Form Interior: An Older Home Transformation

Older homes offer so much character but may have their challenges when it comes to renovations. Form Interior took an older home and transformed it into a beautiful and blissful retreat. We caught up with the owners to discuss this transformation.

Tell us about this home.

This was my own home. We bought a very old house (not Heritage) in 2018 and simply painted it black. This was an affordable way to make it ours for a little while. It was a sweet little comfy home and was a perfect canvas for all our art and much-loved furniture pieces.

What was the condition of the house before you started the interior?

It was actually quite beautiful. We merely painted it black (Plascon Phantom Ship). The kitchen and bathrooms were lovely and the original red Oregon pine floors welcomed the new green undertone wall colour. The couple also had an amazing art collection so it was sweet to see art choices between 75-year-olds and 35-year-olds.

How did you set the tone of this chic interior?

Through the use and combination of natural textures which ended up giving a neutral space so much character and life. I loved seeing all my art and pieces on this black canvas. The irony is that a new house has since been built in its place. In 2021, we demolished it completely and a brand new home was designed by Monograph Architects which is standing in its place ready to be moved into in May 2022.  The new house is all white so the verdict is still out on what works best for gallery walls…

Tell us more about the choice of colours and the play of texture…

Oak (James Mudge Server) and mid-century modern teak in the fireplace. The two actually works so well together. Brass Dining table (James Mudge) and black steel chairs (Gregor Jenkin). Cork (Lauri Widd) and rich Leather (Goet Couches) with smaller texture points like sheepskin and Embroider Cushion (Egg Furniture).

What was the flow of the interior like?

Being an older home, the flow didn’t work for a young family but we learnt a lot from it and how we would like to use our spaces when planning the next home.

What was the focus on the home interior finishes?

A gallery of things we love. A collection of everything that makes us us.

How do you create a streamlined interior with such beautiful pieces?

Enjoy Maximalism and the curation while considering use and flow. Make sure the ratios to the pieces and room are in proportion and when extra visual weight is needed, incorporate more texture to create gravitas.

How do you find inspiration for a home?

With this house and all the other houses, we at Form Interior, look at the people who live there, as our inspiration. People are wonderfully weird and we try to celebrate that in everything we do.

How do you incorporate seasonal trends without having to do a complete transformation to an interior?

The best place to start is paint. Paint is simply the most affordable and easy place to incorporate a colour you love but know you won’t love for more than a year or two. Then play with the smalls like accessories, cushions and throws. Don’t fall for a trend in your big-ticket items. They need to be forever. Enjoy decorating and playing with the smaller cheaper things.

What trends date a home?

Definitely kitchen and bathroom trends. We still haven’t found that happy neutral kitchen and bathroom design that will absolutely stay in trend for 20 years.

Your interiors never date. They are timeless and oh-so chic. How do you achieve this?

Thank you. I don’t think we work towards trends. If you work towards people, their love and appreciation for your design can live much longer than bathroom grout sealer.

If you’re looking to update an older home or transform a space in your house, the team from Form Interior can help bring focus to your vision. Be sure to check out their website at Form Interior to discover more.