Skip to content
A contemporary storage form of exceptional refinement emerges through the marriage of pristine white lacquered surfaces and deep cerulean blue accent elements, the composition establishing a horizonta
Radiant interplay of deep petrol blue and luminous off-white establishes the foundational chromatic architecture of Yilmaz Dogan's Orb Sideboard, a horizontal furniture composition presenting a sophis
Yilmaz Dogan's Orb Sideboard commands attention through its confident geometric interplay between a broad, gently convex trapezoidal upper surface rendered in deep charcoal gray and a robust cylindric
A streamlined composition of rounded volumes and cylindrical forms articulates Yilmaz Dogan's Orb Sideboard through a sophisticated dialogue between organic curvature and functional geometry, where a
Yilmaz Dogan's Orb Sideboard presents a sophisticated dialogue between curved and linear geometries through a low horizontal cabinet form photographed from an elevated three-quarter viewpoint against

QZENS Furniture

Bronze Furniture Design · 2025

Orb Sideboard

by Yilmaz Dogan

  • A' Design Award 2025 Bronze Winner in Furniture Design
  • Awarded April 15, 2025
  • CLIENT: QZENS Furniture
  • Estimated Number of Design Views: 12,782
  • Verification code 3888D189FB · Verify this award
Email this page to a friend

Get a Badge

About Orb Sideboard

The Orb sideboard blends Art Deco elegance with Byzantine architectural influences, drawing inspiration from the Ancient Roman Hippodrome in Istanbul. Its symmetrical form, aerodynamic curves, and circular side doors maximize space while maintaining a refined aesthetic. Crafted from hand shaped wood with lacquer finishes, veneered interiors, and precision cut surfaces, Orb integrates a custom hinge system for seamless functionality. Gold accents enhance its luxurious appeal, embodying historical influence within contemporary design.

Yilmaz Dogan's Orb Sideboard represents a significant achievement within contemporary furniture design, synthesizing refined geometric minimalism with luxurious material expression to produce a storage form that transcends utilitarian function and enters the realm of inhabitable sculpture. The work engages thoughtfully with the modernist legacy of reduction and formal clarity established by mid-twentieth-century Scandinavian and Bauhaus traditions, yet reinterprets these historical precedents through twenty-first-century fabrication capabilities and a sophisticated understanding of proportion, color relationship, and tactile refinement. The compositional strategy demonstrates notable intelligence in its deployment of the horizontal elongated volume, a format that establishes commanding presence across interior space while maintaining visual accessibility through its restrained height and the perceptual lightness achieved by the elevated base structure. The chromatic palette evidences sophisticated color theory application, pairing the pristine neutrality of white lacquer surfaces with the richness of deep cerulean blue accents to create complementary temperature contrast that enlivens the composition without disrupting its fundamental serenity. The blue functions simultaneously as structural element, surface embellishment, and visual anchor, wrapping the upper edge to define the cabinet's horizontal extension while forming the intersecting base supports that ground the piece both literally and visually. Passages of particular accomplishment include the circular recessed pull at center panel, where the negative void lined in signature blue creates a focal point of concentrated visual interest that rewards close examination, and the organic bulbous protrusion emerging from the rightmost panel, which introduces sculptural volumetric variation to an otherwise planar facade without compromising compositional unity. The slender vertical brass hardware elements provide crucial chromatic accent through their warm metallic tonality, punctuating the cool blue-white dialogue with sparks of golden warmth that catch ambient light and create visual rhythm across the cabinet's length. The technical execution throughout demonstrates exceptional material mastery, with lacquered surfaces achieving the flawless uniformity and depth of finish associated with the highest levels of contemporary furniture fabrication, suggesting multiple application layers and meticulous surface preparation. Thematically, the work invites contemplation of the intersection between utility and aesthetic autonomy, asking viewers to consider how domestic objects can transcend their functional origins to become vehicles for formal exploration and material celebration. The piece participates in long-standing furniture design conversations regarding the appropriate relationship between ornamentation and form, ultimately proposing a synthesis where decorative elements such as the blue accent zones and brass details emerge organically from structural necessities rather than being applied as superfluous embellishment. The work's title, referencing the orb or sphere, may suggest the circular motifs present in the central pull and rounded panel protrusion, or perhaps more abstractly evoke the celestial perfection and geometric purity that the overall composition strives toward through its balance of rectilinear extension and curved edge resolution. One might observe how the cabinet's elevated stance and intersecting base structure create an almost hovering presence, as though the substantial white volume defies gravity through the elegant efficiency of its supporting elements, inviting viewers to consider the relationship between mass and lightness, substance and perception, in objects that mediate between architecture and portable furnishing.

