Comments
Ecmel Ayral
Asiye - who happens to be my sister, architect, friend, animal trainer, and antagonist - and I did a lot of work together. Let me tell you about them first. While I’m writing this, I’m imagining all the houses, offices, restaurants, bars, hotels and gyms we decimated and built back up, and my life is flashing before my eyes. We met Asiye as two 38 year old teens put out the door with only their suitcases -with just a jacket they say… but this is more dramatic- moving to Cihangir. Our Asiye was always with us, while building the house that has become a home to many sins that can’t be washed out no matter how many times we try, while starting the architectural project, and onward, babysitting us along the way. I don’t know if we were fan of breaking down/building up, or if we were so courageous because we could always lean on Asiye, what I know is, we always had fun. We always excited each other, even when we were crying out stuck at a deadlock, or walking proudly as if to say “that’s how it’s done”. Her giving me the “you deserve a hit on the head” look after hearing my most ridiculous ideas, and then finding a way to make it real, has always encouraged me to be more ridiculous in life, it was a kind of motivation.
We didn’t only do business of course, besides we never divided life into “this is business, this is not” parts. It was all together. My Asiye is the kind of person that would throw you a rope when you’re stuck in a well, a rope with a chair tied at the end, so you sit and lift yourself up. She’s a propeller if you’re a flying, a parachute if you’re falling. Sometimes she materializes what you can’t express but only wish, and you feel like your mother just made your favorite dish, you get tears in your eyes, and feel how lucky you are. Sometimes she boldly, directly says what you are afraid to hear, you shake like a perpetrator but save your future. Sometimes you only look for warmth, and you know that she’s there, her door, ear, and heart open, you roll and fall into Hestia.
Shortly, she’s a necessity, but one of a kind, my Asiye.
Dr. Pınar SAİP
The adventure of designing your home with Asiye is actually a process of inner journey. You discover many things about yourself and about life during this process. It is a very enjoyable journey. You realize the most tedious details carry less weight, and difficult decisions can easily be made; you are filled with this weird sense of happiness, and find yourself wishing the journey would never end. One of her biggest skills is turning the blind spots into heaven, and adding them to your life.
Dear Asiye transformed my father’s practice, my mother’s house and our house in different periods of our lives. She witnessed my daughter’s transition from childhood to adolescence and her feeling about or home. She completely broke down my late father’s prejudice: “alcohol, gambling and interior designer leaves a person broke”. She develops your design according to what you can do on what budget, and what kind of a home you’d like to live in. With Asiye, your place will never be something you don’t want. You are not alienated to your own home as you also become a part of the process. Your relationship grows as she designs and builds your house, and when your house is complete she becomes a part of it also, you can no longer give her up.
My dear Asiye, thank you for all the happiness you bring into our lives.