Inflatable Mugs? Blow-Up Bowls? No, This Brand Makes Hyper-Realistic 'Inflated' Decor That's Actually Ceramic

From the bold color to the blown-up silhouette, Home Studyo's collection turns everyday objects into playfully inflated sculptures

an orange candle holder, mug, and bowl with an inflated style
Home Studyo carefully crafts each of their products to achieve the blown-up, balloon-like effect.
(Image credit: Home Studyo)

Take a close look at the image above. Surely that candle holder, mug, and bowl are blown up, right? Wrong. They're actually made of ceramic — meticulously crafted by Belgian-based Home Studyo to look inflated.

Ingenious, but totally deceiving, the pieces belong to the brand's aptly named 'Blow Up' collection — an assemblage of sculptural table decor that puts a little more air in the deflated decor trend. If I hadn't read the material description, I would've sworn these were made from rubber and helium. Instead, they're solid slip-casted ceramics that give the illusion of weightlessness through their design.

The brand's founder Mathieu Van Damme says his inspiration came from memories of childhood summers. "Every year around summer my mom would take out the inflatable small round swimming pool for us to enjoy endless hours of water fun," he reflects.

And while all everyday objects, "Thanks to the vivid colors and the playful, cheerful, tromp-l’oeil-like approach of the blow-up, a new, tactile dimension is added, making the pieces real and surprising eye-catchers," Mathieu says.

"They're the sort of pieces you simply have to touch," says Livingetc's interiors editor, Emma Breislin, who spotted these at a homewares store in Paris; the perfect dose of dopamine decor if you will. Here's my favourite styles to shop.

a stack of colorful bowls and vases that look inflated

Home Studyo's colorful blown-up decor can invite a playful energy into your home.

(Image credit: Home Studyo)

Equally as exciting as Home Studyo's inflated home decor are Gustaf Westman's chunky plates — tabletop statement pieces that bring an inflated twist to traditional dinnerware.

Devin Toolen
Style Editor

Devin is a New York-based style editor for Livingetc who is keen on all aspects of personal style. From a young age, she was drawn to the design world, and she loves sharing design choices with her readers, from explaining how to incorporate trends into interior spaces to sourcing the best products for your home. Devin believes style should be inclusive, exciting, and at its core, fun