Merve Kahraman Creates Aesthetically Fluid Interior Products
Unique, daring, nostalgic. That’s how the namesake founder of Merve Kahraman Products & Interiors characterizes her work. Global, Memphis, and Fornasetti-esque could be other descriptors. After studying interior design at Milan’s Istituto Europeo di Design and product design at London’s Central Saint Martins, then cutting her teeth at Tom Dixon’s and Tord Boontje’s studios, Kahraman moved back to her native Istanbul to launch her own firm. Ensuing residential projects there and in New York, where she now lives, kickstarted her line of furnishings. “Inspiration can come from mythology or outer space,” she says. For her 2021 collection, the latter is evident in Starboy, a velvet-upholstered ottoman on a polished-chrome base, and Ziron, a 45-inch-
diameter chandelier with a constellation of glass globes. Natural, sustainable materials are another through line: Yellow, pink, and blue marble frame the 84-inch-tall Zaziko mirror, while ayous, caning, and leather compose the N-Gene armchair. All pieces are handcrafted in Istanbul by local artisans and can be customized.