We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative H. Guliz Tavukcuoglu ("HGT").
H. Güliz Tavukçuoğlu, born in Istanbul in 1973, continued her professional career as an interior architect responsible for design, project, and turnkey applications in the offices she worked at between 1994 and 2002. In 2007, she founded GNT Interior Architecture Design Project Implementation Industry and Trade Limited Company to complete her original designs with her own organization, which she had been working on individually since 2002. She completed her master's degree in 2011 with her thesis titled "Effects of Corporate Identity on Space Design" to delve deeper into the topics of "identity" and "space" in her work with corporate firms. Güliz Tavukçuoğlu, recognizing the lack of designs that would give spaces an identity and leave a personal touch in the projects she completed until 2020, started working on such designs. In 2025, to celebrate her 30th year in the profession, she developed the "Gül' iz" collection named after herself. The purpose of the collection is to create an artistic touch in spaces using light-transmitting fine porcelain material hand-shaped into the main form and to use the special harmony achieved with the elegant stance of brass material in various functions. Gala, with its bud shape, porcelain body, and brass connection parts, is a special piece of this collection. With this collection design, she continues to work on both creating a mark in her projects and designing different products with new perspectives.
H. Guliz Tavukcuoglu Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by H. Guliz Tavukcuoglu.
H. Guliz Tavukcuoglu Design - Gala Decorative Lighting
Designer Interview of H. Guliz Tavukcuoglu:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
HGT : At Mimar Sinan University, which is the best university of our country in the field of art and design, I won the interior design department as the 7th in the talent exam and graduated in four years. I finished Construction Technical High School in High School, so I consciously turned from high school to interior architecture with a certain infrastructure.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
HGT : GNT Interior Architecture was founded in 2007 in Istanbul by interior architect H. Güliz Tavukçuoğlu. The studio focuses on creating architectural and interior design projects that balance aesthetics, function, and identity in a harmonious way. At the core of our design philosophy lies the principle of “reflecting corporate identity within space.” Every project tells a unique story that combines the personality of its owner, the spirit of the brand, and the potential of the space itself. GNT is recognized for its attention to detail, refined material selection, and timeless elegance. Under our brand “GNT Design Product”, we also develop the Gül’iz Collection – a series of lighting and decorative objects exploring the emotional dialogue between light, material, and the human spirit. Combining a scientific and artistic foundation, GNT Interior Architecture aims not only to design spaces, but to complete them with soul, through original lighting and furniture creations that reflect the essence of each environment.
DI: What is "design" for you?
HGT : For me, design is a lifestyle, the path from idea to reality.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
HGT : Corporate spaces such as restaurants, offices, shops.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
HGT : In my 25th year in the profession, I designed my own office , 25-square-meter space that meets all my needs while reflecting every detail with precision and subtlety. The elegant texture of marble blends with the warmth of wood, while transparent and reflective surfaces create a sense of spaciousness within this compact area. After designing hundreds of spaces for others, I realized that my favorite one is this a small yet deeply meaningful “cocoon,” where every element carries a part of my story and design philosophy.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
HGT : Borusan Otomotiv Turkey, İstinye conference room corporate design was the first project I created with the finest detail.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
HGT : I love marble, wood, glass and stainless material. I like to design handcrafted special products and see the realization process.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
HGT : Proud and peaceful
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
HGT : For me, function always comes first, because function defines the form, and style gives that form its identity. After the initial concept phase, I focus on feasibility and practical realization, ensuring that every idea can be built and experienced as intended. Once those foundations are solid, the aesthetic touches begin to emerge naturally. When all these elements flow together in harmony, that’s when I know the design truly feels complete.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
HGT : Making a design makes me happy.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
HGT : Pride and inner peace
DI: What makes a design successful?
HGT : The path to good designed spaces and successful project organizations depends on completion of an assignment by delivering the quality, cost and time requirements of the client.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
HGT : For me, purpose and function have priority, aesthetics are formed automatically when solutions are completed.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
HGT : In today’s modern, technology-driven world, we spend most of our lives indoors. Therefore, the spaces where we live and work should not only be functional, ergonomic, and aesthetic, they should also create a healthy, peaceful atmosphere that makes life easier and more meaningful. As an interior architect, I believe my greatest responsibility to society and the environment is to design spaces that enhance human well-being, evoke positive emotions, and sustain harmony between people and their surroundings. Guided by this belief, I created the Gül’iz Collection a design initiative born from the desire to transform aesthetic creation into social benefit, and to share the emotional power of design with the community.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
HGT : Renewable and environmentally friendly designs should increase and consumption should decrease.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
HGT : This is a process and years of accumulation. I nurture my experience by following the latest innovations and traveling as much as possible.
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
HGT : My design style seeks elegance and meaning within simplicity. In every project, my goal is to let even the most minimal form express its own soul and story through subtle, refined details. Whether it’s a space or a product, the design should convey a sense of modernity, warmth, and quiet sophistication. Clean lines, natural materials, and a distinctive touch are essential elements of my work. I focus on creating precise harmony through delicate details, where every millimeter contributes to a balanced composition. This approach allows each design to reflect its identity naturally, functional, emotional, and timeless.