#AllCoopedUp with Virginia Sin, Ceramicist
Virginia Sin, the woman behind SIN, is a Brooklyn-based multi-disciplinary designer. I am in awe of her prolificity. In 2006, she left LA for Brooklyn, in the name of making a name for herself. With her collections of overalls, small rocks and medium-sized succulents in tow, she set up a studio in Greenpoint and developed her first line. Virginia’s work has been featured in Architectural Digest, The Today Show, Goop, Domino, NYT and more. Working to continually broaden her design horizons, Virginia has focused her recent attention on redefining ceramic coils, translating her graphic designs into weave structures and challenging the limitations of clay in the lighting industry, in hopes to bring some extra warmth into the world. I am lucky that a pair of her sconces light up the entry of my house. I honestly cannot wait to see what she creates next. - Jenna
What’s your profession, and what does your day-to-day work experience look like now?
Founder and creative director at SIN. SIN is a Brooklyn-based home goods brand and our mission is to create warmth and happiness to homes across the world by putting the fun into the functional.
Are there objects or spaces in your house that you are newly appreciating? Or are there objects and spaces you have come to loathe?
In our small Brooklyn apartment, having a proper home desk and/or second bedroom for a home office sounds like a DREAM. I've been using my dresser as my "standing desk"
Describe your at-home quarantine uniform.
Lunya silk pajamas for life! ;)
Who are you quarantining with? Do you feel the need to “get away”? How do you make it happen?
My husband :) We've actually been really enjoying the lack of pressure for social obligations. We're not anti-social types, but this quarantine has really helped us see how much time we spend doing that versus enjoying our home.
What’s the last thing you purchased online? Regret or obsessed?
Vacuum cleaner bags to make our own insert for cloth masks... lol... My only regret was I didn't order enough.
Tell us the best shows, podcasts, or books you’re loving right now.
Tiger King was insane and incredible. I watched the entire series of Unorthodox in one sitting — I highly recommend! I've also been reading a lot of business books, I especially loved Reboot.
Do you have any new quarantine activities or rituals?
Morning meditation to help me stay centered.
What is your favorite quarantine snack? What restaurants are you ordering takeout from?
I'm ordering from my local spots. They are small businesses like us and I want to make sure I can support them during these tough times. My favorite quarantine snack has been a navel orange or sumo orange. There's something really nice about eating fresh produce when all we have stocked up in the house are canned or packaged goods. It feels extra decadent.
What is the one item you’re glad you stocked up on? What do you wish you’d stocked up on?
Because there are a lot of particles you don't want to inhale when sanding ceramics, we wear N-95 masks when doing so. I'm so glad we stocked up on them so we were able to donate our supply to healthcare workers in need.
What are you doing for exercise?
I’m fulfilling orders by packing boxes (believe it or not, it's a lot of physical labor especially when packing fragiles).
Are you sharing recipes with friends?
Yes! We already love to cook at home, but with quarantine put in place, we are really taking it to the next level. Our favorite recipes are from NYT Cooking + Food52.
What’s been the biggest challenge for you throughout this?
I had to lay my entire team off during these difficult times and have been working my tail off to keep the business afloat so that there is a company for them to come back to when this is all over. I’m looking forward to the day I can rehire everybody. My team is like family to me.
When this is over I cannot wait to ___________.
Hire my team back. They are like family to me and they helped me build my business. I wouldn't be here without them and miss them dearly.
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