COFFEE BREAK IN KARAKÖY

Karaköy is one of the most popupr neighborhood of Istanbul among locals. It is the artist face of the city with local art shops, unique clothing stores and cool coffee shops..

We spent today´s coffee break at this cozy neighborhood in a sunny day and here is how it looks :)

Lots of Loves!

Guney & Kuzey

JUNE IN CYPRUS

Nowhere welcomes summer like Mediterranean coasts at least for us!

We wanted to start a beautiful summer with a trip to Cyprus where our parents use to took us every summer when me and Kuzey were kids. This time, after 15 years later we had a family vacation in exact same city and noticed all the feelings from childhood still stays in this beautiful island!

Taking a swim every morning in this Turquoise water under the shining sun was so refreshing.

This is one of the suits in the hotel we stayed when we were kids!

Thanks again for another amazing vacation Cyprus!

SPRING VIBES

More and more colors please! Spring brings all the beautiful blossoms to Istanbul, sky starts to get bright and the Bosphorus looks even more magnificent.
All these colors also come to our office.

The perfect idea to do in spring if you are in Istanbul is to take a ferry to one of the islands. It takes around one hour to go and you won´t believe how quite it will feel comparing to Istanbul even though they are in such short distance!

When spring comes, colorful peshtemals go out as they are so easy to carry in the bag for a quick picnic, beach or when you just want to lay down and enjoy the sun.

You can find them HERE

Right before summer comes it s a good idea to freshen the skin with Traditional organic soaps that are handmade in Turkey and each one has different plant based ingredients that can also cure blemishes. 

You can find them HERE

Hope the spring came to your home town too and if you are planing to visit Istanbul, do not forget to send us an email for tips :-)

xo,

Guney & Kuzey

UNIQUE SPRING DECOR WITH TURKISH HANDCRAFTS

Here we have prepared the easy ways to add splash of colors to your spring decoration with unique Turkish Handcrafts!

Modern sofas are easy to upgrade and does´t have to be dull. They can be mixed with eastern / mediterranean style to make the unique and warm.
Here is how you can make it with handmade Turkish handcrafts.

We used Handmade Kilim cushions that are made from vintage Turkish Kilims which are 50-100 years old. As Turkish Kilims are hand loomed and each one is different than the others, you can't really have an identical pair which makes these beauties even more special.

You can find Turkish Kilim Pillows HERE

We also used Turkish Ceramic Bowls (here) , This beautiful vase (here) and a pomegranate set of three (here).  Something is special with Turkish Ceramics, they bring happiness and warmth to every space. Using different sizes and colors of these bowls brightens any dinner table, coffee table or console table. Another good thing about the bowls are they are lead-free and can be used for serving food!

One runner makes a HUGE difference! And you do not need to use it only on table but also as a fun throw on your couch. You can find Turkish Runners HERE 

You can find this Cubic Turkish Ceramic Vase HERE

Details! Unique Decor accents with pop up colors on your coffee table or shelf bring the spring effortlessly. Find this Handmade Caftan Decor Accent HERE

Love from Istanbul

xx

Guney

ANATOLIA TRIPS - ESKISEHIR

Love to visit our artisans as well as feeling refrehsed as small cities of Anatolia always feel so warm and cozy. This time our destination was Eskisehir! As we call it in Turkey it is the city of students.
We took train to Eskisehir as it takes only 3 hours from Istanbul which is a perfect amount just to read    blogs and have lunch and chat about our day. We came to Eskisehir around 14.00 and started to work right away with visiting our artisans, the most experienced Meershacuum pipe makers of Turkey.

A hand carved Meerschaum Pipe with a Sultan figure.

                                         Uncle Ali with a beautiful Viking Theme Meerschaum pipe.

Just like many of traditional Turkish Handcrafts, handcarving these Marcuum pipes are also something that passes from genarations to generations. Most artisans learn it from their families. Like Uncle Ali who is carving pipes for 50 years, he told us that he started it when he was 15, working with his dad. Now he is the most experienced artisan in the market.

After looots of Turkish Tea and fun chats with the locals, we were ready to eat famous `Cig Borek`of Eskisehir.

We also had enough time to have a coffee break in this cozy cafe.

Here are the tips about Eskisehir;
Where to stay: Hilton in Eskisehir is more like an Express hotel which is the best option for one-two nights.
Where to eat: Papagan Cig Borek Evi, Fahrettin Usta Tarihi Meshur Balaban Kebap (For famous Eskisehir Balaban Meatballs)
How long to stay: 2 nights
When is the best time: Spring is the best time to enjoy this small city

Eskisehir is named as one of the safest cities in the world, it is not big but so cozy. It can be a great weekend vacation with family.

SPRING READY HOME DECOR

We have been longing for spring for a long time now, Istanbul was colder than ever this winter! Snow, wind, cold.. Although it makes the winter so cozy now we are ready for spring colors!

We picked amazing pieces for the spring to splash colors and brighten the rooms.

Lets start with Turkish Ceramic Planters

We were looking forward to receive them! Just what we need for the indoor and outdoor spring decor.  Some exotic small plants and these planters bring the light spring feeling.

The more, the better! Mediterranean coasts might be the most beautiful places during spring. Not too warm, not too cold. Fresh air, streets with full of bougainvilleas and the houses with evil eyes on the walls. This is the typical image of Alacati!

This great setting is from our customer Corinna. We love how her vintage tray and iznik ceramics brighten this room.

Touch of Istanbul!

 These beautiful kilim pillows are handmade by using vinage Turkish Rugs that are around 50-150 years! 

Do not forget to add a little spring on yourself too! This color block Handmade Pashmina is a great option.

HOW TO MAKE TRADITIONAL TURKISH TEA

Making Turkish Tea is quite simple and a must have for morning, after lunch, after dinner basically an everyday ritual for Turks.  It is so common that everyone who visits Turkey tries this delicious tea and become obsessed. 

So here it is, a recipe for a great Traditional Turkish Tea.

Things that you will need;

1 Double Copper Samovar or 1 Double Ceramic Samovar

1 Loose Turkish Tea

1 Turkish Tea Serving Set

Making Turkish Tea;

Pour 5 tea glass of water inside the larger samovar and let it boil.  Add 2 spoons of Turkish Tea to the small samovar and pour the boiled water in it. You can pour new water to the large samovar and put it on the stove, place the small samovar on the large one and let them boil for 10 mins. Your Turkish Tea is ready!