Inside Forett [3/3]: Living with Design - Final Curations, Craftsmanship, and Reflections
I believe a home should be the harmonising expression of the context of the individual, their relationships and their space.
In this project, that mindset informed how this 474 sqft home was designed, fitted, styled, and ultimately lived in.
This final chapter in the Inside Forett series marks the transition from design conceptualisation, to construction, and finally to its occupation. It reflects on how the final design came together: through intentional styling, material curation, the thoughtful integration of artisanal elements, and ultimately, how the space responded to inhabitation.
Reconstituted Oak Veneer was chosen for the cabinetry material - a warm tone with a consistent grain that provided visual stability across the home, wrapping the majority of the carpentry elements and grounding the material composition.
In the kitchen,
this orchestration came fully into view. The cabinetry was designed to read as a seamless, continuous volume, merging effortlessly with the adjoining living and transitional areas. The travertine-inspired sintered stone backsplash that again reinforced a sense of seamlessness with its transition to the living room. While the onyx countertop was chosen for its matching palette and provided a complementary tone that reinforced the spatial calm.
Cabinetry volumes, the stone backsplash, and the choice of compact accessories all worked harmoniously to achieve a clear, warm narrative - allowing architecture and daily use to coexist naturally.
In the Living Room,
-the travertine-like stone was extended seamlessly across the elevation. The decision to omit traditional cabinetry created breathing room for displaying artisanal pieces: unique ceramic creations, sculptural trays, etc., all enhancing the material rhythm of the design while maintaining its visual brevity.
In front of this backdrop, we introduced an American walnut slab table which was sourced during our search for furniture pieces that would complement, rather than compete with, the space. Its rich, organic grain and flowing form offered a softer, grounding counterpoint to the otherwise linear and structured language of the cabinetry and stone. Even the table’s sculptural leg detail was deliberately designed and specified to the supplier to echo the crafted language of the surrounding styling.
Beneath it, an organic-shaped rug from Bolia was sourced, inspired by the Zen gardens at the Takenaka Carpentry Museum in Kobe. It reinforces the informal gathering area as the central axis of the home.
The Bedroom
features a recessed timber-clad ceiling that visually articulates the space, creating a warm cocooning effect. The bed sat atop a platform that subtly lifted the sleeping zone without introducing heavy visual breaks. The headboard was deliberately understated, framed in oak trim and upholstered in a neutral grey fabric to maintain spatial consistency.
Traditional roller blinds were selected over newer alternatives to preserve the theme of simplicity and understatement. Their clean geometry avoided unnecessary design noise, maintaining the calm visual order of the room.
At the heart of the apartment, the main strategy of preserving openness was expressed through the use of the half-height countertop as a spatial divider.
Mahogany veneer was chosen to wrap the countertop, offering a rich tonal contrast against the lighter oak cabinetry and travertine palettes. Its depth of color harmonized naturally with the Rombini Brun ceramic tiles below, reinforcing a visual dialogue between strength and delicacy.
A Noren and Sudare bamboo screens, both sourced from Kyoto craftsmen, were carefully positioned to introduce soft, flexible thresholds within the home. The Noren, installed between the living and bedroom zones, and the Sudare screens above the countertop, each provided the ability to define and separate spaces without fully enclosing them.
The spatial planning also fulfilled its practical intentions: from the bed, sightlines remained clear toward the television.
The Balcony
was conceived as an extension of the Living Zone, reinforcing the home's spatial continuity. A swivel outdoor chair allowed dynamic interaction between indoor and outdoor spaces.
We also deliberately sourced for multifunctional furniture pieces, and found several crafted in Italy, that could serve both as a side table and as an occasional stool.
Pascal Nottin sculptural pieces, crafted from zinc and shipped from France, anchored the balcony composition.
Their rich patina and weathered tones were selected to harmonize with the apartment’s broader material palette, adding a visual anchor within an otherwise flexible, open space.
The study nook
continued the material language of the home, framed by a recessed timber-clad ceiling similar to the bedroom. Floating oak shelves and a compact built-in desk kept the space open and light. Integrated lighting was carefully positioned to highlight material textures without visual clutter, allowing the study to blend naturally into the home's overall composition.
Lighting & Fittings
The lighting strategy was integral to the apartment’s experience. We chose dimmable Philips downlights with tunable white capabilities, allowing the entire space to shift its atmosphere according to the time of day or occasion. Linear LED strips from Sol Luminaire were integrated into key features, offering subtle ambient lighting that could be dimmed independently for further control. Every lighting point was planned for flexibility, allowing the environment to adapt naturally whether working, relaxing, or hosting.
Fittings were selected with equal care. Buster + Punch toggle switches provided both functional reliability and aesthetic appeal, complementing the material language around the home.
Conclusion: Living with Design
In the months since moving in, the home has proven itself to be exactly as envisioned. The spatial planning, material palette, and atmospheric quality have each fulfilled their intended roles, resulting in a space that feels as if it was always meant to be.
If any adjustments were to be made, they would be minor: the study nook could have been deepened by enclosing the adjacent bathroom door, creating a more contemplative retreat. A few lighting positions in the study could also have been refined for better balance.
Yet these are small notes within a larger composition that, ultimately, achieved its goal. The apartment today lives the way it was imagined:
a true harmonisation of context, material, craft, and daily life.
