Mrs. Merve Gursel is an international award-winning interior designer, specializing in home and office design. Her company D by Design is based in Turkey. Her designs have been acclaimed for their traditional appeal with an eclectic and modern twist, and have been featured in numerous Turkish and international print and broadcast media.
Mrs. Gursel was listed in the International Andrew Martin Design Review in 2001 for being among the most successful interior designers internationally. She created her own designs and produced under the brand name MK Design between the years 1995-2004. Mrs. Gursel attended various fairs with her concept/design works and organized the Trends2000 fair in Istanbul.
Mrs. Gursel has been passionately involved with philanthropy and social awareness since 2004. She is one of the founding members of Turkish Coffee Culture and Research Association, in which she also serves as a Board Member. In addition, Mrs. Gursel is a founding member and the first chairwoman of Acikkapi Sosyal Sorumluluk Dernegi. She also serves as a Board Member of Turkish Family Health and Planning Foundation.
In addition to her involvement with philanthropy, Mrs. Gursel is a Board Member of Fencers Club, NYC. She is in the Board of Trustees and Advisory Board for Hisar School in Istanbul, in which she served as a Board Member over three years. She has been an Executive Committee Member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, Istanbul Chapter and co-founded the magazine Originel, Turkey.
Sports is another strong passion, which Mrs. Gursel has dedicated herself to. For years, she has been a member of the National Turkish Horseback Riding Team and holds the title of five times Turkish Champion. Currently, she is a member of the Turkish Fencing Association and the Veteran National Turkish Fencing Team and has attended European Veteran Championship in Poreč, Croatia, May 2015. Also, She is an active fencer at Fencers Club NYC and is a member of USA Fencing and will compete in Turkish and International tournaments. She has been awarded 2016 Fencers Club MVP Award (Most Valuable Player).
Mrs. Gursel holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts in interior Design from American College in London she also holds a degree in Art History.
Mrs. Gursel lives with her husband, Kagan, daughter, Defne and her son Can.