A Passion for Colorful Ceramics

Clothing designer Chris Benz may have been raised on gray and rainy Bainbridge Island, off of Seattle, but he certainly has an eye for color. His jarring yet modern combinations of brights have captured the attention and sparked the imagination of his loyal following, which includes fashion editors, celebrities and a cool, luxury clientele. When not designing, Benz scours New York City flea-markets and the Internet (eBay in particular) for an eclectic mix of mid-century ceramics, animal figurines and brass objets. No surprise then that the designer’s downtown apartment is packed with these pieces, displayed prominently to create what he calls “an informed color story for the whole apartment.”

Benz is obsessed with lush hues of turquoise and red, apparent in his richly glazed collection of 1950s Italian Bitossi and Raymor pottery, as well as a curious group of vintage Chinese birds, also in turquoise and green. None of Benz’s collections are hidden behind cabinet doors (he’s a fan of open-shelving and mantle displays) and he even incorporates the collections as serving pieces and platters when he entertains. “Unfortunately, the pieces are not dishwasher safe,” he says, sighing. Luckily, dinner parties are only an occasional, not nightly, occurrence for the busy young designer who admits, “I order in food from the deli a lot—so much easier!”

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Photographer: Robert Cass