Your Design & Build Partner in Turkey: A Guide for Clients in Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi
Sonraki Architecture is an Istanbul-based design and build interior architecture firm, founded in 2014, with a London practice. We work with individuals and companies based in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC on four types of project: homes in Istanbul and across Turkey, office openings in Istanbul, apartments in London, and Turkish-manufactured joinery and FF&E for projects in the Gulf. Projects are delivered under one contract, documented in English, and managed remotely, so clients do not need to be in Turkey to run them.
Many of our most valued clients live in Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah or Abu Dhabi and have a connection to Turkey: a home in Istanbul, a company expanding into the Turkish market, a property in London, or a project at home that needs the quality and cost advantage of Turkish manufacturing. What they share is a practical question. How do you commission a serious interior project in another country, with confidence, without flying back and forth every month? This guide answers that question. It sets out the four situations we most often see, how each is delivered, and exactly how contracts, payments, supervision and quality control work when the client is based in the Gulf.
Why Turkey Works Well for Gulf-Based Clients
Same working day. Istanbul and Riyadh share the same time zone, and Dubai and Abu Dhabi are one hour ahead. Calls, approvals and site updates happen during normal working hours, with no overnight delays. A short flight. Istanbul is roughly a four-to-five-hour flight from the major Gulf cities, making occasional site visits straightforward when a client wants to see progress in person. Manufacturing strength. Turkey is one of the strongest production bases in the region for custom joinery, stone, metalwork and upholstery. At comparable quality, Turkish production is typically 25–40% more cost-effective than Western European equivalents. Familiar standards of finish. Clients used to high-end residential and hospitality interiors in the Gulf find the same level of craftsmanship available in Turkey, delivered at a different cost base.
Scenario 1 — You Own or Are Buying a Home in Istanbul
This is the most common starting point: an apartment in a branded residence, a villa on the Bosphorus or in Zekeriyaköy, or a shell and core unit that needs to be completed from scratch. We take the property from its current state to a fully finished, furnished home: space planning, design, technical documentation, construction, bespoke joinery, furniture, lighting, soft furnishings and handover. Building management approvals, contractor accreditation and site logistics, which are demanding in Istanbul's premium developments, are handled by our project team. Where a family wants to arrive to a home ready to live in, the scope can include loose furniture, textiles, kitchen equipment and styling down to the final details.
Premium residences: [Apartment Renovation in Istanbul's Branded Residences – Zorlu, Emaar, Torun Center]
Villas and shell & core: [Villa Renovation and Shell & Core Villas in Istanbul – The Definitive 2026 Guide]
Budgets: [House Renovation and Interior Cost in Istanbul: 2026 Pricing Guide]
Scenario 2 — Your Company Is Opening an Office in Istanbul
For Gulf-headquartered companies entering Turkey, the Istanbul office is often the first physical presence in the market. It has to work from day one and represent the brand at the standard of the head office. We deliver office fit-out in Istanbul's Grade A buildings, from CAT A space to a fully operational, branded office: space planning, technical documentation for building management approval, construction, bespoke reception and joinery, furniture and handover. Decision-makers approve design and progress remotely; our team manages the site, the building, the approvals and the trades. The single most useful thing a company can do is speak to us before signing the lease. Lease start date, rent-free period and building rules all shape the programme and budget of the fit-out.
Office corridor guide: [Corporate Office Fit-Out in Maslak, Levent and Büyükdere](https://www.sonraki.com.tr/insight-office-maslak-levent-fit-out)
Fit-out levels explained: [Office Fit-Out in Istanbul: CAT A, CAT B and CAT C Explained](https://www.sonraki.com.tr/cat-a-cat-b-cat-c-office)
Our office service: [Office Fit-Out in Turkey](https://www.sonraki.com.tr/office-fit-out-turkey)
Scenario 3 — You Have an Apartment in London
Many Gulf families own property in London, and some prefer to work with a Turkish team they already trust, or want the cost advantage of Turkish manufacturing for a London interior. Our London practice, Kapeti Interior Architecture, delivers design and build projects in London, including apartments in Chelsea, Kensington and central London. Bespoke joinery, furniture and FF&E can be produced in Turkey and shipped to the UK, while design, site delivery and building management coordination are handled on the ground in London. The client works with one connected team across both cities.
