I knew I was a grown-up the day I started to care about housewares. I didn’t have a house yet – just an apartment – but when registering for wedding gifts, I was actually excited about Kate Spade martini glasses and Calvin Klein bath towels. Now that I have a house, I care even more.

I was excited to discover the functional ceramics of Gina DeSantis. This Cleveland-based artist creates magnificent mugs, bowls, plates, and pendants out of ceramics and stoneware. For someone with a Masters of Fine Arts, you would almost expect her to create fussy pieces better suited for pate than PB&J. Her goal is to blend beauty and function, and she succeeds.

I have never used my fancy china because, even though it looks nicer than my collection of mismatched mugs with cartoon characters and logos emblazoned on them, it just feels too delicate to use. Gina’s pieces are gorgeous and don’t inspire fear. I am proud to serve a heaping mug of tea or cocoa They are sturdy, well-weighted, and microwave and dishwasher safe (though she recommends hand washing to preserve the glaze). Gina incorporates interesting glaze combinations and printmaking techniques to ensure that each hand-fired piece is a work of art.

Visit Gina on the web at GinaDeSantisCeramics.com. To purchase, visit her Etsy Page