On handmade ceramics, unexpected connections and the pleasure of surrounding ourselves with objects that have a story to tell.
There is something particularly lovely about welcoming a new object into an old house. Especially when it has been made by hand, travelled a long way and already carries a story of its own.
A few days ago, a parcel arrived at Haus Mannenberg from England.
Inside was a beautiful collection of ceramics by Sophie Fletcher, the artist behind Zosia Ceramics. Pieces we had been looking forward to receiving for quite some time.
And they were every bit as wonderful as we had imagined.
A Chance Encounter
We first met Sophie through a workshop organised by TOAST last autumn.
Her work immediately caught our attention.
The expressive blue flowers, the wonderfully irregular shapes, the loose and confident brushstrokes. There is a certain spontaneity to her ceramics, as though each piece has developed its own personality along the way.
Nothing feels overly considered or perfectly uniform. And that is precisely what makes them so appealing.
We knew almost immediately that we wanted some of Sophie's work to find its way to Haus Mannenberg.
It took a little time, but perhaps that makes their arrival all the more special.
The Beauty of Imperfection
We have always been drawn to objects that reveal something of the hands that made them.
A slight irregularity in the shape of a bowl. A brushstroke that doesn't quite follow the one before it. Subtle differences between two pieces that, at first glance, appear almost identical.
These are the details that give handmade objects their character.
In a world where so much is manufactured to look exactly the same, there is something reassuring about the individuality of a piece of pottery.
It also feels particularly appropriate in a house like ours.
Haus Mannenberg has stood in the Bernese Oberland for more than three centuries. Its old timber, uneven surfaces and traces of earlier generations are an essential part of its character.
During the three years we spent restoring the house, we tried to preserve as much of that individuality as possible.
We never wanted everything to look new, nor did we want every surface to be perfectly straight.
The beauty of an old building lies partly in the things that time has made imperfect.
Perhaps that is why Sophie's ceramics seem so immediately at home here.
Collected, Not Decorated
One of the guiding ideas behind Haus Mannenberg has always been that a home should evolve rather than be decorated all at once.
Some of our furniture and objects have been with us for years. Others were discovered during travels, through chance encounters or conversations with people whose work we admire.
They don't necessarily belong to the same period or follow a particular design language.
But they share something more important: each has been chosen because we genuinely love it.
A handmade cup can be as meaningful as a beautifully designed chair. An old table may have more presence than an entire room of carefully coordinated furniture.
It is these layers, built gradually over time, that give a home its personality.
Sophie's ceramics have now become another small part of that collection.
Their painted blue flowers provide a beautiful contrast to the warm tones of the old timber, while their relaxed forms sit naturally alongside the house's other materials and textures.
They look as though they have always belonged here.
Made for Everyday Life
Perhaps the loveliest thing about these pieces is that they are not destined to spend their lives on a shelf.
They are here to be used.
For morning coffee, an afternoon cup of tea, flowers collected from the garden or whatever else the day happens to bring.
We have never been particularly interested in keeping beautiful things only for special occasions.
There is much more pleasure in making them part of ordinary life.
Over time, a favourite cup becomes the one you reach for without thinking. A bowl finds its place on the breakfast table. A vase changes with the seasons.
And slowly, these objects become part of the familiar rituals that make a house feel like home.
That, to us, is the real beauty of craftsmanship.
Not simply that something has been made beautifully, but that it continues to bring pleasure long after it has left the maker's hands.
Thank you, Sophie, for sending a little piece of your world to ours.
We couldn't be happier to have it here.
Haus Mannenberg, October 2026.
