If you follow us on Instagram, you’re probably well aware that here in the KW Studio, there is always a new project, idea or product in the works.

Sometimes our ideas may not evolve past the experimental point (we’ve had our fair share of glaze fails), and other times we may be so busy pumping out orders that it can take a while to release a new product, but there is always something in the pipeline.

Personally, I love seeing how others create. I can’t get enough of behind the scenes features, studio/home tours and ‘what’s in my bag’ videos – and they’re so popular I know a lot of you must love them too! Discovering the story behind how other people do things helps us to connect, and we want to invite you in for a sneak peak into the studio for the same experience.

So.. without further ado, welcome to ‘In The Works’ a new, recurring feature where we will be sharing the processes behind our product developments, custom projects and studio upgrades. We invite you to ask away if you have any questions at all, or if there is something you would love to see from us – let us know in the comments!

For our first feature, we will be sharing how our new ‘Sushi Sets’ came to fruition.

At the end of last year, we added another member to our team. Cate had spent the two years previous living in Japan, and wanted to bring some of the everyday rituals she loved in Japanese culture home to Australia. In collaboration with Kim, Cate put together a Sushi and Tea set to help instill art and calm into her everyday life.

Sketching out her ideas was the first step in putting together the sets. As most of the items weren’t from any of our previous collections, we then had to begin sampling from scratch. This involved trialling the new shapes a few times and choosing what glazes suited best. The chopstick rests took a little longer to perfect, as we realised the base of our original design wasn’t exactly flat, and would rock from side to side – a no-go for such a calming scene!

After a while of going back and forth with design changes, we finally settled on two different colour combinations – in-yō (yin-yang) – black and white. Each set includes a tray/plate, soy pourer, soy dish, chopstick rest, tea bowl and vase, and will come packaged in a beautiful gift box.

We’re almost ready to list them on our online store, so keep your eyes open on our Instagram for a release date! We also have plans extend the range to offer rice bowls, ramen bowls and more, so keep an eye out for when we begin to trial these new shapes.

Do you have a favourite Japanese dish or ritual?