Osanna Visconti Alga Hand-Cast Bronze Candle Holder
£2,665
Osanna Visconti Alga Hand-Cast Bronze Candle Holder
£2,665
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
£220
Métier Playing Cards with Leather Case
£220
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
Baba Tree Handwoven Elephant Grass Lidded Basket
£205
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Baba Tree Handwoven Elephant Grass Lidded Basket
£205
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Makers Cabinet Architect Tool Set
£250
Makers Cabinet Architect Tool Set
£250
El Casco Chrome Pencil Sharpener
£505
El Casco Chrome Pencil Sharpener
£505
Rose Uniacke Hand-Dyed Cashmere Large Blanket
£3,300
Rose Uniacke Hand-Dyed Cashmere Large Blanket
£3,300
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)
£170
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Jaejin Choi Hand-Carved Birch Mixed Utensils (Set of 4)
£170
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Takada Cypress Tawashi Dustpan and Brush
£110
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Takada Cypress Tawashi Dustpan and Brush
£110
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Ingot Objects Ash-Glazed Ceramic Small Tea Bowl
£30
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Ingot Objects Ash-Glazed Ceramic Small Tea Bowl
£30
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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
£75
Mervyn Gers Ceramics Hand-Glazed Ceramic Extra Large Jug
£75
Lucas Castex No. 6 Hand-Carved Oiled Walnut Serving Board
£980
Lucas Castex No. 6 Hand-Carved Oiled Walnut Serving Board
£980
The Leach Pottery Ceramic Lidded Jar
£144
The Leach Pottery Ceramic Lidded Jar
£144
Bird & Branch Hand-Turned Patterned Beech Bowl
£300
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Bird & Branch Hand-Turned Patterned Beech Bowl
£300
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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
£2,050
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Denis Colomb Dolpo Striped Nomad Cashmere Blanket
£2,050
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Carl Auböck Brass and Cane Bookends
£825
Coming soon
Carl Auböck Brass and Cane Bookends
£825
Coming soon
Perfumer H Honey Hand-Blown Candle
£170
Perfumer H Honey Hand-Blown Candle
£170
Carlo Moretti Asymmetric Hand-Blown Murano Wine Glass
£104
Woodworks by Ted Todd English Native Oak Live Edge Chopping Board
£770
Woodworks by Ted Todd English Native Oak Live Edge Chopping Board
£770
Benjamin Nauleau Handwoven White Willow Flower Basket
£925
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Benjamin Nauleau Handwoven White Willow Flower Basket
£925
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Futagami Brass Kitchen Roll Holder
£385
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Futagami Brass Kitchen Roll Holder
£385
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Bodman Blades Oak Burl French Chef's Knife
£650
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Bodman Blades Oak Burl French Chef's Knife
£650
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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.