Let us start by discussing what ceramic is and, from there on, take it to how its adds value to our homes. Ceramic is a non-metallic material that is organically found. The texture of these is smooth and sturdy. Even though they are strong, one must handle ceramics carefully as they are delicate pieces that could easily break. Ceramic is most commonly used in tableware, tiles, decor, figurines, and other home decor items. Having ceramic decor adds a lot of aesthetic value to the house.
The process of using ceramic can be simply explained by saying that clay is heated and brought to extremely high temperatures. Once it has reached high temperatures, the clay hardens. As a natural tendency, ceramic items are of low density, which eventually means they absorb very little to no water. The benefit of using them is that since they are hard in nature, once these are heated to high temperatures, you can easily mold them into whatever required shape and size. Also, using different clays, colors, designs, and textures becomes very easy. This is mainly done before the ceramic item is put in the oven. The temperature that the ceramic material can tolerate can be as high as 3000 F.
Ceramics is not something new to our country and has been present for a very long period. When we talk about pottery, it has been used in our country for a long time, and pottery was used not only for cooking but also for serving food. Countries like Japan, China, and Egypt also use beautifully made ceramic pieces for storing liquids.
A fun fact here: One of the first pottery pieces was seen in 18000 BC in China. This makes ceramic material known to be one of the oldest art pieces in our history.
Hand-made ceramics is now a thing of fashion, where these eco-friendly pieces add a lot of value to our homes. Each ceramic item used has its own story, making it unique and speaking about the artist who has put in their hard work and skill.
Let us discuss some advantages of having Ceramic decor in homes
- Ease of cleaning and maintaining: One of the most basic advantages of using a ceramic pieces as home decor is the ease with which these can be cleaned. Cleaning ceramics is as easy as using a wet tissue or cloth. Ceramics have the added advantage of being free from any kind of water stains. However, one thing which should be kept in mind when dealing with delicate, hand-painted ceramics is the use of harsh chemicals and detergents for cleaning. These chemicals could eventually harm the color and delicacy of the ceramics over time. Also, even though these are extremely easy to maintain, you should always take care of any material that may be attached to them, be it hooks, handles, etc.
- Hygiene: When we speak of health and hygiene, ceramics are the safest products that can be used in homes. These are free of any sort of volatile or toxic substances. Also, since their surface is waterproof, it does in no way retain any form of fungus, bacteria, mites, or any other form of irritants that could be the reason for any allergy. Most of the time, we don’t even consider these points while buying fancy-looking decor items for our homes, but this should be taken into consideration since they can directly impact us.
- Durability: Even though one may think that ceramics are not strong enough and are easily breakable, this may not be the case when ceramic is compared to others like porcelain and even glass. Ceramic is comparatively stronger than the others; in most cases, it would not break as easily as others. Another extremely important point to note here is that since ceramic home decor, in general, can withstand extremely high temperatures, unlike other materials, a slight increase or decrease in temperature would not cause any harm to your decorative items. When we talk about harm, it refers to cracks and breakage.
Ceramics have good thermal properties that make them a good choice to be used for oil burners, which require constant exposure to heat. Most importantly, in today’s time, where cooking has become faster with the help of a microwave, having ceramics saves a lot of money by not wanting to buy extra utensils since these are microwave safe. Since these ceramics are easily usable in microwaves does in no way makes them unsafe since they are still free of any toxins. - Eco-friendly and made ethically: Having your homemade eco-friendly and ethically made is what all of us should be aiming for. Having ceramic decor ensures that the products are made eco-friendly during their production as well as crafting. These materials are extremely easy to manufacture and recycle. Most of the ceramic products that we see and buy for our homes contain waste, which means it lowers the impact of any sort on the environment.
- Originality and versatility: Ceramics are very versatile products, and they can be placed not only indoors but also outdoors. Due to their durability, these products can be implemented with endless combinations and ideas, irrespective of the location of the house they are put in. Ceramic decor can beautify any sort of space and work in any sort of setup. It can be done in a wide variety of colors and designs, which adds a lot of appeal to the house.
Ceramics can be very creatively used in the following:
- Planters and vases
- Lightening
- Mugs and cups
- Dishes
- Decor
- There are several possibilities of pairing your simple ceramic pieces with other materials like wood, metal, etc. the best part is that ceramic beautifully blends in with the other materials making it look fresh and effortlessly beautiful.
Using ceramics in homes is a great option when it comes to designing your house in a chic and minimalistic manner. These extremely simple or stylish pieces can come beautifully to highlight your home.
