Featured Shop: Yvonne Ellen

My name is Yvonne, and I design and make a unique range of upcycled vintage tablewares for my shop, Yvonne Ellen. I live in the ever-inspiring city of London, England, with my boyfriend, Craig, and an immense amount of bone china. I make all of my pieces by hand from my home-based studio.

I have always been attracted to all things vintage. Initially I was drawn to clothes, shoes and jewelry, which I used to raid the local charity shops for. As I got older and moved into flats and houses I had to furnish myself, I became more and more interested in vintage housewares. I wanted to find unique and quirky pieces that would enhance my living environment.

I love nothing more than hunting through piles and piles of old crockery at vintage fairs and charity shops to discover beautiful and unique gems ready for a transformation. Once I have a good collection, I set to work creating quirky designs with a sense of charm and intrigue. I am intrigued by the stories behind the long-forgotten pieces that I work with, and love giving them a new lease of life for contemporary tastes.

Combining elegant vintage pieces with playful illustrations helps to maintain a strong, cohesive feel to my work. The majority of vintage bone china I use is from extremely old English tea sets, which means that no two designs are the same. I am constantly on the lookout for pieces to rescue and remodel, and often the pieces themselves inspire the kind of designs I apply to them. I never know what I’m going to come across next, so my work is ever-changing and my customers can always find new products in my shop from one week to the next.

I love the work I do, and being able to turn it into a business is very rewarding. It all started with a cake plate that I made as a wedding gift for a friend of mine. After some great feedback, I decided to take the leap into selling online. The thought that my plates are adorning homes all over the world is a fantastic feeling.

Maker photo by Jon Aaron Green, all others by Yvonne Ellen.