Istanbul's car repair shops inspired this refined furniture collection

Co-founded by two brothers, interior architect Enis Karavil and entrepreneur Amir Karavil, SanayiI313 is a prolific design studio also operating a contemporary eatery,  a curated boutique and an online publication. The duo is based in a converted auto repair shop in an industrial district of Istanbul, and it is this location’s heritage that has inspired their latest launch.

Located on the European side of the city, just north of Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, the neighbourhood of Atatürk Oto Sanay in Maslak is one of the first planned industrial zones in Istanbul. Its streets are lined with warehouses and non-descript buildings housing garages and car repair shops.

The 313 Lounge collection by Sanayi313

‘The products are the outcome of our daily-life encounters, a dialogue between the spirit and culture of this industrial zone and aesthetic beauty,’ explains Enis Karavil, the studio’s creative director. And this ordinary context, which others might call full of ‘visual pollution’, has proved particularly inspiring for the pair, with the new 313 Lounge collection including six different pieces of furniture.

Crafted from hard-wearing materials, the bulky yet sculptural pieces refer both to the surrounding built environment, using ‘industrial’ stainless steel, glass and metal, and to the automobiles themselves, with leather work and maple burl veneer nodding to the interiors of classic cars.

The ‘14313’ lounge chair is made of what looks like thick slabs of maple burl veneer, and is also available in a leather-upholstered version, while the low-slung ‘19313’ daybed feature more maple veneer as well as leather-upholstered armrests.

Completing the offering is the matching and equally monolithic ‘3313’ coffee table; the generously-sized glass-topped ‘21313’ dining table; and a new version in stainless steel of the studio’s signature ‘07313’ tiered twin side tables.

All are perfect examples of Enis Karavil’s approach, which he describes as ‘maximalist expressions in minimalist details’. And it’s not just the aesthetics but also the manufacturing that is local: Sanayi313 works directly with neighbouring craftspeople and artisans to realise its prototypes and finished pieces.

Sanayi313’s '313 Lounge' collection will launch in Europe during Copenhagen’s 3daysofdesign, from 12-14 June 2024

sanayi313.com