Joshua Rose & Rafi Kalichstein

Photo Credit: FORM Design Studio

Founders and Principals at FORM Design Studio, Joshua Rose and Rafi Kalichstein, recently sat down and spoke to Haute Design about their design philosophies and why they prefer to work in tandem rather than as sole proprietors.

Haute Design: What is your favorite part about working as a duo?

Joshua Rose: I think we get to the iterative process faster than a lot of other sole proprietors or single principal firms. Along with our team, if we do not all agree that a particular decision is the best option, we don't move forward. At the end of the day, once all of us are aligned on the same perspective, the results are that much stronger and our collective buy-in allows us, in many ways, to work more efficiently.

Rafi Kalichstein: It's important to note, as Josh mentioned, that we aren't a firm of two. We are two principal designers in a small team. That said, one of the things I think is most valuable in design is peer review. There's no architectural firm worth its salt that is going to issue a set of drawings without peer review, regardless of how high or low in the chain the person who drafted these drawings finds themselves.

I think we have a tremendous advantage because the peer review process is so engrained in our DNA. The intrinsic trust and understanding among our team allows us to deliver work at a level of quality that I think is hard to find.

Lastly, I would say there is a practical benefit inherent in the way we deal with projects and personalities. We have extra tools in our tool kit to manage clients' expectations, personalities, or whatever the case may be. If I am not reaching a client in a certain way, there is a chance that someone else in the team can. We rely heavily on each other.

Photo Credit: FORM Design Studio

HD: Josh, what do you feel is the most valuable skill set you bring to the table? What is Rafi's? 

JR: The most valuable skill I bring, Rafi will probably say is the thing that drives him most crazy about me is that I'm really a do-er and I like to get things done and move on. I think I can cue things up really well and can get us to move the ball down the field efficiently. The creative is a given, you can't be a principal designer without having some sort of talent. But what I'm referring to is a more managerial high-level thinking.

Rafi's greatest skill set is that he is unbelievably detail-oriented. We're all detail-oriented to an extent but he's detail-oriented on so many different levels, not only on design and execution but also when collaborating with subcontractors, working with trades, and being cognizant of what the clients are going to be left with. He thinks on this really multi-dimensional level to make sure that every 'i' is dotted and every 't' is crossed, so that we can feel extremely confident in the work we deliver, which tempers my inclination to just keep moving. It is a constant dance between us.

At the end of the day, when you're dealing with millions of dollars, you have to be responsible and you need to feel comfortable with not just aesthetics but how people will live with your designs.

HD: Same question to you, Rafi. 

RK: Josh has an incredible observational capacity. Not to mention his memory, on which I rely heavily. While I know I'll see all kinds of things, to know that there is someone who can see your blind spots, is unbelievable. There is a real freedom and joy in that.

I think tenacity is my best quality, which can also be a hindrance, as Josh points out. But my unwillingness to let go until we have gotten the best solution is really an asset. There's a yin and a yang to everything we do together.

Photo Credit: FORM Design Studio

HD: Each of you has separately unique design backgrounds. Rafi, what is the most valuable trait you have kept from your Feng-shui background?

RK: First, I'll broaden it to say that it's diagnostic skills and tools, as well as the ability to see the unseen. There are things that I just know in my bones, which comes from years of diagnosis.

HD: Josh, same question to you, regarding your time in visual FX. 

JR: I think the strongest trait I have kept from that time is dealing with big personalities. I've been in very intense situations with some of the biggest film producers in the world. Navigating that in my 20's taught me so much, so I can certainly deal with clients and builders and intense deadlines.

HD: Where do either of you see FORM Design Studio in the next five to 10 years?

JR: I see us continuing to do what we're doing, which is delivering commissioned, beautiful, large-scale luxury projects. I think our product development channel will continue to grow as we add partners and collaborators. By then I think we'll definitely have fabric and wall coverings, and we'll have established a luxury high-end furniture presence as well.

RK: We would like it to grow our team a little bit, but there's a line past which we are not interested in traversing because of what we love about what we do. If you get too big, you become manager and project-getter, but you can't really get your hands dirty because there's no time. I don't think either of us is interested in just being managers. We will both always want to be deep in the worlds we design.

