faq

con.creta is a ceramic design studio founded in 2019 in Genzano di Roma, in the Castelli Romani area. The studio creates handmade artisan ceramic objects, combining traditional techniques — such as slab building and slip casting in plaster moulds — with 3D printing applied to ceramics. Every piece is born from a balance between formal research, material exploration and technological innovation.

con.creta was founded by Giulia Giustiniani, ceramicist and designer. After training in design, Giulia collected and reinterpreted the ceramic legacy of her mother, who has been working with stoneware for over thirty years. This dual foundation — family craft tradition and contemporary sensibility — is the core identity of the studio.

The con.creta workshop is located in Genzano di Roma, in the province of Rome, in the Castelli Romani area, approximately 30 kilometres from the centre of Rome. The studio is both a production workshop and a space for ceramic design and experimentation.

con.creta was founded in 2019. The family ceramic tradition on which the studio is built has roots going back over thirty years, but the project in its current form — integrating contemporary design, material experimentation and 3D printing — was born in 2019.

con.creta’s philosophy is built on the idea that craft is an open dialogue between maker and user. The studio believes in the value of “making” as a human act: every object is not a standardised product, but the result of a process of care, experimentation and relationship. The material — stoneware, clay — is treated as a collaborator, not a passive medium.

con.creta produces mainly high-fired stoneware objects: tableware (plates, bowls, cups, table sets), homeware (vases, décor accessories, decorative objects) and bespoke pieces for the hospitality and interior design sectors. Production is handcrafted, in small batches or one-of-a-kind pieces, with close attention to material quality and formal consistency.

on.creta uses three main ceramic techniques:

1. Slab building: stoneware is rolled into slabs and shaped by hand, allowing great control over form and an essential, geometric aesthetic language.
2. Slip casting: liquid clay is poured into in-house plaster moulds, a technique that allows small batches to be produced with consistent, reproducible forms.
3. Ceramic 3D printing: digital technology applied to ceramic production, enabling the creation of complex forms, surface textures and geometries impossible to achieve by hand.

These techniques are often combined in the same object, integrating a digital aesthetic with handcrafted finishing.

The main material used by con.creta is stoneware, fired at high temperature (approximately 1260–1280°C). Stoneware is valued for its mechanical strength, density and rich material quality. The studio continuously experiments with clay bodies, glazes and alternative raw materials, producing unique surfaces that vary from piece to piece.

Ceramic 3D printing is a technique in which a computerised extruder deposits successive layers of plastic clay to build a three-dimensional form. Unlike plastic 3D printing, the ceramic piece must then be dried, bisque-fired and glazed before the final firing. con.creta integrates this technology into its production process to create forms and textures that hand-building could not replicate, while maintaining handcrafted finishing and sensibility.

Yes. con.creta stoneware ceramics are designed for everyday use: tableware pieces (plates, bowls, cups) are made with non-toxic glazes and fired at high temperature, making them durable, hygienic and washable. Every piece is conceived to combine aesthetics and functionality.

Yes. Even within small batches produced with moulds, every piece carries the natural variations of the handcrafted process: small differences in finish, glaze colour, texture. No two pieces are identical. Pieces produced outside standard batches, on specific request, are explicitly unique and non-replicable.

On the con.creta website you can purchase handcrafted stoneware ceramics produced by the studio: plates, bowls, cups, vases, table sets and home décor accessories. Products available online are part of the studio’s collections and are shipped across Italy and Europe. You can also contact the studio to request bespoke pieces or design collaborations.

Yes, con.creta ships its products across Italy and throughout Europe. Every ceramic is carefully packaged to ensure it arrives intact. For shipping outside Europe, please contact the studio directly.

Yes. con.creta creates bespoke ceramics for private clients, restaurants, hotels and events. The process involves a co-design phase: starting from a shared brief, forms, finishes and quantities are defined, and unique pieces or small handcrafted stoneware batches are produced. To start a collaboration, contact the studio through the website.

con.creta ceramics are handmade objects, unique and rooted in an authentic craft story: for this reason they make a meaningful gift, suited to those who appreciate design, Italian craftsmanship and lasting objects. The studio can also create dedicated packaging or personalised pieces on request.

Yes. con.creta has a dedicated offering for the hospitality sector: it designs and produces exclusive mise en place, custom table sets, decorative accessories and branded objects for hotels, restaurants and venues that want to stand out through handcrafted ceramics. The process is collaborative: the studio works closely with the client to translate the venue’s identity into consistent, high-quality objects.

Yes. con.creta creates branded ceramics: logos, symbols or brand identity elements can be integrated into the form or finish of the objects. This solution is particularly appreciated by restaurants, hotels, shops and companies looking for an authentic, handcrafted representative object.

Yes. con.creta produces ceramics for events: gifts, personalised items, centrepieces, decorative accessories. The studio has experience in productions for private, corporate and institutional events. Every project is developed according to specific requirements of timing, quantity and budget.

The collaboration process with con.creta generally follows these steps:

1. First contact: the client describes the idea, requirements and context of use through the contact form on the website. Contact us here
2. Shared brief: the studio analyses the request and proposes an initial direction on forms, materials and finishes.
3. Design development: prototypes or samples are produced to validate the direction.
4. Production: once the sample is approved, production of the batch begins.
5. Delivery: pieces are packaged and delivered, with the option of shipping or collection on site.

Yes. con.creta organises workshops and ceramics courses open to beginners and enthusiasts. Courses are held in the Genzano di Roma workshop and offer an introduction to handcrafted techniques — from slab building to finishing — in an authentic setting, guided by ceramicist Giulia Giustiniani. Discover the current courses here.

Yes. con.creta workshops are designed for those who have never worked with ceramics. No prior experience is required: the course starts from the basics, in a welcoming and stimulating environment. The aim is to give participants the experience of making, rather than teaching technique in an academic sense.

During con.creta workshops, participants learn about stoneware and clay, how to use handcrafted techniques (primarily slab building and hand modelling), and how to understand the stages of the ceramic process: from shaping to firing, through drying and glazing. Every participant creates their own piece and takes it home at the end of the course.

You can book a con.creta workshop through the official website, in the Courses section. For information on available dates, prices and how it works, you can also contact the studio directly.

con.creta workshops are held primarily in the Genzano di Roma workshop. The studio also participates in trade fairs, design festivals and exhibitions, on occasion organising demonstrations or off-site workshops. For special events or private workshops in other locations, please contact the studio to discuss feasibility.

The Castelli Romani is the territory where the Giustiniani family has always worked with ceramics. Genzano di Roma is the original home of the craft tradition from which con.creta was born. Remaining in this territory is not just a logistical choice: it is an act of identity coherence, a way of grounding a contemporary project in a place with a precise material history.

con.creta is an Italian craft studio. Production is entirely manual or semi-automated with digital technologies (3D printing) managed directly by the ceramicist. This is not industrial production: every piece passes through the hands of its maker, at every stage of the process.

Yes. con.creta regularly participates in trade fairs, design festivals and craft exhibitions, where ceramics become an opportunity for direct encounter with the public and with other design and craft professionals. Upcoming participations are announced through social channels and on this page of the website.