AROUND HOME : Notes on Nautical Antiques and Pottery : Plates at The Ivy

WHAT PEOPLE LOVE about The Ivy is its upscale all-American fare, its great desserts, its celebrity clientele. But there are others who loath its upscale all-American fare (but never its desserts), its high prices and the way it treats its non-celebrity clientele. Love it or loath it, almost everyone agrees that The Ivy is a great-looking restaurant.

One of the restaurant’s most attractive features is its pottery. Hand-thrown, it has an earthy, rustic look enhanced by the hand-painted flowers that dance across the surface. When dining at The Ivy, it’s almost impossible not to covet the plates.

And now you can have them. Indigo Seas, the shop just next door, is selling Ivy pottery, which is designed by co-owner Lynn von Kersting and made in Peru. There are platters ($45), dinner plates ($23), dessert plates and soup bowls ($15). There are wine coolers ($45), juice pitchers ($25), sugar bowls ($18) and teapots in a couple of sizes ($29 and $49).

But best of all are the huge coffee cups and saucers--big enough to bathe a small bird in; these cost $21. They’re bright and whimsical and feel good to pick up. A pair of these on your breakfast table would make your first cup of coffee pure pleasure.

Pottery from The Ivy is available at Indigo Seas, 123 N. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles; telephone (213) 550-8758.