Meet the Designers: Joshua Rose & Rafael Kalichstein of FORM Interior Design (Part 1)

Rafael Kalichstein and Joshua Rose of FORM Interior Design were among the all-stars selected at the designer portfolio review hosted by The Editor at Large at Studio Baccarat’s Limited Engagement showroom during WESTWEEK.

We decided to learn a bit more about Joshua and Rafael's work and how they each got started.

GDG: Rafi, how did you get started in the interior design world?

RK: My interests are diverse and my educational background, similarly, is varied. I have an Associates degree in Eastern philosophy and a B.F.A. in acting from NYU's TISCH School of the Arts. Having studied Chinese medical basics as a child, I went back to school on a grant to the American University of Complimentary Medicine and somewhere in between, I modeled in Milan, worked off-Broadway, and had other small successes in an acting career!

Shortly after meeting Josh, he and I bought a house together in a beautiful location, but it was in dire need of repair. With six different flooring surfaces in its modest 1100 square feet, it was the model of disgrace! It was in the rehab that we gave the cottage that we formed FORM!

GDG: Josh, did you also find yourself in the interior design world in a roundabout way?

JR: Absolutely! When I was 16 years old, my father and I started a visual FX company and eventually dropped out of film school to run the company. When I took over the company we had eight employees and by the time I left, we had grown to over 125 employees, won two Emmys (I won one myself for my work on Star Trek Voyager!), had our work Oscar recognized on Independence Day and worked on numerous other films. After leaving, I went onto pursue writing, directing and conceptualizing.

I met Rafi while writing and directing and we had a whirlwind romance that led to a home purchase and a major budget renovation. Growing up my father was a builder and a developer and I started helping him renovate kitchens, build a deck and vault our ceilings at a young age, so the work felt very natural to me, as did working creatively with Rafi—something unexpected as I was used to being the primary creative voice! The renovation literally opened the door to us starting our own design company and FORM was born!

GDG: What has made each of you love interior design?

RK: It goes back to my childhood love of invention and building. That I can sit down with paper and pencil (or at the computer) to design a table, cabinetry, or lighting and then, through collaboration and hard work actually realize that idea... that is magic! To watch the incarnation of my thoughts and the fabrication of imagination is something truly spectacular.

JR: I love that I learn something new everyday. You touch people on such an emotional and visceral level with this work. An elderly neighbor used to shout from her window when she saw us leaving for work, ‘Go make the world a more beautiful place!’ It has always stuck with me as a great challenge, but I think we do!

Stay tuned to GoDesignGo to hear more about Rafael and Joshua of FORM Interior Design. They'll share more about who helped them along the way and which rooms they love to design most.

Meet the Designer: Heather Hilliard of San Francisco (Part 1 of 3)

At the designer portfolio review hosted by The Editor at Large at Studio Baccarat’s Limited Engagement showroom, three guest editors selected their favorite portfolios to receive a free submission to publications through EditorAtLarge.com.

One of the all-stars selected was Heather Hilliard of Heather Hilliard Design. We decided to learn a bit more about Heather's work and what she's been busy with.

GDG: How did you get started in the interior design world?

HH: I majored in Art History in college and while in school, I worked at the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute of Contemporary Art. After graduating, I worked at the Philadelphia Museum of Art where I experienced incredible access to all curatorial staff, behind the scenes special exhibition planning, day trips to New York galleries, museums and artist studio tours. While walking from my office to other departments, I passed through the American Art gallery and glanced at the amazing silver collection before crossing through another corridor where I always noticed Charles Wilson Peale’s trompe l’oeil of his sons Titian and Ramsey Peale. I walked across the Museum’s great hall, under the enormous Alexander Calder mobile, through the 20th century galleries, passing works by Georges Braques, Brancusi and up the stairs through the European Paintings Gallery right by Cézannes and others from the post impressionist period. The constant exposure to great art on a daily basis continues to seep into my overall design and color sense!

