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“I much prefer stuff to the traditional components of great interior design,” says Jed Krascella. “I’d rather focus on the paintings and forget about the curtains.” In his West Village apartment, where he’s lived with his partner for 18 years, collections of expansive size and origin define the space. The creative, who designs sweaters, throws, and more under his eponymous label JED, finds himself constantly adding to and rearranging his troves of treasure, the opposite of a minimalist.
Krascella’s love of things has driven him to fill his home with findings from all over the world, from a collection of Ottoman calligraphy and an assortment of silver hand-shaped reliquaries to pieces of Amish stumpwork and Japanese robes. He often arranges his stuff in categorial groupings and has filled one wall ceiling to floor with framed artwork. Hardly any surface is left bare.
“I like layers of things,” he says. “Things acquired over time, inherited, carefully collected and curated. This is the heart of a great room for me. I cannot bear a room that is too period, too minimal, too new, too current, too old, too slick, or too designed.”
With items scoured globally, both antique and contemporary, Krascella’s home does seem to transcend time. In fact, it appears to be more of a wunderkammer—a kind of cabinet of curiosities—than a typical New York apartment. “All our rooms rather look like someone is doing research or making something,” he says.
Not every collection in the creative’s home is purely decorative, though. Walls not filled with artworks provide storage space for countless books and classical music CDs—many of them extremely rare, all of which provide a different source of inspiration for the couple and their work. And yes, they do all spark joy. “I am not at all troubled by never getting rid of any,” Krascella says. “Who cares?”
One grouping of vases by Greek artist Anastasia Komseli makes an impressive display on top of a dresser and holds personal significance for Krascella. “I first saw Komselis’s work when shopping in Plaka in Athens in 1988. I bumped into them in one of my favorite shops and I bought that first vase in seconds. I have been buying them ever since,” he says. “Frankly, I wish I had a million of them.” A longtime fan, Krascella has placed a few of Komselis’s rare vases for sale in JED’s online shop (“With any luck,” he jokes, “they will never sell!”).
By and large, Krascella relies more on instinct than some particular design logic. A wide array of evil eyes is arranged altogether for a more graphic impact, while his assortment of ceramics are scattered throughout the space.
Good luck trinkets from all different cultures (including American Magic 8 Balls) are also sprinkled everywhere, adding a spiritual element to a home that’s already deeply rooted in personal and global histories. “Talismans and amulets are just lovely,” Krascella says. “The idea of someone spending such time crafting these beauties in the service of providing hope for oneself and others—it cannot get much sweeter than this. I just love the sentiment, whether they work or not.”
Krascella‘s apartment is, in its own unique way, a sanctuary for beautiful things. Together, they make one inimitable tapestry. “I am more impulsive and emotional when I buy something. I always collect from the gut, not from the head,” he says. “I don’t pick anything for decorative value alone. It’s got to have a soul.”