Photo Credit: FORM Design Studio

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Laila Colvin and Rafaela Simoes

Photo Credit: 2id Interiors

While 2id Interiors has stood out as one of Miami's premier luxury interior design companies, perhaps most are not acquainted with the 2id origin story. Co-Founder and Creative Director, Rafaela Simoes shares the beautiful origin of her amazing partnership with Laila Colvin.

Do you know those people whose parents went to school together and created a bond where it would make it inevitable for their children to become best friends? Eventually, those children grow up side by side and dream of becoming partners and building their own company when they get older.

Cool, isn't it? Well, guess what? That's not our story.

Our mothers did indeed know each other for many years. They went to school together in Brazil. However, we defied the odds and both our mothers' efforts to get us to meet one another and we did not instantly form a friendship. In fact, we never met each other while we lived in Brazil. Incredibly, our story only began once we both ended up moving to the U.S.

Laila realized we had both moved to Florida and her mother convinced her to give me a call. That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. We immediately bonded over our similar backgrounds and our shared passion for interior design.

I believe we were meant to support each other here in the States and eventually work together, even though it was never in either of our plans. One of the magical things about life is that it is unpredictable. Because not only is she now one of my best friends, but she is my pattern in work and in life. We even got pregnant almost at the same time and now our kids have grown up together.

Working as a duo can be challenging, but for us it is a blessing. Since day one, we had similar visions for the business and every obstacle we have overcome since then has only made us better partners. We recognize our individual limitations and we respect what each other brings to the partnership.

Laila is more pragmatic, practical and rational. She is better with numbers and budgets, so she is the one who brings some sense when we are going too far and keeps us on track with finances. I am more emotional, intuitive, approachable (but not early in the morning, please) and outspoken.

Working as a pair allows us to share our tasks, while each of us specializes in areas we're best at and enjoy most. By sharing the labor, we can lighten the load. This allows us to take time off when needed, as we know there will always be a trusted person to hold down the fort and this has certainly had a positive impact in our personal lives.

2id Interiors

Photo Credit: 2id Interiors

Another advantage of our partnership is that we have a multidisciplinary approach with our clients. We work in a way that allows them to not get confused with both of us. If Laila begins a conversation with a client, she will be the one that will continue assisting them in that manner in order to ensure clear communication. The same applies if I am the one to begin the conversation. This avoids confusion and clients always know who to speak with. That said, we always share and discuss key pieces of information for every project to make strategic decisions that are best for the business.

All of these processes ensure harmony and clear results. I believe that our skill sets combined is what makes up the 2id recipe for success, along with the amazing team that we have, not behind us, but rather working by side by side with us. This way, we create a stronger, more balanced, and happier workplace.

The story of how we became 2id Interiors

The name of the company was something we struggled with. It was difficult to think of a name that included both of us and that also sounded good. I previously had my own company, the RS ID, which stands for Rafaela Simoes Interior Design. Laila made its logo and I was so in love with the "id" component that when it came time to think of a name for our company, I was not giving up on it.

We brainstormed ideas to include our initials but nothing was working out. Eventually, Laila had the idea of adding the number 2, to "id," symbolizing two interior designers, as a provisional name, but of course, it ended up being our permanent name. It's simple and conveys the idea that we are two people in this amazing journey together.

The post Partners At Work And In Life: The 2id Interiors Story appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Rafaela Simoes & Laila Colvin

Photo Credit: 2id Interiors

Founders and Creative Directors Rafaela Simoes and Laila Colvin have established Miami’s premiere luxury interior design company, 2id Interiors. Regarded for their relevant and skillful approach to design, 2id Interiors in Miami is an award-winning leading interior design firm servicing clients which are among today's well-known names in professional industries and entertainment, spanning across South Florida, the U.S., and around the world with projects in Canada, Europe, and Brazil.

The dynamic duo behind 2id Interiors sat down with Haute Design and spoke about an eclectic array of topics which covered subjects from collaboration in design to what inspires their work.

Haute Design: Both of you are from Brazil. Do you think part of the Brazilian culture or design criteria carries over into your work?

Rafaela Simoes: Yes. I think the use of wood and organic, essential materials are always present in our design and I think that really comes from the Brazilian style of design. The desire to use natural and organic textures, I think, is very Brazilian and we always apply that into our work.

