About Us

We're Sound Ceramics

Photo: Leesha King Photography

Rooted in the Pacific Northwest, we strive to make items that feel connected to the land and sea. Each piece is designed and made by hand meaning there is no one piece is like another. 

We make pieces that are meant to be used and loved every day. Something that is delicate yet durable. Something that is mindful and feels good in your hand. Something that is distinct yet connected to the other items you've collected throughout your life. 

Our goal is to run Sound Ceramics with our values. First and foremost, we want to give credit where it's due. Thank you to Yesica Balderrama who helped us design our incredible logo and makers mark. We also could not have gotten our studio up and running without the help of Seattle Pottery Supply, where we source our clay and the majority of our tools from. 

Second, as we build our business, we intend to find ways to contribute to and support local causes. As we implement those changes, we will be transparent about our goals and actions. In that, we also would like to acknowledge that we are constantly learning. We might not always get it right on the first go, but promise to acknowledge any missteps along the way, continue learning, and have open, honest, and respectful conversations. 

Meet the Makers

Alli Parrett

I started playing with clay when I was a freshman in high school. I was really privileged in that my school had a robust art program, including a ceramics full studio. I learned the basics of hand-building and then wheel throwing and grew to appreciate and love the marriage of art and science of this medium. After high school, I had a 9-year hiatus away from pottery--life took me in other directions. I got my undergrad in English Lit, moved from the Midwest to the West Coast, traveled, met my partner, got a dog, moved to Scotland for a year, got my Masters in Creative Writing, and in between all of that I've worked as a consultant, a marketer, and a bartender. Through that hiatus, I often missed throwing and found other ways to learn and participate in the community. I followed other artists and started growing our mug collection.

When we moved back to Seattle in 2018, I really wanted to find a way to throw again. I rented space from another local potter and pretty quickly had folks interested in buying my work. Due to studio capacity, and then COVID, I wasn't able to take on orders or keep up with demand. In January 2021, Reese and I decided to take the leap and build out our own home studio.

Setting up the studio has been a really challenging and rewarding process. There's been a lot of testing and decision making involved, which can be tiring, but I'm really grateful that we get to imagine and realize our own creative vision. 

When I'm not covered in clay, I am writing, or reading, or playing with my dogs. Sometimes attempting all three at once. Pre-COVID, and hopefully post-COVID, traveling is a big priority. The world is so big and so small all at once. I hope to visit every continent at least once. Admittedly, Europe will probably get more visits as Scotland is my favorite place on earth.

Some quick facts about me for those who have continued reading:

  • I've lived in Edinburgh, Scotland twice
  • I drink a London Fogs almost every morning, preferably in a mug 16 oz or larger 
  • Silver Run Ceramics, Hammerly Ceramics, and Kate Schroeder Ceramics are some my favorite potters
  • Lauren Groff, Roxane Gay, and Jesmyn Ward are my favorite authors
  • My favorite whisky is Jura 10 year, though I love their entire line of whiskies
  • I refuse to write whisky with an E in between the K and the Y. It's a Scotland thing
  • I am inspired by nature constantly, though I am partial to indoor activities. Rainy, Seattle days make me feel less guilty about throwing and writing

Sound Ceramics Shop Dogs

Nala and Islay (eye-la) are our two dogs. They are our world. If you follow us on social media, you'll see them around. They have very distinct personalities and mannerisms that never cease to entertain us. Nala is a mutt--we think golden retriever, German shepherd, and border collie. She's extremely smart, focused, and a bit anxious. She loves fetch more than life and would play until she hurt herself (we don't let her do that). Islay is a French bulldog and Boston terrier mix. We also call her batpig because she kind of looks like the cross between a bat and a pig, especially when she runs and she starts snorting and her ears flap around. She's got two speeds--asleep and sprinting. Rarely is there a middle ground. She wants nothing more than to lay on the couch and cuddle most of the day and gets salty when we have other things to do.