Esra Kazmirci: Designing Homes That Feel Seen

Designers

27 Jan

Written By Anca Enica

Portrait of designer Esra Kazmirci. — **people • DESIGNERS**

Esra Kazmirci approaches interior design as an emotional, human-led practice rooted in natural light, tactile materials, and everyday living. Known for creating calm, timeless interiors that feel quietly supportive and beautifully lived in, Esra resists trend-driven styling in favour of warm, layered homes designed to age with grace. Her signature lies in translating daily rituals, atmosphere, and subtle imperfection into spaces that function effortlessly while feeling deeply personal.
In this Designeers interview, Esra reflects on reading the energy of a room, listening for what clients don’t always say, and why the most successful residential interior design begins with how a space makes you feel, not simply how it looks.

Words: designeers
JANUARY 2026

WEBSITE: esrakazmirci.com
INSTAGRAM: @esrakazmircimimarlik

DESIGNEERS

You have a very distinctive way of capturing space. What’s the first thing you look for when you walk into a room you’re about to photograph?

Esra Kazmirci

Light. It’s the first thing I study. Once I understand how the light sits in the room, I know how to shape the composition, highlight the details and bring out the atmosphere.

DESIGNEERS

You describe your process as human-centred. What are the 3 things you listen for in a first client conversation that most designers miss?

Esra Kazmirci

I listen for what isn’t said clearly. First, how they want to feel in the space, not how they want it to look. Second, their daily rituals, small habits that reveal how the space should truly function. And third, their level of comfort with imperfection. That tells me whether the home should feel controlled or gently lived in.

DESIGNEERS

When you walk into a space for the first time, what are you reading - light direction, proportions, circulation, energy, acoustics?

Esra Kazmirci

I read the energy first… How the space makes me feel the moment I step inside. Where I instinctively slow down, where I feel held, and where something feels unsettled. Only after that do I look at light, its direction, softness, and how it shapes the atmosphere throughout the day. Proportions and circulation follow naturally once those two are understood.

DESIGNEERS

Your interiors “age gracefully.” What are the ingredients of longevity, and what are you actively avoiding because it dates a space fast?

Esra Kazmirci

Longevity comes from natural materials, honest details, and restraint. Spaces should breathe and evolve with their owners. I consciously avoid overly trend-driven forms, decorative excess, and finishes chosen only for visual impact. If a material doesn’t feel good to touch or live with, it won’t age well … no matter how striking it looks today.

DESIGNEERS

Finish this sentence: “A home is successful when…”

Esra Kazmirci

A home is successful when the people who live in it feel truly seen and satisfied, when the space responds to their needs so naturally that design disappears into everyday life.