When I first moved into my own place, my mother gifted me a white, bone china dinnerware set. She told me that every house should have a complete set, and that way, if you ever break (or chip) a piece, you can easily replace it by finding the missing link in the same collection. I thought it was a great tip, and I use my bone china everyday. However, I love the idea of unique, charming ceramics made in small batches and limited quantities. I reserve specialty dinnerware for holidays and dinner parties, but here are three brands that make me want to reconsider, and add a splash of the idiosyncratic into the everyday.

Heath Ceramics has been around since 1948, but the California-based company hit my radar only a few years ago. Originally founded by Edith and Brian Heath, Heath Ceramics was purchased by Robin Petravic and Catherine Bailey in 2003. Today, they are known for their high quality products and collections that are both elegant and playful. They’ve even done special projects, like their Breakfast Tea Set, which includes a sampling from one of my favorite tea brands, Bellocq Tea Company. (Photo Credit: Sweetwater Dinnerware Set from the Alabama Chanin Collection, Heath Ceramics)

Honeycomb Studio’s Courtney Hamill is based in Atlanta, and adds chic details like textured surfaces and gold embellishments to her collection of vases, lamps, and porcelain decor (like antlers!). She even has a collection of Christmas ornaments in a vibrant red hue and gold piping that would look amazing all over a green fir during the holidays. (Photo Credit: Cylinder Vase with Gold Bands, Honeycomb Studio)

While all of the Dauville Collection from Andrew Corrie’s Canvas Home catches my eye, I’m partial to the pieces with gold interiors. They would look great at a dinner party on their own, or alongside the gold rimmed vases and dinnerware from the same collection, creating an uniform look with pieces that are different, yet similar. (Photo Credit: Dauville Bowls in Gold from the Dauville Collection, Canvas Home)