Working out of their Amsterdam design studio, Stefan Scholten and Carole Baijings practice what they call an atelier way of working. “That means we mix our own colors, make our own materials and build our own models,” says Baijings. “This leads us to colors, shapes and forms that you can’t design on a computer.” Their Paper Porcelain Vase (2015) began with the desire to create a porcelain object that looks like folded cardboard or thick paper. “The first prototype came back solid white,” says Baijings, “which is when we discovered that some vendors use magnets to pull impurities out of clay.” One company after another told the designers that the project was impossible, “but there’s always a lot more that’s possible than you think,” she says. When they found a porcelain manufacturer that didn’t use magnets, Paper Porcelain was born. Dishwasher safe. Made in Japan.

Slight flecks in the vase are intentional, not imperfections.