STOÏ
[vb. Bulgarian – сtой] : to stop.
Founded in Montreal in 2018, Maison Stoï is a workshop where ceramics, fragrances, candles, and other everyday objects is an experience: touching, smelling, contemplating.
Each piece is handmade in our Montreal workshop. Nothing is industrial, nothing is automated — only gestures, time, and a small team behind each creation.
Shapes may vary slightly from one piece to another. These differences are part of their nature: each object is unique, organic, and alive.
Some pieces are ready to ship, others are made to order. We produce everything on a small scale, at the workshop's pace.
Maison Stoï offers ceramic workshops and access to the workshop for free creative moments.
Creations are available online and in our Montreal boutique, on Beaubien Street.
ORIGIN & PHILOSOPHY
Maison Stoï was born from a simple gesture: that of slowing down.
In a world saturated with speed and production, the workshop offers a return to the essential — to material, to time, to silence. Clay, worked by hand, becomes an anchor point. It retains the memory of the gesture, variations, and the moment. Nothing is perfectly identical, and that is precisely where its value lies.
Each piece is made one by one, on the wheel, in a search for balance between form, texture, and presence. We do not seek to correct the material, but to dialogue with it. The resulting object is part of everyday life — drinking, eating, slowing down — while carrying within it a sensitive, almost intimate dimension.
Around ceramics, another form of expression naturally developed: perfume and olfactory objects. Resulting from meticulous research, our perfumes are designed as landscapes to inhabit. They do not seek to immediately seduce, but to evolve, intrigue, and leave an imprint.
Each creation is the fruit of patient work, where technique meets intuition. An almost artisanal approach, where composition becomes a language in its own right.
Maison Stoï is not just a workshop. It is a way of inhabiting everyday life with more awareness, slowness, and beauty.
MISSION
We create objects to add art to everyday life — but also to forge a connection and inspire those who use them.
Our commitment is guided by a simple requirement: to respect the body, the environment, and the gesture. Every material, every ingredient, every stage of manufacturing is chosen with a desire for transparency and consistency.
We prioritize original compositions, without unnecessary compromise, and processes that honor the material rather than excessively transform it.
More than a promise, it's a stance.
To offer objects that do not seek to keep pace with the world, but to slow it down.
All our ceramic tableware is handcrafted in our Montreal workshop. Each piece may be slightly different from one another, without affecting its organic, aesthetic, and functional character.
MANUFACTURING
Ceramics do not obey urgency. They follow their own slow and necessary rhythm. Rushing the material risks deforming or cracking it.
Each piece goes through numerous stages: throwing, initial drying, trimming, then more drying time. Then come glazing, sanding, and, in between, finally firing.
A ceramic piece requires a minimum of two firings. Each firing takes nearly 48 hours—from the moment the piece enters the kiln until it can be removed, transformed.
And in a kiln, space is limited. Certain shapes, like plates, take up a lot of space and require reducing the number of pieces per batch.
It's a slow process, yes—but it is precisely this time that gives each piece its strength, uniqueness, and beauty.
LEAD TIMES
Maison Stoï is run by a small team.
Every object that leaves the workshop is entirely handmade, at an artistic pace, guided by the material.
Some pieces are available immediately. Others need to be produced. Between these two states—ready and upcoming—all the necessary time for their creation unfolds.
Depending on the period and the nature of your order, a production delay may be expected, generally between 1 and 8 weeks. Some shapes, which are more in demand or more demanding, require more time—to be thrown, dried, glazed, and then fired with precision.
To order a piece is to enter into an artisanal rhythm.
It is choosing an object that is not simply taken, but awaited.
Here, time is not an obstacle—it is an integral part of the experience.
PROCESSING & SHIPPING
When items are in stock, orders are prepared and shipped within 1 to 5 business days.
REFUND & EXCHANGE POLICY
Each Maison Stoï item is carefully crafted, following a conscious and limited production approach. For this reason, certain conditions govern returns and refunds.
REFUNDS
Refunds are not offered for the following items:
– ceramic tableware
– earrings
– skincare products (creams, deodorants, etc.)
– custom orders
– items on sale
– any item showing signs of use
For other products, returns are accepted within a reasonable timeframe.
In-person returns are preferred. Returns by mail remain the responsibility of the customer, and initial shipping costs are non-refundable.
If an item received does not meet your expectations and falls into the categories above, we invite you to contact us promptly. Depending on the situation, a gift card equivalent to the purchase value may be offered.
EXCHANGES
Exchange requests are accepted within 30 days of receiving your order.
If a ceramic piece breaks during normal use within this period, it may be exchanged upon presentation of proof of purchase (invoice or order number).
Beyond this period, exchanges are no longer possible. Ceramics remain a living material, sensitive to daily handling and unforeseen circumstances beyond our control.
NOTE ON MANUFACTURING
Our pieces are handmade, one by one.
Despite all the care taken at each step, slight variations or imperfections may exist — they are an integral part of the object's character.
In rare cases, a weakness may be present. When it exists, it usually manifests in the first few weeks of use. This is why we consider a 30-day period as representative of the initial durability of the piece.