Design in Layers: Forma Strata and the Philosophy of Living with Objects

Forma Strata, one of KURA's founding brand partners, approaches object design as a geological practice. Their name refers to the layers of earth that accumulate over millennia, each stratum recording a moment in time. In their New Delhi studio, this philosophy translates into pieces that are designed to be layered in the home. A tray sits beneath a vase. A candleholder anchors a shelf of books. Nothing exists in isolation.

The Forma Strata method

Every Forma Strata piece begins as a sketch, moves through a clay prototype, and arrives at its final form in brass or copper. The process deliberately resists efficiency. Founder Arjun Mehta speaks of "productive delay," the idea that slowing down production leads to better decisions. This is evident in the finished pieces, which carry a considered weight and proportion that mass-produced homeware cannot achieve.