Interview with Frankie Leung

House of Forme is an unconventional design practice. We provide a full-service design approach, focusing on storytelling across different disciplines for brands of all shapes and sizes.

Design is not only how things look or feel. It's how things work.

Recently objects, furniture and lighting design, something that feels foreign yet closely knit to what I normally do. Every object is an opportunity to tell a story.

Branding a resort destination in Bali.

Brass. I love materials that age beautifully with time. Patina of brass just has so much soul and characteristics.

When I’m travelling. I feel like a sponge. Absorbing the culture, the nature and everything I see.

The human experience. How it works.

Curiosity, strategic thinking, empathy, experimental mindset.

Beyond completing clients’ asks, it achieves some one-of-a-kind experience.

As designers, we’re cautious of the environment, from paper usage to material selections. We’re always trying to be careful about how our design is impacting the environment.

AI is definitely the future, but the value for human craft will also evolve.

We had a furniture show at Design Shenzhen 2025. No plans on next exhibition yet.

Inspiration comes from daily life and research. Everything we do is heavily embedded in research, to understand the past and inform a better future.

Storytelling is our style.

I live in Hong Kong. A very eclectic mix of different cultures. It has lots of offerings, very vibrant, lots of stimulus. People here are known to be judgmental. I guess that shapes my multicultural background, I can always pull inspirations from my life. I am also extremely critical with my work.

With companies or individuals, the most important part is to understand and empathize with clients’ situations. If you’re too full force on pushing personal styles, it’s not gonna end well.

Trust the designer. The process needs to be collaborative. See potential from their past work and character instead of asking for free pitches. It's not how it works.

Research, research, research.

A print made from scraps from London streets pressed into paper. A side table by Menu. A bespoke designed light I designed at the entrance.

Wake up, have a cup of espresso, check emails, work, tons of meetings, practice golf, a bit of reading, and repeat.

Listen first.

The positives are that you do what you love and make a living out of it. You’re constantly inspired by the people you work with, the projects you get, every day is challenging. The downside is when you first start off it’s going to be difficult, especially in a place like Hong Kong. But it will get better as people start to respect you for what you do.

How does it make you feel is more important than how does it look. More importantly, it's how it works.

Empathy and curiosity.

I love collecting old things - prints, watches, objects, books. They all have their own story.

Set deadlines, work efficiently, have a good team to support me.

It depends.

"How long does it take?"

All my experiences are equally important. It helped shaped who I am today.

We work with small startups to Fortune 500 companies, including Marriott, HongKong Land, Hong Kong Jockey Club and many more.

Full service design work as we can craft a consistent story.

Hopefully more international exposure, more challenging and rewarding projects.

I work as a team.

We are designing an entire office building in Hong Kong, to some luxury residential homes, all the way to hospitality brands in Niseko, Paris, which I am very excited about.

Contact my company through our website www.houseofforme.com/

Make sure to follow us on Instagram @houseofforme.