Osanna Visconti Alga Hand-Cast Bronze Candle Holder
£2,940
Osanna Visconti Alga Hand-Cast Bronze Candle Holder
£2,940
By Appointment: Zoe Chan
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Zoe Chan, the British Chinese artist and designer is founder of her eponymous studio. She creates unique homes and objects which are made from natural, non-toxic materials. For ABASK she explains how her love of nature, the process of making and family inform her life and work.
Studio Shamshiri x ABASK Handwoven Cashmere Double-Faced Blanket
£3,950
- £4,850
Studio Shamshiri x ABASK Handwoven Cashmere Double-Faced Blanket
£3,950
- £4,850
Baba Tree Banasco Handwoven Elephant Grass Lidded Storage Baskets (Set of 3)
£275
Baba Tree Banasco Handwoven Elephant Grass Lidded Storage Baskets (Set of 3)
£275
F. Hammann Leather Playing Cards Set
£158
F. Hammann Leather Playing Cards Set
£158
El Casco Chrome Pencil Sharpener
£505
El Casco Chrome Pencil Sharpener
£505
Bzzwax Beeswax Ribbed Candles (Set of 8)
£150
Bzzwax Beeswax Ribbed Candles (Set of 8)
£150
Stories of Italy Borealis Hand-Blown Murano Glass Tumblers (Set of 6)
£525
Stories of Italy Borealis Hand-Blown Murano Glass Tumblers (Set of 6)
£525
Makers Cabinet Architect Tool Set
£250
Makers Cabinet Architect Tool Set
£250
What role does craft and design play in your life?
It plays an enormous part. Even my drawings when designing a space are done by hand rather than using a program like CAD. The process of drawing is like the process of making in that it’s slow and immersive. I work with many master craftsmen—wood, stone, metal—and understanding the method of construction informs the design. It’s a real dialogue which results in something that is highly personal and affects the process of making.
How would you describe your interiors style?
Natural, simple and thoughtfully detailed. The best design looks effortless: it works well, looks beautiful and in my work often exposes the method of construction. For me, it’s about making the bare bones beautiful and everything I’ve used in my home is naturally sourced.
Jaejin Choi Hand-Carved Walnut Mixed Utensils (Set of 4)
£170
Jaejin Choi Hand-Carved Walnut Mixed Utensils (Set of 4)
£170
Takada Tawashi Skillet Brush with Beech Handle
£36
Takada Tawashi Skillet Brush with Beech Handle
£36
Ingot Objects Ash-Glazed Ceramic Small Tea Bowls (Set of 4)
£154
Ingot Objects Ash-Glazed Ceramic Small Tea Bowls (Set of 4)
£154
Takada Shuro Pot Holders (Set of 3)
£154
Takada Shuro Pot Holders (Set of 3)
£154
Mervyn Gers Ceramics Hand-Glazed Ceramic Extra Large Jug
£86
Sold out
Mervyn Gers Ceramics Hand-Glazed Ceramic Extra Large Jug
£86
Sold out
Lucas Castex No. 2 Hand-Carved Oiled Walnut Serving Board (28in/70.5cm)
£850
Sold out
Lucas Castex No. 2 Hand-Carved Oiled Walnut Serving Board (28in/70.5cm)
£850
Sold out
The Leach Pottery Ceramic Lidded Jar
£144
Sold out
The Leach Pottery Ceramic Lidded Jar
£144
Sold out
Iida Woodturning Hand-Turned Dogwood Earth-Finish Bowl
£1,510
Iida Woodturning Hand-Turned Dogwood Earth-Finish Bowl
£1,510
What is the best craft or design gift you’ve ever received?
I attended a wood spoon carving course at London Greenwood on Hackney City Farm where you can learn to whittle spoons and bowls. The course leader gave me a spoon he’d made. It’s such a beautiful object but also functional and you can feel the spirit of him in the spoon—you feel the human touch.
What room in your home do you do your best thinking?
In my studio… but I also do great thinking when I’m cold-water swimming in Hampstead Heath.
What is the first and last item you bought for your home?
Our home is currently under construction so the first thing was clay mud bricks and the last was baths.
Denis Colomb Stitched-Edge Cashmere King-Size Blanket (110in/2.8m)
£3,945
Sold out
Denis Colomb Stitched-Edge Cashmere King-Size Blanket (110in/2.8m)
£3,945
Sold out
Carl Auböck Brass and Cane Bookends
£870
Carl Auböck Brass and Cane Bookends
£870
Osanna Visconti Melted Hand-Cast Bronze Candle Holder
£1,640
Osanna Visconti Melted Hand-Cast Bronze Candle Holder
£1,640
Carlo Moretti Asymmetric Hand-Blown Murano Water Glass
£104
Carlo Moretti Asymmetric Hand-Blown Murano Water Glass
£104
Futagami Moon Brass Trivet
£90
Futagami Moon Brass Trivet
£90
Art Brugi Hand-Carved Antique Oak and Chestnut Serving Board (23.5in/60cm)
£680
Art Brugi Hand-Carved Antique Oak and Chestnut Serving Board (23.5in/60cm)
£680
Bodman Blades Spalted Tamarind Nakiri Knife
£620
Bodman Blades Spalted Tamarind Nakiri Knife
£620
Benjamin Nauleau Handwoven Willow Deep Gathering Basket
£800
Benjamin Nauleau Handwoven Willow Deep Gathering Basket
£800
Which item in your home brings you the most joy?
My candle oil burner. My mind is so active that in the evening I’m keen to wind down before I go to sleep. I turn off all my lights and just have candles to calm my parasympathetic nervous system.
What do you—or what would you like to—collect?
Stones, sticks or shells. Wherever I go, I’m drawn to nature and I bring them home as mementos of places we have been to.
What item in your home can’t you bear to part with?
My children’s drawings.
What is your go-to gift for a host?
I love to gift experiences: special, shared time together. But if it was an object, it would be Osanna Visconti’s candle holders. I love that the process of making is conveyed in her pieces. They are really organic and simple as well as being luxurious but more in their design and quality rather than looking bling.
What’s the greatest heirloom you’re most proud to pass on?
My home. There is so much making and artisanship in this house. It’s a gesamkuntswerk. I hope to pass it to my children one day—that it is their forever home that they can enjoy too.