Merve Kahraman: Concept Design and Project Design Development

Merve Kahraman: one of the most inspiring interior designers in North America. The designer’s Mid-Century with a Modern twist unveils the most luxurious and authentic projects you’ll ever get to see in the industry. Come with us and find out everything about her staggering work.

Presenting Merve Kahraman, one of North America’s top interior designer shares a curriculum that you would be absolutely jealous of. It all began the designer entered the education path when she went to study Interior Design at the Istituto Europeo di Design, in Milan. After some successful years, she moved to London to study MA Product Design in Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. During this educational experience, she worked in several architecture and design studios in London, New York and Istanbul including Tom Dixon and Tord Boontje.

It was after grad school, that Merve Kahraman found some challenges on the construction of her career. “After finishing grad school when I decided to create my own brand instead of working in an architectural office. It took some courage to make that decision. Knowing that it was the right decision encouraged me”. The designer found her inner strength and empowerment and took the right step towards her amazing success, which is now a great part of her as a professional within the interior design world.

It’s through the humor that she practices her art, whether on interior design or even industrial design, an area where she specialized. Conceptualizing her work style as “unique, daring and nostalgic”, she displays the most incredible projects, that are able to demonstrate bold settings, as well as a Mid-Century style décor, that is embellished with some modern twists.

With that style base in mind, she focuses on placements with custom pieces of furniture, typically retro, with their geometric and asymmetric features.

Her decision to specialize in industrial design comes from the thought and desire of wanting to include furniture and products as an integral part of her designs for spaces. That means that the search for customized pieces, that you won’t see anywhere, are what really transforms every space, into the style that’s desired by potential clients. “When my designs make people happy and when they develop an emotional attachment towards them”. That’s why she does what she does every day so magnificently, to create special and personalized projects that evoke an immense satisfaction. Merve Kahraman is able to impress her audience through the authentic description of her designs, “with the stories behind them as well as my inspirations whether it is coming from nature or from mythology or space”.

The interior designer establishes herself through design icons such as Achille Castigioni and Piero Fornasetti, who are the perfect icons to inspire her into new and exquisite projects. Those projects that she embraces, are usually due to “inquiries for the client’s personal space where they share it with their families which makes it more intimate”. That makes Merve Kahraman the go-to designer to establish familiar and sophisticated settings, where a family is perfectly capable of feeling comfortable and safe. In her works, she explores the relationship between her products and their users.

One thing that really stands as an ideal within her interior design bussiness is definitely the sustainable design. According to Merve Kahraman, this ideal redefines character, due to its execution through masterful craftsmanship. “I am seeing a lot of ombre colors, handcrafted sculptural furniture, curves, arcs. But I believe the most important trend right now is sustainable design”. Although she’s able to observe and admire exciting trends in the future, she believes that the most important is sustainable design, and also believes that that’s the path to follow in the future “Definitely sustainable design. I would love to see more designs with a concept, story and a message rather than just another beautiful object”.

The interior designer is working on her own industrial design and interior design projects between New York and Istanbul. She has also launched a new collection of incredible furniture, “Cassini Lighting Series and I am working on designing tables within the same concept right now experimenting with the traditional material rattan. After the completion of these series, I am planning to do some designs with neon and glass”. Although she’s planning many exciting projects ahead that she wants to enjoy in the present, she has yet to fulfill her dream of working on a film set design.