Interior Designer
I design spaces that feel like they’ve always belonged to you. Calm, intentional, and quietly powerful.My journey began in Milan, where I learned to shape space with elegance and purpose, and continues in Reykjavík, where design meets raw nature and emotional depth.
I see each interior as a living environment, one that listens, adapts, and gently shapes how we feel within it.
Yasemin Kapkın
About
I’m Yasemin Kapkın, an interior designer from Istanbul, now based in Reykjavík. My passion for design began in childhood, shaped by the influence of my mother, an Interior Architect. Early experiences on construction sites sparked a lasting interest in how space can shape emotion and experience.With a background shaped by living and studying across cultures, I speak Turkish, English, Italian, and I’m currently learning Icelandic. I see design as a universal language that communicates through atmosphere, light, and material. Calm, empathetic, and precise by nature, I create interiors that listen before they speak. Spaces that support how we live and leave a quiet, lasting impression.
Education
2024-2026 ( ongoing )
Master's Degree
DESIGN & NEW ENVIROMENTS
LHÍ Listaháskóli Íslands, Reykjavík, Iceland2021-2024
Bachelor's Degree
INTERIOR DESIGN
IED Istituto Europeo di Design, Milano, Italy2017-2021
High School Diploma
VISUAL ARTS
Avni Akyol Fine Arts High School, Istanbul, Turkey
How might we design healthcare spaces that foster belonging by respecting each patient’s individuality?
Esjutún – Designing for Care
Master’s Thesis Project by Yasemin Kapkın & Natalia Aleksandra Grociak
We are Yasemin and Natalia, two designers currently completing our Master’s in Design & New Environments at the Iceland University of the Arts.Together, we are working on our thesis project in collaboration with Esjutún – Day Care for People with Dementia in Reykjavík. This project is both a research journey and a real-life commission: our final outcome will include the full design proposal for implementation at Esjutún.
ABOUT THE PROJECTEsjutún is a day care center in Reykjavík that offers daily activities and support for people living with dementia. Our thesis explores how interior and product design can shape environments where people feel truly recognized, valued, and connected. To do this, we are spending time at Esjutún, speaking with staff, families, and users to understand their daily experiences, while also learning from international examples of dementia-friendly and healing spaces. The outcome of our project will be more than a concept on paper. It will result in a complete design proposal for Esjutún, including spatial solutions, material explorations, and the technical details required to bring the design to life in practice.
OUR VISIONFor us, design is never just about how a space looks. It is about how it feels, how it functions, and how it shapes the lives of the people who use it. In healthcare environments, where vulnerability and individuality meet, design has the power to bring dignity, comfort, and ease into daily routines. It can create moments of connection, make everyday life more meaningful, and support the people who dedicate their work to caring for others. With this project, our vision is to show how thoughtful design can nurture both individuality and belonging, transforming a place of care into a place of community and well-being.
YOU ARE INVITED TO EXPERIENCE BELONGINGOur thesis project will be part of the Master’s graduation exhibition in Reykjavík, Iceland, in May 2026. For a limited time, the public will be invited to experience the project, discover our design for Esjutún, and learn more about how design can shape care and belonging.We look forward to welcoming you to the exhibition and sharing this journey with you.
projects
THE HEART OF IEBP
down the memory lane
THE HEART OF IEBP
The Iceland Eco-Business Park (IEBP) is a circular innovation hub located in a repurposed aluminum smelter in Helguvík, Iceland. It brings together green industries, researchers, and startups to collaborate under one roof with sustainability, reuse, and community at its core.As part of a six-week design residency, I was invited to develop a concept for the heart of the building: a 500 m² communal space connecting the Park’s two main wings. The goal was to design an adaptable, inclusive, and environmentally conscious interior that reflects IEBP’s circular values.The result is a flexible, multi-level space that supports collaboration, visibility, and well-being blending work, social, and wellness functions within a natural, industrial-inspired palette. Rooted in Icelandic context, the design serves as both a functional center and a symbolic core for the Park’s evolving future.
DOWN THE MEMORY LANE
Thesis Project: lobby of tomorrowIn partnership:
Rx france & equıphotel parısCompetition wınner - PROJECT EXHIBITED AT EQUIPHOTEL PARIS TRADE SHOW 2024
A visionary lobby design project that engages the senses and emotions through cutting-edge technology. It preserves memories, fosters new ones, and offers personalized journeys, connecting individuals.
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