Sustainable homewares brand LIGA launch their latest collection, a charming collaboration with heritage label Hornsea.

Known for their clean and contemporary eco-friendly pieces, LIGA’s signature collection of cork placemats, coasters and trays are now available featuring eye-catching vintage Hornsea patterns and prints. The iconic Hornsea pottery designs - Saffron, Happy Cat Sad Cat and Peacock amongst others - are featured on LIGA’s organic cork homewares, with these bold motifs creating an uplifting and stylish addition to any table or kitchen. This collaboration of two Great British brands - one a historic influential design leader and the other a contemporary, forward-thinking sustainable label - brings the past and future together beautifully . 

Founded by brothers, Colin and Desmond Rawson, Hornsea Pottery was born on the East Yorkshire coast in 1949. Starting as a small cottage-industry, production quickly expanded, with Hornsea Pottery eventually becoming one of the major producers of pottery and tableware in the UK, establishing itself as a global brand. In 1967, the pottery began producing their extremely popular and now iconic tableware ranges, with the prints now featured in this new collection by LIGA.

“Growing up in the 1970’s, I remember the wonderful Saffron pattern in our home. It was simple and comforting in the shape of a teapot, tea, coffee and sugar containers - it summed up British design for me at that time.” Comments Jennie Elderkin, Founder of LIGA. “Fast forward many years to today and I was delighted and curious to be approached by the license owners of Hornsea Pottery to bring these designs alive on eco and sustainable materials. It has been such a joy and pleasure to delve into the Hornsea history to discover so many wonderful designs and to be able to bring them to you in a new collection of homewares. “

With an ethos is to make everyday products sustainable and affordable, LIGA’s designs bring a natural sense of balance into the home. 

With cork being one of LIGA's key materials, the cork they use is a waste product, grown and harvested in Portugal in the Montado forests and is a key story for the brand. A remarkable natural and sustainable material, cork has excellent thermal properties, is impermeable to liquids and gases, super resilient, lightweight and hypoallergenic. The eco-friendly process of cork harvesting enables the products to be made without the need for felling trees and without interfering with the delicate eco systems of the cork forests, ensuring the safety for their animal inhabitants. Cork forests, also play a vital role in the control of climate balance by absorbing a huge 32 million tons of CO2 each year and once cork is harvested it is still a living material, which continues to absorb Co2 long after it has been cut down. The process of harvesting cork bark has remained practically unchanged for centuries, naturally and by hand - a highly skilled and specialised industry.

“Hornsea Pottery was made to be affordable, used every day and to be enjoyed - just like our LIGA products.” says Jennie. “We hope all those whose hearts and souls were poured into making Hornsea Pottery fifty years ago, would smile and nod with approval, as this iconic British brand lives on in a new way for  the 21st Century. “

LIGA History 
Homeware brand LIGA (pronounced Leega) produce clean and contemporary eco-friendly pieces with their main collections including placemats and coasters, trays, trivets, tableware, kitchen textiles and furniture. 
Founded in 2017 by husband and wife team Jennie and David Elderkin, this is a fast growing family run business based in Cornwall with over 900 LIGA stockists across the UK, in addition to their bespoke collections created for global brands. The brand is very much connected to nature in the way it uses materials sustainably, their design inspiration and the charities they support.
“Exploring ways to make our daily home lives kinder to the planet is something we should all be working towards” explains Jennie who is passionate about each of us considering our everyday choices. “We can all change one thing in our lives to be more eco positive and slowly but surely it will make an impact but if we all jumped onboard and really gave eco-living our full attention, we could make a rapid difference, creating a better future for our children and coming generations. We want people to be curious, wanting to learn more about an eco living lifestyle, be inspired and ready for change”.

Hornsea History 
Founded by brothers, Colin and Desmond Rawson in 1949, Hornsea Pottery was born in the seaside town of Hornsea on the East Yorkshire coast.  Starting as a small cottage-industry, making plaster of Paris models as souvenirs for the local tourists, the brothers had no previous experience of this industry, finding their own way. 

 

Initially operating from a small terraced house near the sea front, the production needs quickly expanding, with a move to larger premises and Hornsea Pottery eventually becoming one of the major producers of pottery and tableware in the UK, establishing itself as a global brand. 

 

In 1967, the pottery began producing their extremely popular and now iconic tableware ranges. By the early 1970’s, Hornsea Pottery produced over 3 million pieces a year and was the largest pottery manufacturer in the world.

 

Their unique and groundbreaking techniques and patterns with a multitude of distinctive designs, Hornsea Pottery became known throughout the world, prized by collectors for their quality and innovation which often blended  ‘pop’ graphics with Arts and Crafts influence. It was sold in thousands of outlets across the world for over 50 years with virtually every household in Britain having at least one piece of Hornsea pottery. 

 

A great British design story, Hornsea Pottery worked with a number of talented designers, with the work of  John Clappison Junior being the most notable legacy for this legendary vintage homewares brand creating many of the classic designs instantly identified as belonging to Hornsea.

 

LIGA’s Hornsea Collection - Available from loveliga.com 

Set of 4 rectangle placemats - £30 ; Set of 4 square coasters - £15; 

Cork drinks tray - £30; Set of 2 eco dishcloths - £7.95

 

For all LIGA press enquiries, contact Lucy Jenner-Brown, lucy@lucyjennerbrown.com / 07971 688939