Telling Stories Through Tabletop
Moments Captured by Shawn Laughlin of Caskata Artisanal Home
For Shawn Laughlin, founder and designer at Caskata Artisanal Home, there’s always a
place at the table for inspired, well-designed tableware. Making food look as beautiful
as it tastes is a part of the overall experience of sharing a meal. In 2007, she launched
Caskata, where she creates boldly graphic tableware and giftware lines that fuse
contemporary and vintage aesthetics.
“Our designs represent carefully edited compositions, and each captures a moment’s
story,” Shawn explains. “Within these stories you’ll find motion, depth, and a gardener’s
sense of color.”
Her design inspirations come from the things she loves best; natural elements primarily,
as well as historical imagery that she takes in new, contemporary directions. Her design
process is one of collage, composition, and some drawing – all done digitally on her
computer using a drawing tablet.
With a full-time staff of five based in Massachusetts, Caskata maintains all production in
the USA. Potteries in Ohio and Virginia hand-decorate the lead-free porcelain wares with
food safe glazes.
At the summer market, look for Caskata’s extended tableware range with new gift items
and two new patterns. “We’re on a mission to grow the line to accommodate a broader
range of price point and aesthetic directions,” she adds.
home
Caskata Artisanal Home
Pursuing Paper
Caskata also offers a new paper line, including
napkins, paper placemats, coasters, gift bags and
melamine plates and gift sets. “I love fine paper
– the texture, the feel of it in your hand,” Shawn
explains. “Paper was my first love, in that the ability
to recreate a broad range of colors is greater than
in porcelain. The manufacturing process is just a bit
closer to ‘hands on.’”
From Film to Finery
Shawn brings a filmmaker’s eye to her designs. She
graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and
embarked on an advertising career in commercial
TV production. Over time, her appreciation grew
for visual design—color, texture, and composition—
facets she now applies to tableware design.
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