Born in Turkey and educated from an early age in the United States, Nebihe Cihan is adept in merging fine art and interior design. With a graduate degree in Interior Design and experience in high-end retail design, she founded her own Nebihe Cihan Studio in London in 2016. She works closely with her clients to curate their art collections and to seamlessly integrate their existing artworks, in ways that both reflect their character and set the mood. Clean lines and rich and sophisticated finishings are at the core of her interior design aesthetics.
Nebihe Cihan shared with LARRY’S LIST her number-one rule in interior design; why she likes incorporating sculptures into her design; plus her personal favorite artists to see in collector homes, such as Ugo Rondinone, Francis Bacon, Andreas Gursky, among others.

10 Questions with Nebihe Cihan

What is your number-one rule when designing a space to best compliment an art collection?
It is imperative to me that there is a symbiosis between the artwork and the interiors.
Therefore, I prefer to start curating the artwork first before designing the interiors if I am already working with client’s existing art collection. I like to be quite strategic about the placements so I can lock them in and start my creative process around the artwork if I am already working with an existing collection. My number-one rule is to identify how I am dressing the walls.

How are art collectors different from your other clients?
I think real art collectors love a good story. The story behind each piece or the story of the artist himself/herself is as important as the piece they collect. Some of the art collectors collect for investment, there is a strategic process for buying art whereas interior design world is a bit different. The majority of our work is high-end residential, my clients usually invest in their homes for pleasure.

Would you share some of your personal favorite artists to see in collector homes?
Ugo Rondinone, Sterling Ruby, Francis Bacon, Andreas Gursky, George Condo, and Tony Cragg

Interiors and art often seem to be in flawless harmony. Yet, we know from our collectors that artworks eventually change. How do you design an interior that can accommodate various artworks?
Designing an interior that can accommodate various artworks requires a trained eye as curating comes with experience. When I design a project, the client brief is always on the top of my list; however I tend to prefer neutral tones and rich finishings, which allow a flawless harmony when it comes to curating contemporary pieces. I like to keep the interiors effortless in order to marry them with artwork and not detract from the art.

Your merge your design with contemporary art to reflect your clients’ characters. From your experience, can you tell a client’s character by looking at his/her art collection?
Absolutely! I think art is very personal. It is more personal than interior design in my opinion. Once I get a feel of clients’ taste in art, I usually have a good instinct to better understand their inner world and personalities. Interestingly, I often find that a client’s taste in art might be completely opposite to their taste in interiors.

You have designed home interiors in various cities. Do you observe any similarities or differences among art collectors in different cities? Any examples?
Having lived in USA for 17 years and having completed projects globally, I find US collectors to be more experimental and receptive to collectible design and contemporary art. The fact that California houses are more spacious means there is always more room to play with creativity. I remember when we designed our project in LA, I had so much fun curating the art collection with my client as the house entertained many great contemporary artists on one floor. We had works from Ugo Rondinone, Annie Morris, Pedro Reyes, Christopher Le Brun, Waqas Khan and many more.

Could you tell us more about your own personal collection? Which pieces are closest to your heart?
I enjoy collecting vintage furniture. I have collected some great mid-century furniture over the years. I am obsessed with anything vintage.

How do you balance the need for creating livable, usable spaces with curating that “Instagram moment”?
At the core of my aesthetic are clean lines, attention to detail, and rich and sophisticated finishings. I have always been drawn to timeless design, but executed it in a way that does not compromise on comfort, as that is what makes a house a home. I often create that “Instagram moment” by introducing an artwork or a sculpture that compliments the furniture and the interiors.

As a tastemaker, are there any trends from your perspective you could share with us? What can we expect to see in your future projects?
I like introducing sculptures into my designs as I strongly believe that they help elevate the space and bring a different perspective. I am currently designing a house in Belgravia, London for a young art collector, where we are experimenting with various furniture pieces, sculptures and collectible objects.

Can you share 5 of your most inspirational IG accounts?
@larryslist – I am a loyal follower and a huge fan for a long time!
@archdigestpro
@designandlive
@ashkanistan87
@sophiepinet

Related: Nebihe Cihan Studio
Instagram: @nebihecihan

By Ricko Leung