Spotlight: A Look Inside The Latest Designs By Form Interior

South Africa is brimming with design innovation and so much potential. We are constantly amazed and inspired by the work of our local designers. Take, for instance, this gorgeous house designed by Form Interior. We had to find out more and so we chatted with the owner of Form Interior, Erica Schalkwyk, about what went into the design of this immaculate family home!

Tell us more about the interior project – it’s so chic and inviting!

The client is a successful energetic young couple devoted to their family and children. They love a high-end aesthetic and sophistication but value comfort and practicality above all else. Instead of having a home filled with things, each item of furniture made sense for how they wanted to use the home.

What makes this such an inviting and happy home?

The fact that it’s happy and inviting for everyone in the family, especially the four and two-year-olds. We need to be able to love in our homes. We need to move, play, mess and make memories and clean up later with no lasting damage to the items we invested in. Even though we didn’t use a lot of colours, the curation of natural textures and quality materials make one relax when walking into the space.

What was the shell like? Was it a complete makeover?

It was a new build by the brilliant Arte Architect Studio and we absolutely loved working with them on the design for all the interior finishes and fittings. They were so open to creating the space and allowed us to make these spaces a home through the design of a beautiful and functional kitchen, entertainment areas and bathrooms. We made a dream team.

What does the outdoor space mean to you when designing a home? How did you decorate this space?

Yes – Outdoor areas, patios and braais… these are everything in this country. Johannesburg especially loves to host seeing as we don’t have Cape Town’s beautiful natural sceneries. Our homes need to act as public spaces for many friends and family as well as in private, giving us a haven when it’s just us as a family. The outdoor areas need to be of absolute quality. All-weather, sun and rain-resistant fabrics and materials should be used – the technology behind these elements has become amazing over the last few years. We love outdoor living!

Which room did you enjoy designing the most? How did you decorate this space?

We loved the study – it’s masculine but with art, colour, lines, shape and texture that makes it soft and comforting. It suited our client’s funky personality and kind nature very well.

The kitchen is beautiful. Tell us more about the lighting, the hardware used and your thinking when designing the layout.

The kitchen was very important as it’s central to the whole house. It’s open and visible and takes up an entire wall as an art piece does. Lighting considerations were suggested by the architects to be cleaner and less intrusive to make more space for the eye to focus on the kitchen accents and textures. Matt black and teak accents gave it a high-end look while being very durable and doesn’t show a very lived-in look.

We love the mix of custom and contemporary furniture and warm lighting. Can you elaborate on these choices?

We loved designing and curating the furniture for this home. It’s modern and sustainable but very warm. One literally just wants to sink into every couch and space in this home. We finished the home with La Grange Interior accessories as their art and finds always add to the warmth one needs.

What was your approach to the more personal spaces in the home, such as the bathrooms and bedrooms?

Usability and personal function. Every single cupboard and storage is considered as to how the clients want to use it and what they want to store. Every plug and light is thought out in terms of function. It was a wonderful process to go through and it gave our clients the opportunity to workshop spaces that really suit them and pay tribute to who they are.

We are totally blown away by this beautiful home. It truly takes a team of experts to put together a house of this stature and we can’t wait to see more in from Form Interiors in future!