But because we also cater to so many cultures here in Miami, not just the Brazilians, I think we have learned how to be very diverse. For example, we have Russian clients who like a bit more 'bling-bling,' Brazilian clients who are more 'Earth-y,' and love the use of wood, but then we also have German clients, who have a totally different taste.

We have so many different clients and you can see that in our portfolio because it's so eclectic. We don't only follow one trend or one style. We cater to different cultures, different clients, with different backgrounds, and I think that is definitely reflected throughout our portfolio.

HD: We would agree! You mentioned the use of natural elements within your design. Have you noticed a shift with clients in regard to requesting more environmentally-conscious materials and design principles?

RS: Yes, I think so. Not specifically ecologically conscious material, but definitely more design aspects geared toward nature, more blues and greens. We are doing a lot of green walls on the exteriors of homes, so I do feel that people want the outdoors reflected inside their homes a little bit more. That said, I wouldn't go as far as saying it would be ecologically-friendly thinking.

We do have clients who really want to go in an environmentally-conscious direction and make sure the materials are responsible, but that's rare. That does not happen much.

Rafaela Simoes

Photo Credit: 2id Interiors

HD: That's interesting. Switching gears a bit, considering all the time most of us have spent indoors over the past year or more, do you think clients have reconsidered how much they value their interior living spaces and home design?

RS: We definitely felt that at the beginning of COVID. We were a little bit worried about what was going to happen, as everyone was. So, everyone was remaining indoors and trying to contact us for potential projects and we couldn't do construction. But clients were ready to improve their homes right away.

From the beginning of lockdown, clients wanted to change furniture or change the layout of their homes that we had recently worked on and make things more comfortable. The first thing we did, before lockdown was over - we were already sending proposals to existing clients and new clients . It seemed everyone was desperate to improve their homes because it was a new way of life. No one had ever stayed home for this long so it was an interesting shift in the way people lived.

Everyone wants a comfortable home and they always have. But now, this idea of a comfortable home is really at the top of the list for requests. The requests have definitely shifted toward a more cozy and inviting home because people are working from home, the kids are studying from home, so comfort is key.

HD: To that point, something that has been rightfully addressed often throughout the year has been mental health. Have you noticed this awareness of mental health affect the clients' requests?

RS: I totally think so. But with us, we always thought about that when we started in this business; using materials we love, natural materials, bringing nature inside, including wood and raw materials inside the home, which does not happen in Miami often.

I think the Miami style is very shiny and cold and not very home-y. It's glossed whites and a pearly kind of style. Which, in my opinion, is not the most mentally healthy because it's so cold rather than warm and cozy like one should want their home to be. We are always designing with that in mind. We totally think that the house can be chic and elegant but still include some nature in the home.

We want the home to be beautiful but still feel cozy and warm and I totally connect that to mental health. I think that having a home that is not so cold and stark is very important for mental health.

Laila Colvin

Photo Credit: 2id Interiors

HD: If we had to ask you to name three main principles throughout your design, what would those be?

Laila Colvin: I think our main principle is definitely to design for the client. As Rafaela mentioned, we have clients from all over the world and our portfolio is so eclectic because of that. I don't think we have a specific style. We do have some things that are always present, but we really try to embrace the client's dream home.

We really try to follow their vision and try to put that together for the client. If the style is more traditional, we will keep things more traditional for that project. If the taste is very modern and contemporary, we embrace that. So, whatever dream the client brings to us, we try to really embrace that.

We are not designers that say, 'you know what, that's not my style, go find someone else.' We really love having been able to work on such a variety of projects because that is an asset when trying to satisfy the clients to create their home, not our home.

HL: So, would you say in this case the client can be regarded as a secret weapon within your design team?

LC: Yes, that would be a fun way to say it, yeah. We definitely listen to them. There are a lot of exchanges between us and the client so that we have a better understanding of their desires. I do not understand how other designers can have a style that is so specific. You know, some designers have a style that once you see the work, you know it's them right away.

I don't know how they do it! Because they either need the client to totally buy into their personal vision so the client agrees to everything they recommend, or they say no to a lot of clients. We cannot do that. We actually love the difference between our projects and clients.

If you would like to learn more about 2id Interiors, CLICK HERE to visit their website.

The post 2id Interiors’ Rafaela Simoes and Laila Colvin Talk To Haute Design About Their Design Philosophy appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.