GDG: Can you tell us about a project you're excited about these days?

HH: I’m proud to say that I’ve been selected to participate in my third Decorator Showcase event in the San Francisco Bay Area. This year, I’m designing the library at the San Francisco Decorator Showcase event where my team and I have just finished the library in the gorgeous Italian villa style home!

GDG: Tell us more about it!

HH: I loved designing this library because the moment I walked into the space, it captured a sense of warmth drawn from the rich colors of the nearby Presidio forest. My inspiration was found in the silvery colors on the underside of Eucalyptus leaves on the property; the browns of Japanese maples; the dark ochre of the redwood tree trunks and clay roof tiles. I knew instinctively that this room would come alive with luxurious natural materials of wool, silk velvet, leather, linen, horsehair and rich woods in order to create a soft worn-in look. Special emphasis was placed on comfortable upholstered furniture that is understated, tailored and timeless. One would feel comfortable reading the paper reclining on the sofa with the family dog or hosting guests for cocktails around the fireplace!

Stay tuned to GoDesignGo to hear more about Heather and Heather Hilliard Design. Heather will tell us which room she loves to design and about her crazy project with an 89-year old client.

Meet the Designer: Kristine Paige Kamenstein of Jackson Paige Interiors (Part 2)

Kristine Paige Kamenstein of Jackson Paige Interiors was one of the three top picks of the designer portfolio review How to Catch an Editor's Eye, hosted by The Editor at Large at Studio Baccarat’s Limited Engagement showroom. Kristine tells us more about how Jackson Paige Interiors grew to such success and what she and her four-year old twins love to do together when she isn't designing interiors.


GDG: Do you have a favorite story from those first few years of starting the company?
KPK: Of course! Things really started to pick up for us. One day, we were sourcing antiques on Melrose Place and the next day we were changing toilet seats. We designed the 2,500 square foot master suite along with the conversion of the garage for a cat’s playroom! One of our most memorable parts of the job was when our first clients hired us to hand-select and design two 15-foot-tall Christmas trees. We came up with themes for each tree and selected an enormous amount of ornaments, lights and other decorations. We spent an entire day on ladders in separate rooms, with Christmas music blaring between us! It was a great way to get in the holiday spirit!

GDG: What are a few things you’re busy with now?

KPK: After recently completing two projects in the Pacific Palisades, we are actively working on two more projects in that area, two in Beverly Hills, and one in Hancock Park. The Palisades projects are both new construction—one is in collaboration with William Hefner Architects and the other is with Rockefeller Partners Architects. We’re enjoying all our projects right now, especially because they are so varied in style, running the gamut from contemporary beach house, to Cape Cod traditional, to Spanish revival. The variety allows us to explore many different design and architectural elements, including finishes, materials, and furnishings, and to keep abreast on new products. Despite the loss of my close friend and partner five years ago, Jackson Paige Interiors truly continues to grow and thrive.

GDG: What is your favorite room to design in a home?

KPK: My favorite room to design used to be the powder room, as it is tucked away and you’re able to make it quite dramatic and whimsical—it's a surprise where people least expect to find one! However, my favorite area has shifted to the kitchen/family room area in a house. It really is the hub of the house, and I love the challenge of tying this area in to the more formal areas of the house and using it to showcase and highlight the unique needs and personalities of each of my clients!

GDG: Can you share a fun fact that most people don't know about you?

KPK: My love for design doesn’t end at the threshold to the home! I also love to garden and grow hydrangeas of all colors. At our family home, we grow herbs, vegetables and citrus in our Hollywood Hills backyard. My four-year old twins and I love tending to the garden on the weekends and, very luckily, I have a husband who loves to cook, so he benefits as well. We all enjoy the fruits of the labor!

Stay posted to GoDesignGo to meet the other top two designers from the designer portfolio review, How to Catch an Editor's Eye.