Mayfair luxury interior designer Faiza Seth opens the doors to her Mayfair home, which proved to be the launchpad for her company, Casa Forma

WORDS Mark Kebble

If you want to show the wider world what you are all about, and that you 100% trust your beliefs and approach to work, there is no better place to do it than your own home. This is exactly what interior designer Faiza Seth did, transforming her home in Mayfair in an award-winning project by her company, Casa Forma.

‘This was designed eight years ago now,’ Seth tells me as we take a look around, ‘but it doesn’t look like that at all. The design is timeless and shows how we offer luxury and understated value.’ An elegant 3,883 sq ft lateral living apartment on Down Street, the project saw original architectural features restored and modernised to create a truly bespoke living space, which achieves an unparalleled level of luxury and comfort.

It’s a wonderful example of what Seth’s company is all about. Casa Forma is an international design practice that provides comprehensive interior design and architectural services for residential, commercial and hospitality properties. Initially devised ten years ago, the idea to launch Casa Forma didn’t follow a simple path.

‘I originally grew up in Chicago,’ she says, her American accent still very much evident. ‘I was born in India, but my parents moved to the US when I was two. I got married at 21 and moved to Hong Kong, where I worked in fashion in the family business. However, I soon wanted to make my own way in the world rather than have the protection of the family business, so I moved to London.’

Despite having a major in economics, from Stanford no less, under her belt, it was not the career for her. ‘There are a lot of people like me in hedge funds,’ she laughs. ‘The creative industry appealed to me, I felt I could add value. London is the cultural and economic centre of the world, a lot of people use the capital as a base and I felt there would be a demand for property. That’s why I formed Casa Forma.’

One Hyde Park put us on the map as we won an award for best living space for that. We were one of the few designers to get in to work on the project, so that meant a lot

Very quickly, Seth’s luxurious approach was gaining admiring glances from those in the industry. She namechecks where we are today, her home in Mayfair, as one project that caught the eye. ‘Two others would be Cadogan Place and One Hyde Park,’ she considers. ‘One Hyde Park put us on the map as we won an award for best living space for that. We were one of the few designers to get in to work on the project, so that meant a lot.’

Complementing the stunning views over Hyde Park, Casa Forma’s practical and functional approach works a treat, resulting in a timeless and sophisticated design scheme, whilst again offering the best in bespoke luxury and elegance. ‘Cadogan Place gave us a platform to invite estate agents to see our work,’ Seth adds, ‘so we were able to market ourselves to those in the industry more.’

 

Ten years down the line and Casa Forma now work all over the globe. ‘It has gone so quickly,’ Seth reflects on the last decade. ‘I have learnt so much about running a business. I guess the main thing I have learnt is you have got to be resilient. You have to be in the game to win it. We do more architectural work now and we offer true bespoke solutions to our clients.

‘Casa Forma has more creativity involved in coming up with the design and projects, rather than us using the same chandelier again and again, for example. It’s why we are a luxury design company, we take the time to come up with things like that.’

London attracts the global design talent. At Casa Forma, there are ten different nationalities, who each bring the best of their nation’s design with them

Seth says Casa Forma has ‘no style per se, but if there is no brief then I would say classic contemporary with a touch of Art Deco’, but there is no doubt there is a very international flavour to the company that marries with the perception of design in our capital. ‘London attracts the global design talent,’ she states, ‘we have the best of design across the world. At Casa Forma, there are ten different nationalities, who each bring the best of their nation’s design [with them].’

In another ten years, Seth says she hopes to have expanded even more globally, but for now she appears rather content to be at home in Mayfair. ‘I love living here,’ she enthuses. ‘I can walk everywhere and it’s very central. Then, at home, I love my master bedroom because I literally live in it! It’s my sanctuary.’

casaforma.co.uk; 020 7584 9495