Fresh Face On Traditional Style
Written by Candace Ord Manroe
Produced by Krissa Rossbund
It’s easy for a designer to maintain balance on the flatlands, where the style geography is totally traditional or meticulously modern. Navigating terrain that is neither one nor the other requires a more calibrated compass. Without it, transitional design can plunge into a purgatory where neither/nor translates as nothing much. No such danger for furniture and interior designer Megan Perry Yorgancioglu. The home she designed in Izmir, Turkey, for herself and her husband, Doruk, is a cunning combo of classic and cool.
“I’m a modern traditionalist. I definitely admire and respect the traditional style, but then I do love modern, clean-lined furniture and draperies,” explains Megan. “When we renovated our 14-year-old home last year, we wanted to keep the architectural details traditional—the moldings, doors, and wall paneling. But we wanted the furnishings and accents to be fresh and clean-lined.”
Freshness was a shoo-in. Megan handpicked pieces she had designed from scratch for the family furniture business. She is creative director and Doruk is CEO of Dorya USA, which they launched in 2010. Headquartered in Miami, it’s the American expansion of the handcrafted furniture company that Doruk’s parents started 30 years ago in Turkey.
The young couple met at George Washington University when she was studying interior design and he was honing up on international affairs. Now they spend half their time in Turkey, where the furniture is manufactured, and the rest in Florida, running the business. So far, it’s a full-throttle enterprise, with a showroom open year-round in High Point, North Carolina, in addition to the Miami base.
In Turkey, the Dorya factory is just outside Izmir, only 30 minutes from Megan and Doruk’s front door. So approaching the home as a foil for showcasing the family’s furniture was a given. So was taking risks.
“I like to do things a little funkier and differently, with special attention to the details. I wanted this house to be a little more daring than most,” says Megan.
A firm believer in first impressions, she seized on a derring-do design for the entry and never let go. The turquoise chest “was my daring moment,” she says. “It gives so much energy to the entrance and is a preview of what follows.”
As in more pops of color. A turquoise elephant mosaic from a Paris trade show is the family room’s splashy focal point. “It’s where I started the design for the living and family rooms. It’s always good to have something to start from, whether it be a painting or a fabric. From there, I designed most of the other furniture from scratch.” She introduced the basic black-and-white palette in the checker- board floor tiles of the entry, then extended them to the kitchen. Turquoise accents and the fiery Chinese red in the guest room add punch. “For consistency and flow, I kept the palette simple. You should be to able to throw all of the fabrics and colors in your home into a pile and have them look good together,” Megan instructs.
In the modernist tradition, furniture designs emphasize function. “The family room’s ottoman has inset wheels, as does the cocktail table, so you can position the table to use for eating or pull the ottoman up to the sofa like a daybed for lounging,” she explains. “The whole area is very functional.”
Strong, spare furniture lines can read cool. For counterpoint, every room was wallpapered. “The different textures of wallpaper just make the home so much warmer,” observes Megan. “And I love playing around with the patterns.”
Ultimately, the goal was a “just right” design. “I didn’t want the interior to have that cold, modern feeling or the very traditional feel. This is just in the middle—a warm traditional home with a contemporary twist. I also didn’t want it too masculine or too feminine but somewhere in between, so we both could enjoy every room.”
With grace and daring, Megan walked the trad-mod tightrope, no safety net in sight—and none needed.
Living Room
“Pasha” chairs form an unconventional conversation area around the fireplace, where a framed antique Turkish kaftan in turquoise draws the eye.
Chairs (“Pasha Chairs” #K.1194):
chair inner fabric (“Vira”);
chair outer fabric (#119971ELLOR204): Dorya Interiors, 855/873-6792,
www.doryainteriors.com.
Entry
The home’s black-and-white palette is established with the tile flooring. Turquoise accents used throughout the home begin here with the “Monmart” chest, which sports one of the company’s 20 fashion-forward colors.
Turquoise chest (“Monmart Chest”/Lagoon finish #MA.1054): Dorya Interiors, 855/873-6792,
www.doryainteriors.com.
Dining Room
Turquoise silk on the backs of the “Truva” dining chairs from Dorya is in dramatic contrast to the cream leather on their fronts. A striped wallpaper by Dedar pumps up the walls.
