Interview with Münevver Özgür Özersay | The Magic Drift of Design

In recent years, bathrooms have become an important part of our homes. When you close the door, it is a special place you can be left alone with your inner thoughts. We talked to the founding director and Individual Project Coordinator, Münevver Özgür Özersay, about Miro Designroom’s supplying bathroom materials for 12 years, the story and philosophy behind becoming a brand and new bathroom trends.
 

• Miro is defined as a company in North Cyprus which delivers the best quality and innovative bathrooms, flooring and wall designs. Can you tell us the story behind this success?

We established Miro in 2008 in order to supply exclusive materials for bathroom designs, flooring and wall covering and to provide sales under the same roof and to deliver the best quality and innovative services. We needed a source of strength. For us this source was our occupation and our expertise in architecture. We made a delicate start with the precision of people and places inspired by the culture of architectural design.

• Being in this sector for 12 years, we sense that you are on the way to becoming a brand. Can you tell us about your brand philosophy and this process?

If we hadn’t been in this sector for 12 years, we wouldn’t have been able to carry out the necessary research and evaluation required to become a brand, determine our downfalls and find alternative answers to the question, “what makes us special?”  I would like to answer your question by saying, “We felt we had come to the stage of becoming a brand because despite everything we have stayed in this sector for 12 years and have taken all the required steps”. The first question we asked ourselves was, “how do we want to be identified by the suppliers and technical crew we work with and the clients we serve? Who are we beyond the products we supply and the services we give? How can we not only touch the hearts of our clients but also touch the place they are trying to create for themselves, for someone they love and care about? What can we do to ensure our employees are satisfied and proud of their work? In short, these and similar questions are behind our brand philosophy.”

• How important is design for Miro? Have you made investments in this area?

Design is the fundamental foundation of our founder director’s education. From their everyday lives to their future plans, their hard work is based on the concept and action of design. In truth, it is not difficult for a person or company to set their heart on design or get caught in the magic drift of it. Bringing places or products to life with quality and sensitive design values or bringing people from different professions together to create these places is difficult. And yes, we have made investments in this area. I would also like to add something. In addition to design, designers are very important to Miro. Miro is maybe a small window or bridge in the world of design. The brave people who shape this world are designers. We are able to add beauty to objects and places with the imagination and production power of designers. Miro is a company that admires designers and loves working with them while adding beauty to places. We are fully aware that we cannot do this alone. We cannot do our jobs without them and working with them adds pleasure and enjoyment.

• What separates Miro from other brands?

This is a difficult question. We have always put in hard work to be ourselves without comparing with other brands. I can only answer your question by stating what it means to be yourself. Firstly, we have always been honest no matter what. We do not believe in a target group. We do not separate customers from ourselves and we believe in us. We wished for them whatever we wished for ourselves. We behaved the way we would like to be treated. We created a relationship based on empathy and did what we could to continue this relationship with trust.
Secondly, we became the language of the world of design. We brought the clients closer to the materials or the places with the materials with 3D models or visual presentations. Thirdly, manner, we always have a polite manner; we are courteous and respectful. Each project and its owner are approached with patience and without judgement. This was very important because we were also representing the respect we have for the job we love and for ourselves. Finally, I would like to emphasis the effort I mentioned in the previous sentence. We always put in the best effort possible. Whatever the job, we give the required attention…...again and again if necessary!

• In the last years what kind of trend changes have occurred in bathrooms and the importance they have in the home? Are your material researches, supplies and sales affected during this process?

I could write a book with the answer I would like to give you but I won’t. Let me try to be brief. As people’s lives, cultures and needs change, so does the relationship they have with water. As their relationship with water changes, their dynamics with wet places, in architectural terms, wet volumes change as well. Think for a moment, in the past, there used to be a tap in the middle of the village or neighbourhood and buckets were filled and carried home. Hot water was boiled in cauldrons. Now, water comes to houses through pipes. At least that is how it is on our island. Solar power, electrical water boilers and heaters with the turn of a tap provide hot water. As access to water becomes easier, the way we use it becomes easier. In earlier days water was used for hygiene, now it is used to relax, to refresh and as a fun activity for children at bath time. In the past, kitchens were separate, now the open kitchen concept has evolved. Some bathrooms were in the same place as the laundry. They have been separated. Small bathrooms have become larger. Some have even combined with bedrooms with an open bathroom concept.
The answer to the second part of your question is yes, we are affected by these changes, yet it is easy to find scientific research or company research on the Internet. We learn a lot from them. Sometimes we visit factories and learn about these changes from the original sources, such as designers and manufacturers. We listen, watch and learn. The rest is easy and fun. We put what we learn into practical use and share our knowledge with people and organizations we work with.