Terzofoco: The Washbasin as a Signature Piece in the Contemporary Bathroom

In contemporary design, the bathroom is no longer a secondary space but has become a project space in its own right, and the washbasin draws much of that attention: it is no longer chosen solely for its function, but for its ability to define the character of the space. Materiality, colour and texture carry as much weight here as in the rooms that traditionally received the most attention in a project. It is at this point that Terzofoco brings a different vision of ceramics. The Italian brand, based in Umbria, makes hand-thrown washbasins in a range of ceramic bodies —porcelain, Raku Clay, fire-clay and stoneware— and constantly researches glazes, finishes and surfaces. Each piece is made and finished individually, resulting in objects in which technical precision coexists with the uniqueness of handcraft.

In this article we explain the terzo fuoco technique that gives the brand its name, how LuneUp works —the modular system of ceramic washbasins designed by Emanuel Gargano—, which pieces, dimensions and finishes it offers and what to plan for when specifying it.

The value of terzo fuoco

The brand’s name refers to the terzo fuoco (third firing) technique, a process from the Italian ceramic tradition in which the piece goes into the kiln three times. Terzofoco describes it like this: the material is shaped and fired for the first time; it is then glazed and fired a second time; and only the third firing permanently fixes the precious materials that finish the piece. Firing, glazing, decorating: three steps, three fires.

In this final firing, special glazes, pigments and metallic finishes are fixed onto the surface, reacting with the heat to create reflections, colour nuances and textures that are hard to achieve with conventional industrial processes. In the brand’s catalogue they can be seen, for example, on the Ciocco Metal basin: a hand-thrown countertop piece in Raku Clay, with gold, platinum, bronze, copper, rose gold or titanium finishes, in glossy, matt and crackled versions.

The result is not merely decorative. The surface gains depth, material richness and its own identity, so that each washbasin differs slightly from the last: a non-reproducible series, closer to a signature piece than to a mass-produced product. For specifiers, this means accepting —and making the most of— the fact that no two pieces will be identical.

LuneUp: from washbasin to system

A hand-thrown ceramic column as the starting point.

Building on that same artisan foundation, LuneUp takes Terzofoco’s ceramics beyond the washbasin to propose a sculptural modular system in which the ceramic piece organises the bathroom as a whole. Its structural element is a hand-thrown ceramic column, 39 cm in diameter, which supports the washbasin and is combined with ceramic containers and a slim resin-coated aluminium top that runs through the composition. It is a system that reduces visual weight without diminishing the presence of the material, allowing compositions to be resolved according to the dimensions and use of each project, indoors and outdoors.

LuneUp was designed by Emanuel Gargano, an artist and designer born in Assisi and Terzofoco’s artistic director since June 2024. It was presented at Milano Design Week 2025 and has received several awards: Console H2O won the Archiproducts Design Awards 2025 in the bathroom category, Freestanding H2O the 2025 Dezeen Award for product design and Shelf H2O the Marie Claire Maison Top of Design 2026 award.

Seven pieces from a single column

The H2O collection, the part of LuneUp devoted to water, comprises six washbasins and one accessory. They all share the same ceramic basin, 42 cm in diameter, and differ in how they are supported: on a countertop, on the wall, on a floor-standing column or integrated into a top.

The pieces with a top are supplied in right- or left-hand configurations depending on the position of the auxiliary container. The Pouf, for its part, works as a seat, storage container or planter, and completes the compositions in the same language.

Clays, tops and finishes

LuneUp ceramics come in three clays: Raku Clay, a light tone; Terra Rossa, terracotta; and Terra Scura, a dark earth. The top can be resin-coated aluminium in four colours —Terra matis, Tortora, Refrattario and Moka— or lava stone in Natural, Glossy Caramel or Glossy Sand. Clays and tops can be freely combined, and the manufacturer offers custom finishes. At Salone del Mobile 2026, Terzofoco also presented versions of LuneUp H2O with metallic lustres, linking the system to the technique that gives the brand its name.

By integrating the piece into a system, clay and finish cease to be an isolated feature of the washbasin and come to define the character of the entire composition: two configurations with the same format can read very differently depending on the combination chosen. It is a difference that is barely noticeable in images and is understood through direct contact.

Tub H2O, the ceramic bathtub

The latest piece in the system is Tub H2O, presented at Salone del Mobile 2026: Terzofoco’s first bathtub made entirely of ceramic, also designed by Gargano. According to the manufacturer, its body is handcrafted refractory ceramic, finished with an aluminium top, available in the collection’s three clays, and it helps the water retain its temperature for longer.

Key points for specifying LuneUp

As these are large handcrafted pieces, some decisions are best settled at design stage:

• Drainage and taps: Essential, Elevated and Hang drain to the wall; Freestanding, Shelf and Console accept floor or wall drainage. Depending on the model, taps can be wall-mounted, deck-mounted or floor-standing, and the technical sheets give installation dimensions for each case.
• Weight and fixing: the basin column weighs around 30 kg and the basin with waste 16 kg. Columns are fixed to the floor with mechanical plates, and the lava stone top is considerably heavier than the aluminium one (31 kg versus 9 kg on Console H2O).
• Tolerances: every piece is thrown by hand. Dimensions may vary by around 1–2%, and shape, size and weight differ slightly from one unit to the next.
• Indoors and outdoors: the manufacturer designs all modules for indoor and outdoor use, in residential, contract and hospitality projects. The Shelf H2O top has a maximum load of 15 kg.
• Maintenance: water and a mild detergent, rinse away soap residue and dry with a soft cloth. Avoid abrasive sponges, hydrochloric or acetic acid, ammonia and metal silicates.

Terzofoco, ceramics from Deruta

Terzofoco is the washbasin brand of Stile Libero srl and its home is Deruta, in Umbria, a town where, as the company itself notes, everything has revolved around ceramics since the 13th century: quarries, workshops, artisans and decorators. It is led by Alessio Scacaroni, who has spent his whole career in the ceramics sector with the aim of innovating an ancient craft through technology.

Alongside LuneUp, the brand produces countertop, wall-hung and freestanding basins in a wide variety of bodies and finishes —Candy, Ciocco, Abaco, Cono, Idra, Dalia and Ring, among others— and offers a custom edition service with personalised colours, clays and assemblies. Before LuneUp, Emanuel Gargano designed the Lune collection for Terzofoco, selected among the ten best products at the 2024 Salone Internazionale del Bagno.

Discover Terzofoco at Matter

In our material library you can see the LuneUp collection first-hand, compare configurations and contrast the clays and finishes on each format with your technical team.