Abask, which launches today, was created by Nicolas Pickaerts and Tom Chapman to counter a shortage of cohesive interiors offerings, and to help revive craft techniques they had found to be dying out since they embarked on their curatorial journey. In their online shopping platform, which currently reaches 165 countries, they have co-curated their way through a labyrinth of homeware items, now divided by room and style for ease of access, and comprising a 2,000-strong collection.
The styles selected cover the themes Modernist, Classic, Minimalist and Bohemian, and the initial launch spans four rooms: The Dining Room, The Study, The Games Room and The Bar.
Brass fireplace tool set, brass satellite ashtray and leather brass magazine rack, all by Carl Auböck. Large cashmere blanket by Rose Uniacke
Abask boasts ‘a unique mix of established designers and local makers with a layer of vintage collectibles’, explains Pickaerts. The vintage objects include games of mancala and mahjong, brassware from Austria’s Carl Auböck, and glassware from Japanese studio Hirota. Such a rich collection took time and travels to curate; buying director Bryony Rae Sheridan describes how the team spent ‘nine months travelling the world and working with experts to curate and source locally’ from destinations all over the world.
The website is – as with any creative process – an ongoing project, and the Abask team have plans to expand by opening new rooms every eight weeks, with The Flower Room and the Artist Studio set to be added in the coming months.
Large brass foot by Carl Auböck
The team have also worked closely with glass house Venini to revive archived re-editions, and NasonMoretti museum to reissue a collection of vintage glasses, further delivering on their commitment to preserve crafts that struggle in the modern buyer’s landscape. Chapman expresses the hope that Abask will provide people with a chance ‘to delight in the beauty and function of future heirlooms’.
Archival ‘Millebolle’ and ‘Gemmarto’ vases by Carlo Moretti. Large exclusive ‘Canne Fazzoletto’ vase by Venini. Archival ‘Fasce Riportate’ vase by Carlo Moretti
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