About
People, habits, materials, and emotion.
Elif Genel approaches interiors as living environments shaped by people, habits, materials, and emotion. Her work focuses on creating spaces that feel balanced, considered, and quietly distinctive.
- Location
- Istanbul, Turkey
- @elifgenel.studio
Elif Genel is an interior architect with more than fifteen years of work across residential, hospitality, and commercial projects. She completed her education in Istanbul, then worked on projects of varying scale across Europe and Turkey.
She always begins by listening to the life a space holds. The morning routine of a home, the evening light of a restaurant, the way a shop welcomes a visitor — each becomes a starting point for design.
She leads her studio as a small but dedicated team that believes in the honesty of materials, the calm of proportion, and details that grow more beautiful over time.
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Studio Approach
A considered interior brings comfort, clarity, and quiet beauty into daily life.
For us, a good space does not need to demand attention. It works quietly — it puts people at ease, makes everyday movements simpler, and becomes more familiar with time.
Every material, every proportion, and every detail is chosen to support the way people live. Natural light, tactile surfaces, and balanced space form the language of the design.
- 01
Human Comfort
Design begins with the human body and its daily movements. Proportion, height, and distance make comfort quietly possible.
- 02
Material Sensitivity
Each material is used honestly, with its own character. Tactile, natural surfaces that grow more beautiful over time are preferred.
- 03
Spatial Balance
The balance between full and empty, light and shadow, movement and pause determines the calm of a space.
- 04
Timeless Character
Permanence is sought over fashion. A well-made space keeps its freshness and meaning as the years pass.
- 05
Emotional Atmosphere
A space is remembered by how it makes you feel. Light, scent, sound, and texture together build its emotion.
Values
The principles that guide our work
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Warmth
We want every space to hold the person within it.
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Balance
We seek the right measure between simplicity and richness.
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Function
Beauty gains meaning when it makes daily life simpler.
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Material Honesty
We use materials as they are, without imitation.
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Timelessness
We aim for what lasts, not for what is in fashion.
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Care
Even the smallest detail deserves to be considered with care.
Experience
Selected practice
- 2016 — Founder, Elif Genel Studio Istanbul
- 2012 — 2016 Senior Interior Architect Hospitality & residential projects, Europe
- 2009 — 2012 Interior Architect Architecture office, Istanbul
- 2009 BA, Interior Architecture Istanbul