Press Kit

Unique Properties
Orb is a design that merges the timeless aesthetics of Art Deco with inspiration drawn from Byzantine architecture. With its symmetrical form, aerodynamic curves, and meticulous craftsmanship, it brings a sense of timeless elegance to modern interiors. Featuring a spacious interior, custom shelves for bottles of different heights, and uniquely designed circular side doors that open without occupying extra space, Orb offers both functionality and aesthetics.
Dimensions & Packaging
Width: 222 cm, Height: 74 cm, Depth: 50 cm. It offers a spacious storage area with four doors. The circular side doors open with a unique mechanism that prevents space loss. The interior shelves are designed to accommodate bottles of different heights and various accessories.
Tags
Orb, Art Deco, Byzantine, Hippodrome, Luxury, Wood, Metal, Copper, Timeless, Elegance
Production Technology
Orb is crafted with high-quality lacquer finishes and custom metal details. Its body is made of of hand-crafted shaped wood and the interior has wood veneered, rail shelf units. Precision-cut surfaces achieved through cnc technology provide a smooth and sophisticated appearance. The circular door mechanism, supported by a unique hinge system, enhances functionality. Gold accents elevate the luxurious feel of the design.
Design Challenge
The biggest design challenge of Orb was integrating the circular side door mechanism without compromising functionality. This was resolved through a custom hinge system and interior cladding solutions. A dynamic opening mechanism was developed while preserving the design’s seamless form, achieving both aesthetics and practicality.
Project Duration
Designed in Istanbul, where it was inspired, and manufactured in Ankara, the Orb sideboard was completed in 2023.
Operation Flow
Orb provides a unique opening experience with its specially designed hinge system. The side doors open seamlessly with a gentle push, revealing an interior elegantly finished in Bosphorus Deep blue tone. The adjustable shelf system ensures both functionality and flexibility, offering a refined and practical storage solution.
Research
The design process of Orb began with an in-depth study of the structural elements of the Ancient Roman Hippodrome and Byzantine architecture. By analyzing circular and linear forms, a balance was created to adapt these influences into contemporary furniture design. The selected materials harmonize historical inspiration with modern functionality.
Inspiration
Orb is inspired by the Ancient Roman Hippodrome. Built in the 3rd century AD on the site of present day Istanbul, this architectural marvel was a major gathering place for society, hosting chariot races and major events. The large-scale circular and linear elements of the Hippodrome influenced Orb’s design language. Its balanced form reflects a historic heritage within contemporary interiors.
Image Credits
A. Murat ARIK
Erinç ULUSOY
Giray AYDOS

Colors of Orb Sideboard

Get Orb Sideboard

Award-Winning Luxury Furniture Collection

We craft exceptional furniture that merges art with technology. Our award-winning designs blend historical inspiration with contemporary elegance. Each piece showcases meticulous craftsmanship, premium materials, and innovative functionality for discerning interiors.

G0E26 Shop

Grand Interview about Orb Sideboard

The Ancient Roman Hippodrome in Istanbul served as a key inspiration due to its massive elliptical form, rhythmic colonnades, and axial symmetry. I was fascinated by how the Hippodrome unified grandeur with geometric precision. In the Orb Sideboard, the sweeping arc of the circular side doors echoes the racing tracks, while the linear rhythm of the cabinet front mirrors the colonnade alignments. The entire piece is arranged along a strong central axis, recalling the Hippodrome’s architectural order. This helped me translate a monumental historical form into an object of refined domestic scale.

