Four families, and what they are for

Eight glazes is enough to get lost in, so we keep them in four pairs. Each pair does a different job in a kitchen, and knowing the job makes the choice easier than staring at eight colors side by side.

The four families

• Core: Chalk and Ink. The two that go with everything and disappear into a kitchen. Chalk is on eleven of the twelve shapes and Ink on seven, so this is the pair to build on if you are unsure.
• Earth: Ochre and Rust. The warm ones, and the ones that look best with food in them. Ochre comes on the casserole, saucepan, frying pan, mug and canister. Rust is on the casserole, kettle, mug and pitcher.
• Field: Sage and Sea. The quiet colors. Sea is on six shapes, including the plate, the colander and the canister. Sage covers the casserole, kettle, mug, bowl and pitcher.
• Table: Butter and Damson. The two we expected to sell least, and did not. Butter is on the casserole, mug, bowl and tray. Damson is on the casserole, mug, bowl and plate.

How to mix them

Pick one family for the pans that live on the stove, and let the table go wider. A Core pan on the stove with Earth or Table on the table looks planned rather than accidental. The Table Set works on the same idea: four dinner plates, four bowls and four mugs in Sage and Damson, which looks deliberate rather than matching. It is $145, against $240 for the same pieces bought apart.

If you are unsure about a family, start with a mug. At $14 it is the cheapest way into the library, and it comes in all eight. It is also the piece most people buy in a color they would not have risked on a pan, and more than a few of those mugs end up choosing the next pan.

Why pairs

Every glaze was chosen so that any two of them sit happily on the same table. The families are a shortcut through that, not a rule. Ink and Butter is not a family, and it works. Sea and Rust is not one either, and a Rust pitcher on Sea plates is hard to beat.

Start with a pair. The other six will still be here.