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Aerin Lauder’s love of Delftware goes all the way back to her grandmother, Estée, the co-founder of cosmetics company Estée Lauder. “I have vivid memories of seeing Delftware throughout her homes and being drawn to both its artistry and the stories it carried,” says Lauder, who has built a collection of her own over the years, piecing together a blue-and-white palette that “feels both classic and fresh.” “There is an elegance and simplicity to it that never goes out of style,” she adds. The dullest areas can benefit from the botanical motifs—even the toilet.
By teaming up with Kohler, Lauder did just that: she translated Delft-like designs to two sink styles and a toilet. Each piece in the Artist Editions Fleurette Collection features Kohler’s white vitreous china, but with hand-applied floral decoration on top.
The goal, as the founder and creative director of Aerin points out, wasn’t to recreate historic Delftware patterns, but to capture the romance with illustrations that felt soft, graceful, and organic. More surprising than the simple interpretation is the sheer placement: we’ve never seen a toilet as whimsical as this. “This collection allows artistry to exist in a place many people would not expect,” says Lauder. She hopes customers see these pieces as functional works of art.
Alongside the classic blue-and-white option, the collection will also be available in a green-and-white colorway that the brand notes would work well with its Heritage Aspen Green fixtures. If you ask us, one (or more) of these pieces is the antidote to a boring white subway tile bathroom. The important thing, when designing a bathroom around them, is to think about balance, says Lauder.
“Since the pieces are decorative and expressive, I would pair them with materials that feel timeless, such as marble, natural stone, polished nickel, or warm wood finishes,” she shares, adding that a vintage stool, freshly cut flowers, and a favorite blue-and-white ceramic object will only reinforce the handcrafted story. “The Fleurette collection provides a beautiful foundation, and from there it is about adding thoughtful details that make a space truly your own.”
Lauder’s collaboration will be officially available to shop on November 4, which is just enough time to make some last minute changes to your bathroom renovation.