With Jacob Hoerner Galleries in residence, it’s been an interesting learning experience commercially, and more personally, an enriching practice in community building for Perkins and his team. It’s not just that the space seeks to fill a void when it comes to the gallery scene on the south side of Melbourne, and it’s not just that Pleysier Perkins, InForm and our collective clients now have access to more creatives from that world, either. It’s also the sense of community and the sharing of stories that the space brings to everyone who visits it.

Take a recent artist’s lunch hosted within the space, for example, where featured artists spoke about their work. “Both artists were in their seventies and both were immigrants into Australia and they were talking about life here as an immigrant in the seventies, as well as the art scene through the sixties, seventies, and eighties,” Perkins says. “They reflected on their engagement with Melbourne as a city and how it influenced their work and it reminded me of the power of being with creative people and hearing their stories.” It’s unsurprising that with so much architectural principle rooted in art, as well as the focus on the experience of beauty and space, that there’s a strong connection between artists and architects. While the end result might be different, the pursuit of the creative endeavour remains similar.

“But where they differ and what’s always intrigued me about artists and the art world is that they’re creating out of nothing and presenting their work to the world,” Perkins explains. “That’s different to architecture, because we have a very close collaboration with the clients and the people that will inhabit these spaces that we create both with and for them.”

In this endeavour, Perkins and his team hope to bridge the gap between art and architecture for our clients. Every InForm house is designed with art in mind. Walls lend themselves to artworks and our interior designers are often encouraging clients to leave certain walls for art. “That’s what we figure walls are for, after all,” Perkins laughs. And in furthering that connection between art and architecture, this space also works as a starting point for conversations about furniture and art curation – services that are offered to our clients and that bring a full service approach to what we do.

“The art space has allowed us to form relationships with various galleries around Melbourne and our clients who work with our design team on furniture and art procurement love to access this world,” Perkins says. While reducing the overwhelm that is often associated with finding the right pieces both aesthetically and practically for a home that has been so meticulously designed and created, our design team’s experience in furniture and art procurement brings a level of detail and cohesion to each home.

“A good home reflects the people that live in it and of course, our endeavour is always to provide quality to the spaces,” Perkins says. “Ultimately, it’s a reflection of our clients and their lifestyle and their values and by working together on all elements of the design more holistically, we find that our team is able to help them achieve that in a way that feels like their own.” And in this way, our teams bring their fascination and love for the many artistic and creative mediums that inspire them to each project. It’s not just about art and form. It’s about creating places and spaces that feel like theirs.