Now based in Brooklyn, New York, designer Mary L Chan has been moving all her life. Originally from Malaysia, she was raised in Hong Kong and Singapore, studied English literature in Scotland and New York, and finally interior design at Parsons. This itinerant lifestyle is why the founder of Bartleby Objects strongly believes that “the things we keep and value ought to meet multiple forms of good.” Creating personal objects that are both beautiful and useful is a principle that informs all Mary’s handmade designs, from her cutting/serving boards to her Dopp kit/purse.
In addition, part of the appeal of all Bartleby designs is their restraint. From leather goods to knits, for inspiration Mary appears to look no further that the materials themselves. By performing only the most minimal of interventions, her designs seem only to enhance the natural form.
Above: Handmade from vegetable-tanned leather, the Dolores Oversize Clutch is roomy enough for a laptop or “small dog”; $495.
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Above: Made from bleached walnut, Bartleby Object’s Ludo Wood Boards are perfect for cutting or serving. Available in three sizes; $190 to $275.
Above L: Part pillow, part sculpture, Bartleby Object’s Silk Knots are handmade from hand spun and woven silk filled with cotton. Available in small, $575, and large, $1,750. Above R: The extra-long Magda Linen Apron is hand sewn from 100 percent natural hemp linen; $165.
Above: Bartleby’s answer to the Dopp kit, the Lotte Travel Case comes with interior layer tray and slip case; $565.
Above: The Cotton Knot sculptural object is hand tied and stitched with silvery linen yarn: $75.
Above: The Trinket Bowl, made from turned solid cedar, $160; Jenny Purse, hand knit from black linen with a nickle clasp, $145; Anseri Candle Holder, $210.
Above: An elegantly simple organizer for your papers, the Melaka Folder is made from vegetable-tanned natural leather; $110.
Above L: Bartleby Object’s Jeanette Clutch is made from vegetable-tanned, hand-dyed and hand-stitched leather; $430. Above R: Trudis Tote with cotton rope handles; $475.
Above: The asymmetrical Anseri Candleholder is made from cedar with leather and copper accents; $210.
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