London projects: [Kapeti Interior Architecture](https://www.kapeti.com)
Scenario 4 — Your Project Is in the Gulf and You Want Turkish Manufacturing
Developers, hotel operators, contractors and private clients in the GCC regularly source custom interiors from Turkey: joinery, wardrobes and kitchens, stone, metalwork, upholstered furniture and complete FF&E packages. We produce to the project's drawings and specification, manage quality control at the workshop, and coordinate packing, logistics and export documentation. Where required, installation can be supported on site. We have delivered residential projects for clients in Kuwait, and our production network works regularly for projects outside Turkey.
Examples: [Mansion House Project, Kuwait](https://www.sonraki.com.tr/kuwaitmansionhouseproject) · [Cottage Project, Kuwait](https://www.sonraki.com.tr/cottagekuwait)
Our production capability: [Custom Interior Production and Supply](https://www.sonraki.com.tr/custom-interior-production-supply)
Hospitality projects: [Hotel, Restaurant and Spa Fit-Out – Planning Hospitality Projects Correctly](https://www.sonraki.com.tr/insight-hotel-spa-2026)
How Working with Us from the Gulf Actually Works
This is the section most clients care about. Commissioning a project in another country raises the same concerns every time, and each has a clear answer.
Contract
One contract covers design and construction. It is issued in English, with the full scope, specification, programme and payment schedule set out before work begins. There is no separate contractor to manage and no gap between designer and builder.
Price
Pricing is fixed at design freeze. Once the design and specification are approved, the price does not change unless the client changes the scope. Any change is priced and approved in writing before it is carried out.
Payments
Payments are staged and tied to project milestones, such as design approval, material procurement, construction stages and handover. Currency and invoicing structure are agreed at contract stage in line with current Turkish regulation. International transfers from the Gulf are routine for us.
Supervision
Our project manager runs the site day to day: trades, suppliers, building management and approvals. The client receives a weekly photographic progress report and can request a live video walkthrough at any stage.
Quality and Materials
Material and finish samples are approved before ordering, by video and, where needed, by physical samples sent to the client. Bespoke joinery and furniture are inspected at the workshop before delivery, with photographs and video shared for approval.
Communication
All documentation, reporting and correspondence is in English. One point of contact is responsible for the project from start to finish. Because working hours overlap with the Gulf, questions are answered the same day.
Handover and Aftercare
Projects are handed over with documentation and a snagging process, followed by a 12-month aftercare period. If a problem arises after handover, our team deals with it directly.
How our turnkey model works: [Turnkey Interior Design and Build](https://www.sonraki.com.tr/turnkey-interior-design-build-turkey)
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to travel to Turkey during the project?
No. Projects can be run entirely remotely through video presentations, weekly reports and live walkthroughs. Many clients choose to visit once or twice, for example at design approval and handover, but it is not required.
H3: Can the contract and documentation be in English?
Yes. Contracts, specifications, drawings and progress reports are prepared in English as standard for international clients.
How do payments work for clients based abroad?
Payments are staged against agreed milestones and made by international bank transfer. Currency and invoicing are agreed at contract stage in line with current Turkish regulation.
How do I know the materials used are the ones I approved?
Every material and finish is approved before ordering, and bespoke items are photographed and filmed at the workshop before delivery. Weekly site reports show materials as they are installed.
Can you handle my apartment in London as well?
Yes. Our London practice, Kapeti Interior Architecture, delivers design and build projects in London, with Turkish-manufactured joinery and furniture where it suits the project.
Can you manufacture joinery and furniture for a project in Dubai or Riyadh?
Yes. We produce custom joinery, furniture and FF&E in Turkey to the project's specification and coordinate logistics and export documentation. Installation support can be arranged where required.
Our company is opening an office in Istanbul. When should we contact you?
Ideally before signing the lease. The lease start date, rent-free period and building rules directly affect the fit-out programme and budget.
Who This Guide Is For
Families and individuals in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the GCC who own or are buying a home in Istanbul or elsewhere in Turkey Gulf-headquartered companies opening or relocating an office in Istanbul Gulf-based owners of apartments in London Developers, hotel operators and contractors in the GCC sourcing Turkish-made joinery and FF&E Family offices and investors managing property across Turkey, the UK and the Gulf
About us: [Company Facts and Capability]
Or reach us directly:
Sonraki Interior Architecture - İstanbul - Türkiye