Merve Kahraman’s products pursue a balance of play, function and personality

It is interesting to imagine furniture as a garment, or as an external shell and different products of utility, as temporary extensions of our body. One cannot ignore the relationship that an object and its user share; the former’s ability to elicit a spectrum of responses in even a fleeting interaction—feelings of comfort, discomfort, confidence or diminishment—makes it a transitory, but no less significant, offshoot of the user’s personality. This bond between human and the inanimate is the driver for New York-based designer Merve Kahraman.

Specialising in the realms of residential, hospitality and product design, the award-winning designer characterises her creations with a knack for play and singularity. She emphasises the ties between her designs and their users, aiming to nurture it into a personal relationship whether through recurring cycles or injecting ‘personality’ into the objects. The creative ethos, accompanied by a commitment to sustainable design and craftsmanship propels Kahraman’s distinct oeuvre.

'Gina': embodying glamour and elegance

The Gina bar stool looks back at the Hollywood Regency style, its contrasting colours and metallic finishes introducing drama, elegance and glamour into any space it inhabits. The fabrics and colours can be selected in different configurations and the stool design is available in counter height as well as bar height—allowing the users to customise as per their needs. The Gina stool conforms to a similar visual language that juxtaposes patterned fabric and metal. The sleek metal and the rounded form together reveal a soft and tough look. The versatile design can be used in environments ranging from dining areas and vanities to galleries.

'Cassini' lamp: a planetary luminaire

Cassini–Huygens mission, which was a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI), revolutionised the human understanding of the Saturn system. It was also described as a ‘mission of firsts,’ given its massive contributions. This mission and the planet Saturn become a muse for the product designer, yielding the Cassini series of lighting designs. The slender metal frame of the lamp design emerges from a carved marble base, reaching upwards and arching to secure the light source—a Saturn-like form with a rattan orbit.

'Iris': a contemporary rainbow seat

This bar stool by Kahraman extends an invitation to sit on a rainbow. In Greek mythology, Iris is the personification of the rainbow and a messenger of the gods. This rainbow, a combination of layers and intentions, inspires Kahraman’s Iris bar stool. Minimal and elegant in silhouette, the furniture design can complement any environment. The contemporary design features an adjustable back to enhance comfort and allows users to sit freely.

'Sare': the noble clown

Sare is a floor lamp that takes cues from the 17th-century ruff collar, a past emblem of wealth and status. At the same time, its striped marble body and round glass head are also evocative of the silent clown Pierrot. The lamps are all handcrafted and assembled with marble stems of different colours bridging the base and the zigzag ‘collar.’ A pearl-coloured polyurethane piece attaches the body to the milk glass top. The spherical glass headpiece is available in multiple colours, allowing various compositions to come into play. “Sare is a reflection of our inner noble clown,” Kahraman says.

'Sulpap': a cloud resting on a Roman column

Mythological clouds and grand Roman columns come together to create Kahraman’s Sulpap table. This piece of furniture is handcrafted with a high-gloss lacquer-finished pillar leg, a polished chrome base and a coloured, cloud-like marble top. Whether it is in the dining area, the workspace or the lounge, the table design is contrived to blend in, yet stand out with its striking shapes.

'Semo': an armchair that fits like a glove

With Semo, the designer imagines a comfortable solution for side sitters. The undulating arms of the armchair, resembling the image of a comfortable baseball hand glove, offer an ideal space to place the legs as one turns from left to right. A contrasting stitch detail runs on the upholstered arms, seat and back, adding a dimension to the chair design. The seat is stably positioned on a round base made out of polished burl wood veneer. The weighty and soft silhouette invites the user to a relaxing seat.

Kahraman's expanding body of work abides by a sculptural quality that exudes inventiveness, nostalgia, and sometimes, even humour. Accumulating cues from diverse directions—nature, mythology, history and outer space—she channels them into contemporary shells that reveal glimpses of their muse upon closer inspection.