Table (“Veneto Dining Table” #M.1051A);
chairs (“Truva Chair” #1.1046);
chair-front fabric (“Navigator Bianco Leather”): Dorya Interiors, 855/873-6792,
www.doryainteriors.com.
Chair-back fabric (“Tamika Silks”/Lagoon #3010, by Harlequin): Zoffany, 800/395-8760,
www.zoffany.com.
Breakfast Nook
A black-and-white palette repeats on flooring and the backs and skirts of the “Adele” chairs, covered in Dedar’s “Poulette.” Matching fabric edges the curtains. The chairs, the “Belfast” mahogany table, and the cabinets and hardware are all from Dorya.
Table (“Belfast Table,” custom size, mahogany #S.1049B);
chairs(“Adele” #K.1165);
chair-front fabric (“Brava” #103);
drapery and valance (“Brava” #103): Dorya Interiors, 855/873-6792,
www.doryainteriors.com.
Kitchen
The kitchen’s creamy cabinets join black granite counters to continue the black-and-white scheme.
Cabinetry (custom); hardware; cabinet color (“Satin Cream”): Dorya Interiors, 855/873-6792,
www.doryainteriors.com.
Kitchenette
“I wanted a just-right design—not coldly modern but not extremely traditional,” says homeowner Megan Perry Yorgancioglu.
Cabinets (custom, Cherry): Dorya Interiors, 855/873-6792,
www.doryainteriors.com.
Terrace
Megan found the faux grass chairs in Paris along with custom-made matching pillows and draperies.
Green patio chairs; chair fabric (“Faux Grass”);
seat cushions(“Brava” #103, cream with “Magnifico Jet” contrast welt);
striped pillows (“Brava” #103, cream, and “Magnifico Jet”);
drapery(“Brava” #103, cream);
trim “Magnifico Jet”);
floor pillows: Dorya Interiors, 855/873-6792,
www.doryainteriors.com.
Master Bedroom
Canopy sheers, beautifully draped, frame the bed’s dramatic tall, tufted headboard.
Canopy bed (custom);
Euro shams (“Odenette Domasco” #321/05);
bedside cabinet (“Deco Nightstand” #A.1115 in “Navigator Bianco Leather”); t
able lamps; chair by window (“Melanie Chair” #K.1241);
chair fabric (“Brava” #103);
Japon-style shades (“Odenette Domasco” #321/05): Dorya Interiors, 855/873-6792,
www.doryainteriors.com
Master Bath
Clean lines and soft wallpaper by Cesaro add to the crisp lightness of the master bath. The custom satin-finished vanity has creamy Edelman leather insets on its deep drawers.
Vanity cabinet (custom); finish (“Satin Cream”); hardware; mirror(custom design): Dorya Interiors, 855/873-6792,www.doryainteriors.com.
Dressing Room
“This is my favorite room,” says Megan. “It’s my sanctuary. I change out clothes by season and organize them by color. I love everything about this room, but I probably love looking at my shoes or handbags the most.”
Cabinet with mirrored top (custom); cabinet finish (“Satin Cream”);hardware; closet organizers; drapery (custom): Dorya Interiors, 855/873-6792, www.doryainteriors.com.
Dressing Room Details
Megan’s vast shoe collection makes it easy to see why she favors her dressing room.
A
Guest Room
A bold red-and-white Decortex fabric dresses the windows and the Euro shams on the bed. A Chelsom Lighting fixture and Phillip Plein leather headboard speak to a modern sensibility.
”Gentlemen’s Club”
“This is a members-only club where Doruk meets with a few of his close friends,” laughs Megan. “They come here to hang out, smoke cigars, and listen to music. Sometimes they even meet in tuxedos.” The man cave features Dorya’s L-shaped “Pasha” sofa covered in the firm’s “Brava” fabric with Dedar’s Oxford navy blue fabric and “Poulette” trim. The “MyBar” is finished in midnight blue with stainless steel accents.
L-shape sofa (“Pasha L-Shape Sofa” #K.1193);
sofa fabric (“Brava” #103);
rug; coffee table (custom);
cabinetry (custom, Cherry);
hardware (stainless steel)
chair (“Cooper Chair” #IK.1042);
chair leather (“Laguna”/Silver);
console table (custom);
bar (“My bar”/Midnight Blue #V.1032LE): Dorya Interiors, 855/873-6792,
www.doryainteriors.com.
Portrait
Homeowners Megan Perry and Doruk Yorgancioglu.
