Launching at Maison&Objet in Paris last month, Istanbul-based design studio GLIF turned heads with their original creativity
Courtesy of İbrahim Ozbunar + 645 Studio, GLIF launched ‘Altered Heritage’ at Maison&Object in January
Words by Roddy Clarke
Making a bold impression on visitors to Maison&Objet can be a challenge, given the vast scale of the exhibition and the number of brands displaying their creativity across the seven halls. However, for emerging design studio GLIF, the ingenuity on display was a stand-out highlight for many. Exhibiting its first collection, titled ‘Altered Heritage’, it presented a dialogue between eras, cultures and creative disciplines.
Founded by the team at Habif Architects, the Istanbul-based studio is reinterpreting vintage furniture pieces into contemporary design collectibles. For this collection, the team carefully dissected a vintage dresser, maintaining the intricate detailing of each component, before adding sleek steel and marble features transforming each part into a new piece of furniture. The studio states that each design becomes a tangible manifestation of the dialogue established between an object’s memory and the present day, resulting in work that is uniquely one-of-a-kind.
Courtesy of İbrahim Ozbunar + 645 Studio, GLIF reimagines vintage furniture transforming each piece into collectible statements of design
Speaking of the process, Hakan Habif says, ‘It begins with observing the existing vintage piece, understanding its form, historical context and structural identity. We let the object set the pace and direction of the contemporary intervention.’ Making sure their work remains measured and respectful to not impact the integrity of a vintage design is a key priority, with the selection of the vintage piece being a very cautious process. ‘We want to pay homage not only to the object itself, but also to the craftsmen who shaped it in the past,’ he comments. ‘Their labour and knowledge form an invisible layer of the work, and our role is to respond to it with care, allowing the piece to continue its life without erasing its origins.’
Courtesy of İbrahim Ozbunar + 645 Studio, These bookshelves have been designed around these two antique columns, merging heritage with modernity resulting in a striking functional feature
Building on nearly 20 years of architectural experience, GLIF is a result of the practice’s team noticing a recurring pattern. ‘We became aware that furniture and interiors were increasingly shaped by familiar formulas, producing spaces that felt distinct in intention yet similar in expression,’ explains architect and designer Misra Özel. ‘This observation led us to question our own design reflexes and, more fundamentally, the assumption that production must always begin from scratch.’ In utilising an item of vintage furniture as the starting point and core component of all the pieces that come from it, it also sparks questions around resource and our damaging consumption habits. ‘What truly set GLIF in motion was a desire to consciously step back from a design culture driven by speed and repetition,’ Özel continues. ‘We wanted to approach objects not merely as functional products but as carriers of meaning, shaped through thought, aesthetics, and craftsmanship.’
Courtesy of İbrahim Ozbunar + 645 Studio, The team behind GLIF is Hakan Habif, Mısra Özel and Aslıhan Öztürkoğlu of Istanbul-based Habif Architects
Sourcing its vintage furniture from private collections, auctions, and overlooked storage spaces in and around Turkey, the designers hope to give these unused pieces a new lease of life within a contemporary design context. ‘Beyond creating sculptural statement pieces, we value designing objects that can establish a long-lasting relationship with their users and find a place within daily life,’ Habif says. ‘For us, this is less about sustainability as a declaration and more about responsibility towards what already exists. We believe that this approach will soon become a guiding force within design culture.’
With the brand’s introduction at Maison&Objet connecting it to a global audience, the curiosity of visitors confirmed that there is a shared interest in objects that sit between design, art and heritage. However, quantity is not a priority for the brand. It will focus on limited numbers of named pieces, each inimitable and holding an independent narrative. ‘Each piece carries its own history and presence, which is why the collection grows intentionally at a slow pace,’ says Özel.
Courtesy of İbrahim Ozbunar + 645 Studio, GLIF was a highlight amongst the vast array of design on display at this year’s Maison&Objet
To conceive the bespoke interventions that are added to each segment, the studio works closely with local artisans, shining a light onto the depth of Turkey’s creative sectors. ‘This proximity allows for an ongoing exchange throughout the making process,’ states Habif, ‘where decisions are shaped through dialogue. It moves from one workshop to another, with each artisan, be it carpentry, stone or metal, contributing their expertise towards a single, collective outcome. For us, craftsmanship is not a resource to be outsourced, but a living practice that evolves through collaboration.’
Courtesy of İbrahim Ozbunar + 645 Studio, GLIF are working closely with local artisans to reimagine the vintage items into new contemporary designs
In witnessing the collection first-hand, the originality and narrative behind it caught my attention. In reimagining design as a process that can transform what already exists, rather than making from new, it allows us to explore the intersection of materials, culture and eras within one design. And, in doing so, the result is a timeless piece of furniture that can be placed within many interior schemes while adding a unique layer of depth and narrative to the space. This studio is certainly one to watch!
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