white loft ceramics
dreamy ceramics
Ceramics made for everyday, but that doesn’t mean they won’t stand out. White Loft Ceramics by Amanda Payette, based in Ontario, CA.
once upon a dream
White Loft Ceramics was named for a life reimagined, and born from genuine curiosity and yearning for change. A stay at home mother to two young toddlers, Amanda knew she wouldn’t return to a career she was unhappy with. “The kids feel those effects when you’re at a job you don’t love,” she explained.
An alumnus of a performing arts High School in Canada, Amanda enjoyed her drawing classes and woodworking way back when. Looking for a career change that aligned with her interests and skills, pottery felt like the perfect fit. She recalls distinctly turning over to her husband in bed one night at the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic in March of 2020 and saying, “I’m going to be a potter!”
thanks, YouTube!
“I was enthralled by people on the wheel on YouTube,” Amanda reminisces. She did hours of research on the popular video sharing platform to find the best techniques and methods, and took online courses to improve her craft.
creation station
Specializing in functional pottery, Amanda primarily creates mugs, utensil holders, spoon rests and planters.
Growing up on her family farm she was especially fond of collecting farm crocks, which inspires many of her functional and utilitarian designs.
“We had a pig and everything on the farm,” Amanda says. “We all (her and her siblings) had our chores and jobs.” Her style of pottery, clean and contemporary with a splash of ‘farmhouse chic’ is inspired by her early living.
the white loft dream
“When I was younger I really wanted to move into a light and airy loft and do my own thing,” says Amanda, who daydreamed about her ‘white loft’ aesthetic apartment. Married at 19 and divorced at 29, Amanda is now happily remarried and reigniting her ‘white loft’ dream that she was never able to fulfill.
“I enjoy every step of the process,” she explains, even the more painstaking tasks like trimming and attaching the handles onto mugs. “I expected my aunts and uncles and family and friends to buy it, but I never expected this.” Her launch pad to success was an in-real-life artists’ event in Subre, CA, and her instagram account has allowed her to expand internationally, with over 11k followers worldwide.
Even though Amanda has received wholesale offers and hopes to launch a website in the future, her custom orders keep her very busy for now. “Every custom piece has a little story that goes with it,” says Amanda, who has even designed custom urns for pets. “It’s special to be apart of something like that,” she reflects.
amanda’s trademarks
Speckled design
Cork exterior (very popular)
Thumbholes :)
Pops of color (because sometimes you need it- even in a white loft)
Follow along at @whiteloftceramics and direct message on Instagram to place a custom order.