Michelle Quan’s Cloud and Stars Bell

Some home decor shouts. Some whispers. And then there’s Michelle (Michele) Quan’s Cloud and Stars Bellthe kind of object that doesn’t
demand attention so much as earn it. It hangs there looking calm and minimal… until you notice the hand-painted sky, the little drift of clouds,
the scatter of stars, and suddenly you’re emotionally invested in a bell like it’s the lead character in an indie film.

If you’ve seen it listed online, you may have noticed a tiny spelling curveball: it’s often shown as “Michelle Quan,” while the artist’s name is widely
published as Michele Quan of MQuan Studio. Same maker, same vibe, same quietly cosmic charmjust one of those quirks that
happens when beautiful objects travel across the internet without a chaperone.

What Exactly Is the Cloud and Stars Bell?

The short version: it’s a hand-sculpted stoneware bell painted in a monochrome skyscapeclouds and stars rendered with
the kind of restraint that makes modern interiors breathe easier. The bell was retailed through ABC Carpet & Home (New York’s
long-running temple of “I didn’t know I needed that until I saw it”), and it was described as suitable for indoors or outdoors, hanging
from a hemp rope. In many listings, it’s also marked as discontinued, which is décor-speak for: “Good luck, collector.”

The longer version (and the fun part): the Cloud and Stars Bell sits in that sweet spot between sculpture and everyday object. It’s functionalyes, it’s a
bellbut it’s also a tiny piece of atmosphere. It makes an entryway feel intentional. It makes a patio feel like a place where you might read poetry,
even if you’re actually doomscrolling in outdoor slippers.

Meet the Maker: Michele Quan and the MQuan Studio World

Michele Quan’s creative path has a satisfying plot twist: before clay became her main medium, she worked in design and jewelry. Multiple profiles note that
she moved from Vancouver to New York City to study graphic design and photography (often associated with
Parsons School of Design), and later co-founded the New York jewelry brand Me&Ro. Eventually, she shifted her focus toward ceramics,
building what became MQuan Studioa body of work that turns vessels, bells, and wall pieces into canvases for drawing, symbols, and
storytelling.

Today, MQuan Studio is strongly associated with New York State craftsmanship. The studio’s contact information places it in Saugerties, NY,
and retailer write-ups consistently emphasize that the work is handmade in New York by Michele and a small team. If you like the idea that your decor was
made by actual humans with actual hands and not by a factory that also produces novelty dog costumes, this is your lane.

Why Clouds and Stars? The Symbolism Behind the Motif

On the surface, clouds and stars are just aesthetically pleasing. They’re soothing. They play well with neutrals. They make a room feel like it has better
life balance than you do.

But within the broader MQuan universe, sky imagery often carries a symbolic weight. Retailer descriptions and brand profiles repeatedly note that Michele’s
imagery is influenced by Eastern iconographysymbols whose meaning and beauty keep unfolding over time. Sky motifs are especially powerful
because they’re universal: the same sky hangs over every kind of daygood, brutal, ordinary, miraculousand it’s still there when we finally look up.

A Quick (Useful) Detour Into Bell Culture

Bells aren’t just “ding, cute.” Across many traditions, bells mark thresholds: beginning and ending, arriving and departing, waking and settling. In Shinto
ritual, for example, suzu bells are used in shrine contextssounded as part of practice and presence. You don’t need to turn your living room into
a shrine to appreciate the point: bells can be small tools for attention.

That’s part of what makes the Cloud and Stars Bell feel more like a ritual object than a random accessory. It’s décor with a job: to remind you to pause.
Or, at minimum, to make your doorway look excellent while you pretend you’re the kind of person who pauses.

How It’s Made: Stoneware, Fire, and a Steady Hand

One reason MQuan pieces feel so “alive” is that they’re built the old-school way: forms are typically hand-built or wheel-thrown, and the
imagery is painted by handnot printed, not stamped, not “close enough.” Retailer descriptions highlight high-temperature firing in a
gas kiln (often described around the cone-10 neighborhood, roughly 2350°F), which is where stoneware gets its strength and density.

Stoneware is a great choice for something meant to hang and live with you. It’s durable without being precious. It can look clean and modern, or earthy and
wabi-sabi, depending on how it’s finished. And in a bell format, it gives you a kind of visual weight that metal bells don’t always have: this isn’t a
holiday jingle; it’s a ceramic presence.

Sound: The “Chime” That Doesn’t Hijack Your Whole House

Let’s talk acousticsbecause we’ve all met that one wind chime that turns a gentle breeze into a full percussion solo. A ceramic bell tends to read
differently than a bright metal bell. The sound is often softer, rounder, less sharp. Instead of “HEY I’M A BELL,” it’s more “Hi, I exist, and so do you.”

And that’s ideal for modern living: apartments, shared walls, open floor plans, and households where the dog already provides enough surprise noise. A bell
like this can create a moment without causing a meeting.

Where It Belongs: Styling Ideas That Don’t Feel Like a Catalog

1) The Entryway (Because Thresholds Matter)

Hang it by the front door, especially if your home’s vibe is “calm, but with personality.” The monochrome palette plays well with white walls, warm woods,
black hardware, linen textiles, and that one plant you’re desperately trying to keep alive.

• Pro move: Pair it with a simple wall hook and a small tray for keys. The bell becomes the visual punctuation mark.
• Even better: Hang it where sunlight hits it. Painted clouds look different when the day shifts.

