ferm LIVING Flow Tableware: Stoneware Plates, Mugs and Jugs

Flow is ferm LIVING's stoneware tableware series, built around one idea: each plate, mug and jug should look as if it came off a potter's bench rather than a production line. This piece looks at what defines the series, how the reactive glaze behaves, how the sizes fit together and which pieces earn their place on an everyday table.

Purposefully imperfect, by design

ferm LIVING describes Flow as purposefully imperfect tableware, made using traditional craftsmanship techniques with a distinctly modern sensibility. In practice that means soft, slightly irregular rims, forms that lean towards the generous, and a surface that changes subtly from one piece to the next. Nothing in the range is sharp or crisp. Edges are rounded, handles are drawn out long, and the glaze pools and thins where the clay curves.

The material underneath is stoneware, a dense, high fired clay body that suits daily use. It feels heavier and warmer in the hand than porcelain, and it reads as more rustic on the table. The series is offered in two colourways throughout: Off-white Speckle, a pale glaze flecked with small dark points, and Black, a deep semi-matte finish. Because every piece in the range shares the same two options, mixing a plate, a mug and a jug from Flow always gives a coordinated result.

One practical note before going further. Holmegaard also makes a glass series called Flow, a range of drinking glasses with no connection to these ceramics. If you are looking for the drinking glasses, our comparison Flow vs Idéelle: Which Holmegaard Glass for Daily Use covers them. Everything below refers to the ferm LIVING stoneware.

How the reactive glaze behaves

The defining feature of Flow is its reactive glaze. A reactive glaze contains minerals that respond to heat in the kiln, so the final colour and texture depend on how thickly the glaze sits on the surface and how the temperature moves around each piece. The result is variation: on the speckled pieces the flecks gather differently from plate to plate, and on the black pieces you see slight shifts in depth and sheen along rims and handles. No two items are quite identical, which is exactly the point of the series.

The finish is matte to semi-matte rather than glossy. That gives Flow its quiet, chalky look, but it also has a consequence worth knowing. ferm LIVING notes that the matte glaze may show cutlery marks with use, fine grey lines left by knives and forks over time. Some owners see these as part of the handcrafted character of the pieces, a record of meals eaten. If you prefer surfaces that stay pristine, keep this in mind, particularly for the plates, which take the most contact with steel.

The plates and bowls: sizes that build a table

The plates are where most people start. The Flow Plate Large measures Ø27 cm with a height of 2 cm and weighs 0.8 kg, a generous size that ferm LIVING positions for breakfast, lunch and dinner alike. It is broad enough for a full dinner but shallow, so it works equally well as a serving plate for bread or cheese. Below it sit the Medium at Ø22 cm and the Small at Ø15 cm, which cover starters, side dishes and cake.

The Breakfast Plate breaks the round format. At 24 x 2 x 14 cm and 0.4 kg it is an elongated shape, useful for toast, a croissant or a small selection of cheese and fruit, and it sits neatly beside a mug on a narrow table or tray.

The bowls follow the same logic. The Bowl Large is 20 x 5 x 19.5 cm, wide and fairly low, suited to salads, pasta or sharing. The Medium at Ø14 cm takes porridge, yoghurt or soup, and the Small at Ø9 cm is the size for nuts, olives, dips or sauces.

For a simple everyday setting, a Large plate, a Small plate and a Medium bowl per person covers most meals. Because the forms are irregular, stacks are slightly uneven, which looks relaxed on open shelving and is worth allowing for in a tight cupboard.

Mugs, jug and teapot: the long handle

The pieces for drinks carry the most recognisable detail of the series: an elongated handle that drops well below the body. On the Flow Mug it gives room for several fingers and makes the mug easy to hold when it is full. The mug measures 9 x 11 x 12 cm, weighs 0.3 kg and holds 36 cl, a generous volume that ferm LIVING describes as built for the first coffee of the day. There is also a Mug with Saucer at 8 x 8 x 11.5 cm and 0.45 kg, a slightly more formal option for tea or a flat white.

The Flow Jug takes the same handle and stretches it to a taller form. It measures 10 x 22 x 15 cm, weighs 0.8 kg and holds 1 litre, enough water for a table of four or juice and milk at breakfast. Its clean, simple lines and long handle give it real presence, so it can stand as a centre point on a table between meals. For smaller quantities there is the Milk Jar at 13 x 12 x 8.5 cm.

The Flow Teapot is the most sculptural piece. It has a gently rounded silhouette and a curved, playful handle, measures 14 x 20 x 14.8 cm, weighs 1.0 kg and holds 150 cl. Note that a tea leaf strainer is not included, so plan on a separate infuser or tea bags. In Black it makes a strong graphic shape on a pale table; in Off-white Speckle it feels lighter and softer.

The smaller pieces that complete the range

Beyond plates and drinkware, Flow includes a Sauce Boat, Egg Cups in a set of 2, Napkin Rings in a set of 4 and a Jar with Spoon for sugar, salt or honey. These are the pieces that turn a few plates into a complete table, and because they share the same glaze and colourways they sit easily alongside the larger items. The egg cups and the teapot together make a natural breakfast setting; the sauce boat and the large plates suit a Sunday dinner.

Living with Flow: choosing colour and combining pieces

The choice between the two colourways shapes the whole table. Off-white Speckle is the easier starting point: it shows food in natural colours, works with wood, linen and pale stone, and the speckle hides small marks well. Black is more dramatic. Food colours look intense against it, and it pairs well with brass, smoked glass and dark wood, though fine cutlery marks may show more readily on a dark matte surface.

Many people mix the two. A common approach is to choose one colour for the plates and bowls and the other for the serving pieces, for example Off-white Speckle plates with a Black jug and teapot. Because every Flow piece is offered in both, the combinations stay consistent however you build them up.

A sensible way to start is with the mug and the large plate, the two pieces you will use every day, then add the jug or the teapot as the table grows. To see Flow alongside the rest of the plates, bowls and serving pieces we carry, browse the Tableware & Kitchen collection.