Beyoglu Antique Hotel inspired by memories

Antique furniture of our house

My parents got married in 1952. They bought their first furniture from an Armenian shop in Kuledibi Galata. These French-style tables, chairs, buffet and bedroom sets were always in our lives until I lost my family.

I remember my father repaired the gilded embroidery of a buffet with a fine brush in his house .60 years ago on a Sunday. He would do this almost every year. He wore a short checkered dressing gown called “ Rope de Chambre ”, had a quiet Sunday, drinking his cigarette with pleasure, whistling in between. On a cold Istanbul day, we kids watched our father and we felt happy and safe.

Seats go upholstery

Every five to six years, the seats and chairs in our home would be repurposed. Our mother bought stylish fabrics, the upholsterer in our neighbourhood would come home and take our things to her shop. We, the children, were eagerly and curiously waiting for our belongings to return to this empty house.

Stelyo Master comes home to make shellac polish

The shellac furniture polish, Uncle Stelyo, would care for our furniture every summer. He poured the shellac polish solution he made using resin into a buffer, wrapped the cotton in a thin cloth and made this polish with pleasure without rushing. I think the tea, coffee and food that my mother offered all day long were the reason for the prolongation of this work. But we enjoyed this repetitive activity every year and had nice conversations with Stelyo Usta.

These moments made us a family, we all shared the same innocent enthusiasm for our home.

Now I understand that our parents used such events to teach us a philosophy of life. Our life was based on being a producer and not consuming unnecessarily. In my grandfather’s office, then in my father’s office, knowing the value of a small hand-made carpet in my house was actually helping to protect our family’s common memories.

I’ve been watching decoration and architectural programs on TV for years. I am interested in Minimalist-Modern Interior Design. The artistic value of objects and environments increases when minimized details are produced with high workmanship quality. This Minimalist point of view seems very strange to me. I grew up in a house with handmade rugs, embroidered and elegant gilded ornaments.

I acted with the same feelings when I bought the historical buildings of Faik Pasha Suites.

My grandfather was the construction engineer of the Tennis Apartment in Cihangir. My mother’s childhood passed in this apartment.

Francesco Della Suda, the grandson of Italian-born Faik Pasha who gave his name to our street and my hotel, was a very popular piano teacher among the families of Istanbul at that time and lived alone in the 4th mansion on Faik Paşa Street. This elegant gentleman who took piano lessons from F. Liszt was also my source of inspiration while decorating Faik Paşa Suites Çukurcuma Beyoğlu.
Francesco Della Suda walks in front of our buildings on Faik Pasha Street and passes through Rue de Pera …

I collected all the furniture I used to decorate the Faik Pasha Suites in Çukurcuma Beyoğlu, from the antique dealers in Istanbul, and this work lasted two years.

I wanted the lace of the curtains because, in a spring breeze, I dreamed that the wind blowing through the window blows the curtain and the person lying in this room was satisfied with this beautiful energy and romantic atmosphere that I created.

Memories mixed with dreams projects imagined …

I couldn’t be minimalist …