Stoneware

Ordered a Christmas gift on December 13^th. Received email confirmation on December 20^th: billed on December 20^th /​shipped on December 20^th. We live in Kentucky. Today is December 26. Never received the presents. I have tried multiple numbers to reach Louisville Stoneware and every time I got the busy signal. I asked for tracking number, ship date, etc. Got an electronic reply from customer service if my wife’s name was Cindy or Betty. I replied this morning and never received a courtesy response.
Louisville Stoneware has awesome products. Please be advised of their terrible Customer Service Department and lack of accountability to resolve on-​line order issues in a speedy manner. We received the re-​ordered Christmas gifts today, January 5^th.

Would not accept own gift cards.
They said it expired. When calling the card company they said that funds are still active and not in fact expired.
Very shady. Used to be a nice factory store. Now not so much and just upon one glance at their prices will tell you that. Prices are astronomical now.

This place is a treasure to visit. The front and showroom are beautiful and modern. I wouldn’t normally make a big deal out of parking but it was nice to find a decent sized lot – I was expecting to have to park on the street. I love how the pottery is displayed in collections so you can find pieces to match and there are so many options for gifts. Recently, some coworkers and I took advantage of the paint your own pottery option. Ours didn’t turn out quite like the pieces they sell, of course, but they are all cute. It was fun to pick from all the options and the staff members were nice and helpful.

I absolutely love the quality of Louisville Stoneware. The showroom has so much to choose from. You’re sure to find something for each person on your gift list. The prices are not cheap but you get what you pay for.
My goal for 2013 is not to just pick up a couple of presents here but to take the time to take the factory tour which includes studio time, materials and a choice of products that you can paint yourself. You’ll read my experience in a 2013 updated review.

I love this place!
After seeing Rachel F.‘s review. My interest in this place was renewed. I knew hubby always wanted to have a paint-​your-​own experience. We came here last week and just fell in love with Louisville Stoneware’s approachable folk art. The process is simple and natural: clay, water and fire. Add a little artistic flair, the clay is transformed into usable, durable art.
The $ 25/​person tour includes a tour of the factory and $ 20 worth of green ware you can paint to your liking which they will fire after. The studio fee is included in the price. If you have been to other «paint your own» in town, you know it is a better deal here. If you are familiar with painting, go for it free handed; if you are not, there are plenty of stencils or stamps for you to choose from. We just got our pieces back and could not be happier!
And if you do not want your friends/​relatives to suffer your handiwork, the gift shop has endless choices from ornaments to big party bowls and platters. You can get a UK or U of L snack tray for less than $ 50. They will make great presents.
I know we will be back for more painting and gift buying.

Established in 1815, this shop is a staple of Louisville. I had no idea to the extent until taking the tour and painting (quite badly) my very one piece of stoneware. Everything is done in house with absolute care. From the clay that they carefully purchase locally, to the gentle press to extract the water, to the handpainted pieces. Yup. They are all painstakingly painted.
At first, the price tags seemed a little higher than I would have preferred. But then once I realized how fantastic and special they were, I got it. All of it can be cooked in the oven, then put directly in the fridge even — which if you cook more than I do you know, is quite rare, as most will crack!
The tour would be a cool place to take Louisville visitors or for a birthday (or even bachelorette) party, check out the painting. Not only will you get your very own piece to commemorate the event, but the teachers are fun, and the options are truly endless — I felt like I was 5, filled with glee over being able to pick from a hundred different stamps and stencils. It was such a good time, that my feelings weren’t even hurt when there were literally 7 year olds with better artwork than mine. That’s okay, I’ll be back to show them up!

I’ve always been familiar with Louisville Stoneware, and like it as a general rule. Over the years, I’ve picked up a few pieces at thrift stores, and vintage boutiques and love the versatility, style and usability in my home. All pieces have held up really well, even after multiple moves.
A few months back, I got this idea to collect Louisville Stoneware julep cups for my mother in law, after finding one at a sale for $ 4.00, here in Northern Kentucky. She has a little Derby Party each year and I thought «what a perfect early mother’s day gift!» After searching high and low, and finding 5 at varying prices at various places (even Georgetown, KY), I hopped on Louisville Stoneware’s website and saw that they had julep cups for sale (at a considerably higher price than I’ve paid thus far, but I’ve exhausted my search options, Derby day is quickly approaching, and I’m excited to give this gift to my mother in law!), so I emailed and received a very kind response, and when I called to place my order, the one I chose (the twin spires of Churchill downs) was in stock, and had just come out of the kiln this very morning after being sold out for several weeks.
The customer service agent, Alexa, couldn’t have been more helpful, or more kind – in fact, she was the original responder to my email regarding in stock cups if I chose to drive the hour south to Louisville.
I’m very pleased with my experience and will happily visit the shop when I get back to the ‘ville.

I love stoneware as a general rule, and I can see why people would like this place. That said, the glaze patterns that were currently offering didn’t really appeal to me.
I had a Groupon, though, for their paint-​your-​own-​pottery, so I tried that out. It was a lot of fun, and it is something that I would do again for a splurge (pricing was a bit high). I picked up the plate that I decorated yesterday, and I really like it.
So, for me personally, I like the pottery shapes, but not the professional-​glazed designed… which means that I will probably opt for the paint-​your-​own option for any future purchases.

5 Stars– absolutely beautiful stoneware
3 stars– customer service
2 stars– website and wedding registry
As a Louisville native living elsewhere, I decided (no, my husband didn’t care) to register for the French Country pattern of dishes at Louisville Stoneware. The stoneware is unique, somewhat reasonably priced, and most importantly, whenever I use one of the pieces, I am reminded of my real home. Well, I had some problems with the registry from the very start. I changed my mind about one item and was reprimanded by the salesperson because they had to change my registry online and in the store. Also, it took a long time for me to receive some of the items and people thought I either hadn’t received them or was rude because I hadn’t sent a thank-​you note. When I registered for eight plates, I received thirteen because the online registry wasn’t updated quickly enough. There were just a myriad of problems.
Yesterday, I went to the store to order a monogrammed welcome sign for my friend who is getting married in July. To be honest, the salesperson was just unfriendly. Maybe it was because I only spent $ 70 instead of $ 700, but still, she should be nice to all customers, whether they buy something or not. That place is barely in business, and I do hope they stay open, but they need to step it up in the customer service/​website areas.