2) The Covered Porch or Patio (Outdoors, But Considered)

Many descriptions position the bell as suitable indoors or out. A covered outdoor spotunder an eave, on a porch beam, near a garden gatelets it feel
like part of the landscape without taking the full brunt of weather drama.

The sky motif also makes cheeky sense outdoors: it’s literally a sky scene, living under the actual sky. That’s not just décor; that’s thematic
consistency.

3) A Reading Nook or Studio Corner (Small Object, Big Mood)

If you have a spot you go to decompresschair, lamp, side table, maybe a throw you swear is “for guests” but is absolutely for youthis bell works as a
quiet anchor. It’s like adding a tiny “open/close” sign for your brain.

Care and Keeping: How Not to Turn Art Into Regret

This is not high-maintenance décor, but it is handmade ceramics, so a little respect goes a long way.

• Cleaning: Dust with a soft cloth. If it needs more, use a lightly damp clothno harsh cleaners, no soaking sessions.
• Rope care: Hemp is sturdy, but it’s still fiber. Keep it out of constant drenching rain if you can.
• Outdoor reality check: In freeze-thaw climates, consider bringing ceramic pieces in for winter. Stoneware is tough, but water plus
  freezing temperatures is a classic villain duo.
• Hanging hardware: Use a proper hook and anchor. This isn’t a poster; it has weight and deserves real support.

Is It Still Available? The Discontinued Plot Twist

Listings often flag the Cloud and Stars Bell as discontinued through the original retailer. That doesn’t mean it vanished into the decorative accessory
afterlifeit means you may have to look like a patient, slightly obsessive person (a collector’s natural state).

If you’re hunting for one, you’ll typically have better luck through:

• Secondary markets (where discontinued design pieces pop up when someone redecorates and suddenly has “different energy”).
• Retailers that carry MQuan Studio (often stocking other bell designsthrown bells, constellation motifs, jingle bells, and related work).
• MQuan Studio directly, since the brand continues to release bell forms and sky-inspired imagery in different variations.

Think of it like chasing a favorite record pressing: you might not find the exact same edition, but you’ll probably discover something equally goodand
maybe even more “you.”

Why This Bell Works in 2026 (and Honestly, Always)

Trends come and go, but a few things stay evergreen: handmade objects, simple color stories, and symbols that feel bigger than the room they’re in. The
Cloud and Stars Bell is basically those three things in one hanging, ringing, quietly excellent package.

It also hits a rare design sweet spot: it’s graphic without being loud, whimsical without being childish, and
spiritual-ish without being performative. It doesn’t scream “look at my taste.” It just… has taste.

Experiences: Living With Michelle Quan’s Cloud and Stars Bell ()

1) The “Coming Home” Moment

One of the most common ways people use a bell like this is as a tiny marker of transition. Not a dramatic ritualmore like a subtle cue. You walk in, you
drop your keys, you exhale, and the bell is there like a small, calm witness. Hung near an entryway, the Cloud and Stars Bell tends to become part of the
choreography of daily life: coats on the hook, shoes off, brain slowly switching from “outside mode” to “home mode.” Even if you don’t ring it on purpose,
it sometimes moves slightly when the door closes, giving you a soft reminder that you’ve crossed a threshold. It’s a micro-experience, but it’s oddly
groundinglike your space is gently acknowledging you instead of just absorbing you.

2) The Nursery That Doesn’t Feel Sugary

Clouds and stars are nursery classics, but they’re usually delivered with pastels, glitter, and the energy of a birthday party you didn’t consent to.
This bell is the opposite: monochrome, minimal, and still sweet. In a calmer nursery palettecreams, soft grays, natural woodthe bell can read like a
lullaby for adults too. It becomes a “quiet accent” that doesn’t fight the rest of the room. People often describe handmade ceramics as having a certain
warmth, and in a nursery that warmth matters: it keeps the space from feeling like a showroom. The bell can also become a gentle visual focal point during
late-night feedings, when you’re half awake and your brain is making odd, poetic connections between actual stars and the tiny painted ones above the
rocking chair.

3) The Porch That Feels Like a Retreat

On a covered porch, a ceramic bell doesn’t behave like a noisy wind chime. It’s more restrained, which is exactly what makes it feel luxurious. When the
breeze is light, you may get a small soundor maybe none at alland that’s kind of the point. The experience becomes less about constant noise and more
about presence: you notice the clouds painted on the bell when you’re watering plants; you notice the stars when you step outside at night. It’s also the
kind of object guests ask about because it isn’t generic. “Where did you get that?” is basically the porch version of applause. And because it’s handmade,
it tends to make the whole outdoor setup feel more intentionallike you chose the space rather than accidentally ending up there with a folding chair.

4) The Desk-Side Reset Button

In a workspace, the Cloud and Stars Bell can act like a visual “reset”especially if your day is spent looking at screens filled with rectangles that
contain other rectangles. The sky motif is a tiny reminder of something non-digital and non-urgent. Some people hang a bell like this near a desk and treat
it as a boundary marker: start work, end work, take a break. Even if you never ring it, it’s still doing its job by being a small, physical object that
came from drawing, clay, and firenot from an algorithm. It’s funny how something as simple as a hand-painted cloud can make you feel like you have a
little more oxygen in your day. And if you do ring it occasionally? Congratulationsyou’ve invented a meeting notification you actually enjoy.

Conclusion

Michelle Quan’s Cloud and Stars Bell is proof that “decorative accessory” doesn’t have to mean “filler.” It’s handmade, symbolic, and quietly functional
a piece that can live in your home the way a good object should: with presence, purpose, and a little bit of magic that doesn’t try too hard.