Osanna Visconti
Alga Hand-Cast Bronze Candle Holder
$3,050
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Osanna Visconti
$3,050
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By Appointment: Zoe Chan
Share tastemaker
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.
Métier
Playing Cards with Leather Case
$250
Métier
$250
Bzzwax
Beeswax Ribbed Candles (Set of 8)
$172
Bzzwax
$172
Stories of Italy
Borealis Hand-Blown Murano Glass Tumblers (Set of 6)
$600
Stories of Italy
$600
Baba Tree
Handwoven Elephant Grass Lidded Basket
$235
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Baba Tree
$235
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Makers Cabinet
Architect Tool Set
$285
Makers Cabinet
$285
El Casco
Chrome Pencil Sharpener
$575
El Casco
$575
Rose Uniacke
Hand-Dyed Cashmere Large Blanket
$4,045
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Rose Uniacke
$4,045
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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 programme 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 Birch Mixed Utensils (Set of 4)
$194
Jaejin Choi
$194
Takada
Cypress Tawashi Dustpan and Brush
$126
Takada
$126
Ingot Objects
Ash-Glazed Ceramic Small Tea Bowl
$34
Coming soon
Ingot Objects
$34
Coming soon
Takada
Shuro Pot Holders (Set of 3)
$176
Takada
$176
Mervyn Gers Ceramics
Hand-Glazed Ceramic Extra Large Jug
$86
Mervyn Gers Ceramics
$86
Lucas Castex
No. 6 Hand-Carved Oiled Walnut Serving Board
$925
Lucas Castex
$925
The Leach Pottery
Ceramic Lidded Jar
$164
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The Leach Pottery
$164
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Bird & Branch
Hand-Turned Patterned Beech Bowl
$345
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Bird & Branch
$345
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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
Dolpo Striped Nomad Cashmere Blanket
$2,345
Denis Colomb
$2,345
Carl Auböck
Brass and Cane Bookends
$870
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Carl Auböck
$870
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Perfumer H
Honey Hand-Blown Candle
$96
Perfumer H
$96
Carlo Moretti
Asymmetric Hand-Blown Murano Wine Glass
$118
Woodworks by Ted Todd
English Native Oak Live Edge Chopping Board
$880
Woodworks by Ted Todd
$880
Benjamin Nauleau
Handwoven White Willow Flower Basket
$1,055
Benjamin Nauleau
$1,055
Futagami
Brass Kitchen Roll Holder
$440
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Futagami
$440
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Bodman Blades
Oak Burl French Chef's Knife
$745
Bodman Blades
$745
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.