Bronze Interior Space and Exhibition Design · 2025
Istanbul Kasaba Loft
by Aynur Kirduk
- A' Design Award 2025 Bronze Winner in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Awarded April 15, 2025
- CLIENT: Aynur Kirduk Concept Design Ic Mimarlik
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 13,572
- Verification code 27381B37BA · Verify this award
About Istanbul Kasaba Loft
The Istanbul, Kasaba Loft project is a three story villa design that blends modern and Art Deco styles in a nature integrated setting. Loft ceilings and expansive glass facades create airy spaces with personalized zones: social areas on the ground floor, a music studio in the basement, and an office, bar, and cinema corner on the top floor. Enriched with natural materials, custom furniture, and artistic details, the project harmonizes functionality with aesthetics for a unique living experience.
Aynur Kirduk's Istanbul Kasaba Loft emerges from a design tradition that honors the architectural heritage of neoclassical European residential interiors while simultaneously embracing the material language and spatial ambitions of contemporary luxury design. The project demonstrates technical accomplishment across multiple dimensions, beginning with the sophisticated integration of a double-height volume that could easily overwhelm residential scale yet here achieves intimate grandeur through careful proportional calibration and strategic material warmth. The architectural envelope preserves and celebrates raised panel molding, classical wainscoting, and traditional crown details that establish historical continuity, these elements rendered in pristine white that both honors period convention and provides a neutral field for contemporary interventions. The central compositional achievement lies in the dramatic floor-to-ceiling mirror installation framed in polished brass, seven elongated vertical panels that function simultaneously as spatial multiplier, sculptural presence, and chromatic accent, their golden frames catching and reflecting the warm illumination from both the traditional crystal chandelier above and the contemporary industrial-inflected wall sconces flanking the space, creating a complex interplay of light source, reflection, and material luster that rewards extended observation. This mirror intervention represents a bold contemporary gesture that respects the architectural shell while asserting a distinctly current aesthetic sensibility, transforming what might have been a conventional paneled wall into a dynamic vertical feature that generates visual complexity and perceived spatial expansion, the mirrored surfaces capturing fragments of the chandelier's crystalline geometry, the ornate brass railing of the upper gallery, and the classical moldings themselves, producing a layered, kaleidoscopic depth that engages the viewer in active visual exploration. The chromatic strategy demonstrates restraint and sophistication, anchoring the composition in a cool palette dominated by whites, soft cerulean blues, and silvery grays while introducing warmth through brass and gold-tone metallic accents and the amber glow of warm-temperature lighting, this temperature contrast preventing the cool palette from reading as sterile while maintaining overall luminosity and airiness appropriate to residential comfort. The selection of a pale blue velvet sofa as the primary furnishing element introduces both chromatic and textural softness, the powder blue upholstery suggesting serenity and sophistication while the velvet's plush surface quality invites tactile engagement, the low horizontal form providing visual grounding against the soaring vertical space and creating compositional balance between horizontal repose and vertical aspiration. The lighting design merits particular attention for its successful negotiation between traditional chandelier grandeur and contemporary fixture vocabulary, the central crystal chandelier maintaining period-appropriate opulence while the flanking sconces introduce industrial materiality through matte black cylindrical bodies and exposed filament bulbs, this juxtaposition creating visual interest and suggesting the designer's intention to honor historical context while asserting contemporary identity. Thematically, Istanbul Kasaba Loft invites contemplation of how residential interiors can honor architectural heritage while serving contemporary lifestyles and aesthetic preferences, the space suggesting that tradition and innovation need not exist in opposition but can be synthesized through thoughtful material selection, spatial intervention, and disciplined chromatic editing. The project explores the enduring appeal of classical proportion and ornament while demonstrating how bold contemporary gestures—here embodied in the mirror installation's dramatic verticality—can activate historical architecture rather than compete with it, the mirrors serving to amplify and celebrate the neoclassical details through reflection rather than obscuring them. One might observe how this interior proposes a model for adaptive luxury, where spatial generosity, material quality, and architectural detail combine to create environments that feel both historically grounded and entirely contemporary, spaces that acknowledge the accumulated wisdom of classical design principles while remaining responsive to current sensibilities regarding openness, light, and sculptural presence. The viewer is invited to consider how the careful calibration of chromatic temperature, the strategic deployment of reflective surfaces, and the thoughtful integration of lighting can transform architectural volume into inhabitable atmosphere, and how residential design at its most accomplished balances the competing demands of visual drama and daily livability, creating spaces that function as both architectural statement and comfortable human environment.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- This villa project is a three-story living space distinguished by its blend of modern and Art Deco styles and its striking loft-ceiling architecture. Through functional planning, personalized areas are created: the top floor features an office, bar, and cinema corner; the basement houses a music studio; and the winter garden employs natural textures to establish a warm and elegant atmosphere.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The project is designed with modern and luxurious materials, providing a ceiling height of 3.5 meters between each floor. Wide glass facades, characteristic of the loft style, are chosen to maximize natural light. In the music studio, sound insulation and acoustic treatments are implemented. The interior features natural stone, bespoke furniture, and velvet fabrics, while an automated irrigation system is integrated into the landscaping. Additionally, the custom-made furniture is prepared for shipment using durable packaging, and sensitive materials are securely packaged.
