top of page
Bodrum House
An Aegan house in Turkey
In August of 2023, my family and I returned to the house where I spent my summers growing up in Turkey. The house was designed and built by my father in 1978 in what was then a quiet Aegan fishing village. In the forty-something years since then, Bodrum has evolved into a dense, glamorous, yacht magnet. The shepherds tending their flock are gone, but the house remains intact. . . and I was struck by the quiet genius of the design.
My father employed the Mediterranean vernacular--bright white stucco, arches, carved ebony wood trims, terra-cotta tiles— contemporizing them into a timeless work of art. The exterior is a series of octagons, arches, custom ironwork, and cement stairs leading to terraces and Chirico-like vistas. The central courtyard's lush bougainvillea has sprouted 40 feet.
As a young boy, I didn't understand the harmony in every photogenic angle of the house. As an architect (roughly my father's age when he designed the house), I deeply appreciate it.
The interior is equally well thought-out and artful. White stucco walls are contrasted with floor-to-ceiling carved ebony window frames and doors. Built-in banquets and shelves flow into terracotta square-tiled floors. Over the years, my mother collected and arranged shells, sea urchins, and local art which weave into the beauty of the space. Good design really does hold up.
Principal Architect
Oral Vural, my father
Year
1978
Phase
Complete
General Contractor
Suleyman Usta
Interiors 1978 - 2013
Nuray Vural, my mother
Sea shells
Sinan and Selim
Interiors 2023
Kerry and Selim
Amphora
Ancient Egypt or Greece
bottom of page