There's something about a well-designed container that draws people in - whether it's a perfectly-fitting lid, an innovative shape, or the heft of the material, an everyday object with more visual interest than your garden variety tupperware or mason jar has the potential to elevate even the most humble contents.

The artists behind Los Angeles-based MH Ceramics - Ron Hellmann and Adi Mizrahi - have their container formula beautifully dialed, thanks to years of experience and a lifetime of passion for the details. You won't find a better designed garlic, butter or salt keeper than theirs, but we've found that their stash jars tend to be the stars of the container show around here. We get asked all the time what the stash jars should be used to hold - the answer is that there's no wrong answer! Ron and Adi were kind enough to take time to chat with us about MH Ceramics' history and future, and what they keep in their stash jars - we hope you'll come away with some ideas for your own. 

How and when did MH Ceramics begin?

Ron: I’ve always been a “maker.” Even as a child I felt the need to create things - whether it was clothes, food, jewelry, art… if I wanted something I would figure out a way to make it myself. My mother was an artist and my father was an engineer and inventor, so that was always encouraged, but it wasn’t until taking a jewelry making class during my second year at university that I had the realization that I didn't want to study medicine; I needed to find a way to make art for a living. The next semester I dropped all my pre-med classes (without telling my parents) and re-enrolled in the arts program at my school.

Adi: We both come from a background in film production, working as an art director and production designer, and we continue to take on film projects. Working in film production can be creative, but you have so many other people involved making decisions about every detail of your work. Ceramics began for both of us as a hobby - something we could do together that was purely creative, without having to consider other people's input or opinions. The problem with a ceramics hobby is you end up with a lot of pottery! You can only give so much of it away to friends and family. We began selling at local craft fairs really as a way to clear out our growing body of work. A few friends with retail stores began carrying our pieces and as we sold more we realized we had inadvertently started a business. Our first big break came when Le Bon Marche in Paris contacted us about carrying our line for a pop-up exhibit featuring Los Angeles artisans. They ordered a few hundred pieces and that really jump started our business.

Ron: Covid hit about two years after we started selling, and we figured that was the end of our business, but it actually grew exponentially. Turns out a lot of people were just stuck in their houses and decided to redecorate!

Was there a dominant shared aesthetic when you started MH, or have your styles evolved and merged as you've grown?

Ron: We tend to develop ideas independently and work individually when creating. The collaboration comes when we discuss how to integrate into our line. Is it sellable in its current form? What would improve it? Is it profitable to produce? Is there a need for it?

Is there a guiding principle that steers the business?

Ron: We are always drawn to making “useful items” such as bowls, jars, lamps, plates and trays rather than purely decorative pieces. We try and put a lot of thought into the function of the piece - how it will be used and incorporated into the user's life. I love knowing that people use our products every day and they are not just not sitting on a shelf looking pretty.

What are your favorite parts of this work? What is the biggest challenge?

Adi: It’s always great when we have the time to sit down and throw some clay and experiment with new shapes and ideas, but as our business grows it's harder and harder to carve out that “free” time. It's important not to let the busywork of the business take over. We are a small company so we both have to handle everything from accounting and inventory to packing and shipping orders to firing the kilns, managing employees, social media, etc… it's a lot!

Your stash jars are so special, and the new saffron color has been a hit. What inspired their design? What do you keep in yours?

Ron: The stash jars are a form that I have been making in different iterations for many years. Before MH Studio was a business, as a hobby potter, I developed the initial design and just kept going back to it, refining it, making the knob bigger, etc. until it reached its current form. We still have a few of the original jars and you would be surprised at how different they look from the current design. So it's a kind of evolution that’s taken place over the last 10 years or so.

We fire our ceramics at such a high temperature (cone 10 reduction - around 2260°). The colors that you are able to get at that temperature are traditionally fairly muted, earthy colors which are very beautiful, but I took that as a challenge to try and develop some brighter glazes. Yellows, oranges and reds can be particularly difficult at higher temperatures. We worked about six months testing and adjusting the saffron glaze recipe until we were happy with the color. It came out pretty nice!

Adi: Of course we have stash jars all over the house! Cotton balls and q-tips in the bathroom, sugar, salt, pet treats, cookies, etc. in the kitchen… our daughter has one in her bedroom full of Lego pieces and Barbie shoes!

What are you looking forward to in the future - with MH or otherwise?

Ron: More growth, more new designs! We would love to design a line of decorative tiles. The possibilities with ceramics is endless!

Adi: They aren’t actually officially a part of our line yet, but we were commissioned to design some end tables for a client and that's been a really creative new direction for us. Look for tables to be added soon!
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Thank you Ron and Adi! Check out our collection of MH Ceramics pieces online or in person at the Home store.