- Tags
- Villa design, turnkey project, modern design, Art Deco, natural materials, loft ceiling, functional areas, personalized living, elegant details, luxurious interior
- Production Technology
- In this project, natural materials are prioritized. The flooring featured Mazzaro Hungarian laminate wood and Alexander Black natural marble. The walls are adorned with off-white lacquer Lambiri finishes, while the fireplace is completed with Helena Calacatta marble. Additionally, the furniture incorporated natural wood veneers and bespoke velvet fabrics. The selection of colors and materials further enhanced the warm, elegant, and dynamic atmosphere of the space.
- Design Challenge
- The project is acquired as a new build from the contractor; however, certain interior elements do not conform to proposed design. In particular, the width dimensions of the older industrial-style staircases varied on each floor, which hindered the implementation of a cohesive design. By resolving the structural issues, a new staircase design is successfully implemented. Additionally, the villa is situated on an inclined street within the forest. Following a night of heavy rainfall, the basement is flooded with 50 centimeters of water. Fortunately, since that floor was not yet completed, only minimal losses are incurred. Immediate measures are taken by reconfiguring the site's street section to prevent water from entering the residence, while the interior issues are addressed with appropriate liquid and thermal insulation measures. Finally, the lower level is seamlessly integrated with the interior space. These two significant challenges prove to be important lessons in the design process.
- Project Duration
- The project is designed for a villa located in Omerli, Istanbul. The design process began three years ago and was completed as a turnkey project after an intensive one-year effort. Initially, only the ground floor of the house was finished, and the project was reimagined both functionally and aesthetically for all areas. In addition to the interior design, the project was enriched by selecting landscaping and furniture for the outdoor garden. Moreover, by designing the doors and other exterior details in the garden area, the interaction between the living spaces and the outdoors was enhanced. Through comprehensive planning and detailed collaboration over one year, the design process culminated in fully functional and distinctive living spaces.
- Operation Flow
- The design optimizes the flow between spaces with functional requirements in mind. Wide windows and open-plan layouts enhance the interaction between indoor and outdoor areas. While the transitions between the living room, kitchen, and garden offer a relaxing experience, the private areas on the top and basement floors create a functional and dynamic atmosphere. A pleasant and seamless living environment is crafted to facilitate the daily life of the homeowners.
- Research
- The project is designed with the objective of creating a living space that is harmonious with nature, modern, and functional. By treating the interior and garden design as a unified whole, it is aimed to establish an environment tailored to the homeowners' lifestyle. An elegant balance is achieved through the use of loft ceilings, natural materials, warm color palettes, and distinctive furniture selections. In the garden, landscaping arrangements and custom furniture designs created an outdoor space that seamlessly complements the interior. Moreover, the aesthetic appeal of the space is enhanced by incorporating works of art by Turkish artists. The contributions of artists such as Zeynep Inal Engin, Atalay Koseoglu, Kazım Borna, and Fuat Ozsozer added significant meaning and value to the project. All these elements are integrated to provide a living area that is both aesthetically impressive and functionally robust, ultimately aiming to achieve a timeless design that marries originality with comfort.
- Inspiration
- The inspiration of this projects is the homeowners' tastes and the villa's location amidst the forest. The designer sought to adapt their appreciation for classical details to this loft-ceilinged structure. In creating a bright and airy atmosphere, contemporary accents are employed alongside warm and natural color palettes. Moreover, the integration of artworks and Art Deco accents culminated in the design of a personalized and distinctive living space.
Colors of Istanbul Kasaba Loft
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