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

The post The Dynamic Duo That Provides The Yin And Yang To FORM Design Studio’s Success appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Helaine Tregenza

Photo Credit: Michelle Magdalena

Helaine recently spoke to Haute Design about her favorite part of a design project and what she sees for her firm's future.

Haute Design: When did you first decide to pursue a career in design?

Helaine Tregenza: My very first job in design was in New York in the 70s as a milliner. When I moved to California thirty years ago and bought my first house, that was when I truly decided to pursue a career in design.

HD: Was there anything particular about California that led to this decision, or was it simply a transitional point in your career?

HT: I believe it was just this desire to apply what I knew about design in fashion and art, and translate that to a structure or a building and learning how it all comes together. Once design is in your blood, it applies to your whole life - at least it has for me. Interior design is a form of art but it's also science and math.

HD: What would you say is your strongest attribute as a designer?

HT: I would say that it's my ability to listen to clients and problem-solve. We must consider space, scale, color, light and of course, I want to create a beautiful environment, but it also has to function. I always ask, 'how does the client live in this space?' Form definitely follows function.

Photo Credit: David Duncan Livingston

HD: What would you say sets your firm apart from others?

HT: We only take a handful of clients at a time. Because of this, we provide a bespoke and very custom experience. We are very selective about our projects and we're extremely hands-on throughout the design process.

HD: What is your favorite part of the process in a design project?

HT: That's like asking who's your favorite child. But I will say, I am especially fond of textiles and lighting and selecting artwork. That's kind of like the icing on the cake. To be able to work with the client at the end of a design project and select art, as an art collector myself, is just a total treat.

Photo Credit: David Duncan Livingston

HD: How would you describe your own design aesthetic?

HT: I would say I'm a classicist with a twist and my design is very multi-layered. I like combining old and new. I like to create a collected look as opposed to one particular style.

HD: Where do you see your firm five years down the road?

HT: I expect we will be happily bringing more clients' vision to realization. I am open to doing some travel for projects but really just doing more of the same. For now, my main focus is to continue to provide a bespoke, turn-key experience for residential spaces.

The post Helaine Tregenza Interiors Provides A Bespoke Turn-key Experience appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Photo Credit: Doug Birnbaum

Hafsa Burt recently took the time to discuss matters of well-being and health with Haute Design.

Haute Design: Being successful in any line of business takes plenty of sacrifice and even more time. In the field of design and architecture, "work hours" are not necessarily uniform or standard. How do you find ways to make time for yourself?

Hafsa Burt: It isn't easy. I certainly can't work out every day, but I try to schedule it on my calendar. I realized early on that if you're not taking care of yourself, the demands of your business and life will take a toll on your health and well-being and you may become a nuisance to be around. I worked for larger firms before starting my own business and noticed many unhealthy lifestyle patterns in my senior colleagues, which resulted in a tense work environment. I try to use holistic therapies such as sauna, cryotherapy and acupuncture as needed. I also take care of what I eat to stay in optimum health in order to meet daily demands. A three-minute cryo session or a 30-minute sauna are easy to squeeze into my schedule.

HD: The topic of self-care has become ubiquitous in the past two years, in large part due to the pandemic and its consequences. What was the biggest lesson in self-care you came away with after lockdown?

HB: One of the biggest lessons from the pandemic is that life is fragile and given the consequences of globalization and climate change, our lives can transform drastically overnight, and with that, certain industries and businesses can become obsolete, leaving a lot of families economically vulnerable. Therefore, measures for resilience and flexibility in both the personal and business world need to be at the forefront of everybody's mind. The age-old notion of filling your cup so that you can be there for others has never been more relevant. Also, in the age of information, carefully editing what enters your mind can do wonders for your well-being.

Photo Credit: Doug Birnbaum

HD: In fields like design and architecture, which require so much creativity and perspective from the designer/architect, is the work partially an extension of yourself? If so, how much do you value your rest or solitude? Do you have any practices you recommend in order to rest and recover at the end of the day?

HB: I would love to be that parson who can fall asleep on a tour bus or in an opera performance! At the end of the day, I read fiction or historical biographies. It's a great way to give my mind a break from business activities and to enter someone else's imagination. I am just as careful about what I let into my mind as I am with what I eat. I also paint and sculpt to give the left side of my brain a break, which I wish I could do more often. In the middle of the day, a 30-minute spinning session can also be a good break to allow oxygen into the bloodstream and come back more focused and refreshed. I tend to use these techniques more than caffeine.

HD: Does health and wellness go hand in hand with design consciousness and ecological practices? If so, how?

HB: Yes, of course! Everything starts with the individual. I strongly believe that our spaces can contribute to our physical and mental health. Besides products specified in a project, access to daylight and positive air flow can all contribute to our well-being. Deliberate design choices that include green belts/corridors in our developments to allow access to nature, filter the air, are conducive to walking and biking, all create healthier micro-climates. Since the outdoor/indoor environment can be very polluted, we need to be careful about what we put into our bodies to cope with external stressors in order to remain in optimum health and focus on all the great socio-environmental work.

The post How Hafsa Burt Translates Awareness In Design To Health And Wellness appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.