The circular doors were conceptually inspired by ancient rotundas and Byzantine domes—symbols of divine symmetry. To preserve the purity of the circle while ensuring functionality, we designed a custom hinge mechanism that allows the doors to rotate open without visible hardware. It was technically demanding: the doors required precise weight distribution, tolerance calibration, and magnetic stabilization. Collaborating closely with our engineering team in Ankara, we prototyped and iterated the mechanism multiple times to achieve a motion that feels effortless and visually uninterrupted.

The Bosphorus Deep blue tone was chosen to evoke the mysterious depth and richness of the strait that divides and unites East and West. This hue carries a symbolic weight—it references Ottoman tiles, Byzantine mosaics, and the maritime importance of the Bosphorus throughout history. By embedding this tone in the interior, we create a hidden layer of storytelling. The color acts as a metaphor for cultural convergence and timeless beauty—an interior world that pays tribute to Istanbul’s dual heritage, often unseen but profoundly present.

The front facade of the Orb Sideboard is inspired by Art Deco geometry. We used CNC milling to define the macro geometry but relied on skilled artisans to refine each edge, sand the surface by hand, and apply lacquer layer by layer. This combination ensures that the machine’s precision is softened and enriched by the human touch—balancing modern technique with traditional craftsmanship in a way that reflects the spirit of the design.

The dimensions were calculated to evoke architectural scale while remaining proportionate to residential interiors. The width of 222 cm allows for a tripartite division—central doors flanked by circular side units—enhancing the symmetrical aesthetic. The height of 74 cm aligns with ergonomic access and typical sideboard usage, while the 50 cm depth provides ample storage without overwhelming the space. These proportions were carefully studied through 1:1 mockups, ensuring that the Orb Sideboard feels substantial yet approachable, monumental yet intimate.

Lacquered wood offers a mirror-like surface reminiscent of imperial opulence, while brushed gold detailing echoes Byzantine mosaics and Art Deco metalwork. These materials were selected not just for their visual impact but for their cultural resonance. I wanted the sideboard to feel timeless, rooted in tradition yet unmistakably modern. The interplay between the glossy finish and matte gold accents creates depth, while also reflecting light in a theatrical way, enhancing the sculptural quality of the piece.

During our user research phase, we conducted interviews with homeowners and interior designers to understand how sideboards are used in real life. A recurring theme was the need for flexibility—many wanted to store tall bottles, tableware, or multimedia components. We responded by designing shelving systems with different heights.

To translate the Hippodrome’s monumental scale into furniture, I focused on visual rhythm and axial harmony rather than literal size. The curved forms and repeated vertical grooves suggest continuity and expansion, much like the Hippodrome’s colonnades. The symmetrical layout and grand proportions pay homage to the architecture’s grandeur, but the material palette, refined detailing, and user-centric storage ensure the piece serves daily functions. This duality, monumental inspiration in a human-scale object, is at the heart of Orb’s design philosophy.

The Orb Sideboard demonstrates that luxury can be narrative-driven, not just material-based. I believe this approach will shape the future of high-end furniture: pieces that combine historical storytelling with functionality and emotional resonance. Clients today seek meaningful design, not just decoration. Orb speaks to that by offering a rich cultural language through form, color, and material. Its success encourages designers to look to the past for inspiration while embracing technological innovation and user-centered design.

Designing in Istanbul allowed me to immerse myself in the city’s layered history, drawing directly from its architecture and atmosphere. Manufacturing in Ankara gave us access to a skilled network of craftspeople and high-tech production facilities. This dual-city model fostered a balance between conceptual depth and technical precision. Istanbul fueled the artistic vision; Ankara ensured its execution met the highest standards. It also mirrors the story of the Bosphorus: bridging worlds, merging history with modernity, design with fabrication.

Related Designs

View All

Good Design Deserves Great Recognition

Nominate Your Work for the A' Design Award.

Nominate