceramics that are functional while still revelling in artistry.
Villa Bologna Pottery x Gavin Houghton launches September 2025 at villabolognapottery.com
.png)
