Tom Chapman holds the following belief about homes: One should always be surrounded by objects that hold a memory, a meaning, a soul. “Just having a designer purchase everything for you doesn’t feel special,” he says. “Your home is an incredibly intimate place.”
The problem, the co-founder of MatchesFashion has previously found, was actually discovering these objects. Many home stores offered high-end accents, sure, but often they held no discernible origin nor meaning, and, as a result, felt impersonal to give or receive. Others had too wide a variety—an endless scroll of stuff that took forever to sort through. “There was a limited amount of curation happening,” Chapman says.
So, he decided to do something about it.
On October 12, Chapman, along with the former head of e-commerce at MatchesFashion Nicolas Pickaerts, launches Abask—a new site that offers an eclectic yet cohesive collection of items defined by impeccable design. It’s geared toward those looking to add conversational but chic pieces to their domestic repertoire, or seeking a standout hostess gift.
The 2,000 handpicked items range from the antique to the contemporary, made by both heritage houses and au courant names. (Peruse its pages and you’ll find everything from blankets by contemporary Los Angeles brand The Elder Statesman, to hand-painted monkey plates by Laboratorio Paravicini, to ornate ice cream pails from the 1800s.) Abask’s buyers include a panel of antique experts, as well as a carefully-curated selection of makers from around the entire globe.
Abask also will highlight—or sometimes even reissue—works from iconic designers. For example, they worked with the estate of Carlo Moretti, the father of Italian Modernism, to offer his “Fila Molati” glassware, as well as the NasonMoretti museum for his beloved reverse champagne coupes. Zoë de Givenchy, meanwhile, pays homage to her great-uncle Hubert de Givenchy’s love of faience sets by making her own. Many of the works are also rare collectibles: a kaleidoscopic colored cube, for example, is signed by Pierre Cardin.
Despite every object differing vastly in its historical, geographical, and aesthetic origins, they all have one thing in common: “They’re about craftsmanship, creativity, and the work that goes into things,” says Chapman. “Everything has a story.” Fittingly, Abask also publishes extensive biographies about the people behind each of the objects, or the objects’ origins, so users can understand why, exactly, these pieces are so special. In their “Meet the Makers” section, they offer video interviews with artists or mini-documentaries on their creative process.
Abask organizes its objects in a variety of ways, but two are particularly notable. The first is by room: the games room, for example, offers everything from an antique chess set by Man Ray to poker sets delicately inlaid with handmade marquetry from Alexandra Llewellyn. The bar, meanwhile, offers a modern take on Edo cut glass from Hirota and French cocktail napkins from the 1950s. There are also more niche categories like a “blanket box” and a “candle cabinet,” while in the upcoming months, Abask will add curated edits for the bedroom, kitchen, and artist’s studio.
The second is by style: modernist, classic, minimalist, and bohemian. Chapman and Pickaerts acknowledge that while their assumed customer base will all share the desire for something elevated and authentic, they may have different ways of executing this vision. What works in a New York City apartment, for example, might not resonate in a country house in Provence, even if the same person happens to own both: “Interiors wise, it’s done very differently,” says Chapman.
Finally, the name “abask” was chosen because of its association with “bask,” a word that means exposure to warmth and light. That, perhaps, best describes the symbolic ethos of Pickaerts and Chapman’s new venture: Sure, it’ll suggest a great gift or objet d’art, but it also wants you to feel a connection to whatever you buy. “If you look around and think about the objects that you love most, they’re generally the things that have a story behind them or an experience,” says Chapman. “That’s our thing.”
