Elle Maxwell Founder Of Speckled Grey Storefront Image

Speckled Grey

Leicester

My name is Elle and I run Speckled Grey.

I love to make satisfyingly tactile wares to celebrate everyday life. My work is all about bright, matte colours and soft, hand-carved textures. I work by slip-casting with silky Parian porcelain and polishing up each piece to be huggable in your hands. This creates a soothing but vibrant aesthetic to cheer your senses and help create a home you adore.

After my degree, I spent ten years as a delftware painter whilst honing my skills as a maker. I'm continuously learning about this brilliant material and tweaking and refining my practice all the time. I’ve been lucky enough to see my work visit some wonderful places and I hope you find something to treasure here!

The story behind the business
Meet Speckled Grey

I am a ceramicist who studied and specialised in ceramics at Nottingham Trent University, graduating in 2014. Since then I have continued my making career, developing my collections of artisan lighting and objects and learning all the time. I worked in the the ceramics industry as a delftware painter in Oxfordshire for several years where I was able to support my understanding of materials and techniques. I now live in my hometown of Leicester, where I am focusing on my own making adventures.

I am inspired by simple materials and textures, and I am drawn to minimal, clean lines and beautifully finished surfaces. Tiny discrepancies in an object tell a tale of it’s maker and how it came to be the way it is. Initial ideas for my collections were drawn from found rocks and pebbles which are perfectly tactile and eroded from years under the sea. The smooth, polished textures and soft facets were irresistible and these small characteristics have underpinned the designs and processes used in my ceramics. I make with Parian, which is a beautifully soft and tactile clay with a marble-like, translucent finish. My process consists of casting in layers, sanding and polishing the surface and glazing the insides. I am engaged by the soft, matte finish this provides and how it echoes the natural stone surfaces I began with.

founder Credentials

  • Female Founded Business

Returns

Please visit holly.co/customerservice for any return queries

See Holly & Co's Delivery & Returns Policy