Tulu: Gorgeous Shop in Istanbul
Traveling gives such creative inspiration but also a lovely opportunity to explore a different culture. Of course, there is the added bonus — we tend to learn more about ourselves as we venture new grounds — there are spiritual discoveries, emotional breakthroughs, I could go on and on but if you travel you must know what I mean…
One small but interesting fact that I learned about myself in both Marrakesh and Istanbul is the kind of shop environment that I enjoy the most. I found shops of all shapes, styles and sizes — kiosks, carts on the street, ladies with handmade goods displayed on blankets in the park, men selling bread that they carried on their heads, souks, bazaars, flea markets, you name it I shopped it. But what I found fascinating was that in each country I was easily lured in by the shops (and flea market tables) that had a more western sense of merchandising – where displays were carefully thought out, merchandise curated, and the selection being moderate — not too much of a single item but more of a mix of things to discover as I shopped. When products were shown in ways that got my creative juices flowing, I had no problem buying them. In stores where I found thousands of the same item, or things just tossed randomly in baskets or pinned to walls, or stores with aggressive sellers, I shopped very little and found them to be a bit depressing and ho hum.
I also found the more western sales style much more inviting than having to barter when it comes to pricing. I prefer items with tags on them, so I know where I stand, and I like to be told a little about a product but then left on my own. That way, I could see an item and have the mental space (and quiet) to imagine this or that piece in my home, where, how I would use it, etc.
When bartering is involved well that is also fine to a point but if I say, “No, thank you” I really don’t want the reply to be, “But lady look at this, I can give you a better price” followed by more and more of the same… I also don’t like to have a seller tugging on my arm, and I don’t like shop owners chasing me after I leave their shop trying to offer me the same goods at half the price. That is one thing that I found very annoying when I shopped the souks in Marrakesh, after the first day the excitement of bartering really became stressful and draining because most of the souk sellers are in your face the minute you enter the medina and you have little to no physical or mental space as you shop — it’s just one after another coming up to you trying to lure you into their shop and some even pull you in — grab you — and this was not enjoyable after the “new” wore off.
I found Istanbul a much more delightful place to shop because the Grand Bazaar wasn’t nearly as intense as the souks in Morocco when it came to the sales approach, also more stores had a fixed price. Some of the bazaar shop owners were also be a bit intense (mostly the young guys), but they seemed to know when to back off and let you have your fun, go your way, etc. And I loved how hospitable they were — always offering us tea and if we purchased something, closing the deal with tea and conversation. I could really think when I shopped in Istanbul — I could take time to imagine, create and design things in my head as I walked around and browsed each shop in the Grand Bazaar and in the Spice Market — this made the trip very special to me. Istanbul is more expensive compared to Morocco though, so I guess you have to decide what matters most to you, price or peace! :) Though I’m first to admit, if invited back to Morocco I’d go in a heartbeat because I loved it there, too. :)
In addition to the 4,000 + shops in the Grand Bazaar, you also have many small privately-owned shops peppered around in the same neighborhood. One such shop, shown in the photos above and below, is Tulu located in the old part of the city called Sultanahment. Tulu is owned by American textile dealer, Elizabeth Hewitt, and has three floors of gorgeous items for the home as well as fashion accessories that I highly recommend. I left with only a few things, though my husband purchased a beautiful rug from Tulu for his office. We both will go back to Tulu when we visit Istanbul in the future.
I first discovered Tulu online in October 2009 and blogged about it here (thanks to Raina’s tip), so I’ve been wanting to visit for a year now and so walking in and seeing it was quite exciting for me and certainly did not disappoint. The selection ranged from Turkish finds to gorgeous Indian textiles and the shop was loaded with pattern and color — I have to vote Tulu as one of my top five favorite stores in Istanbul and a definite must-see if you ever travel there. You can find bags, bracelets, fabrics by the meter, rugs (mostly vintage), pillows, tin heart mirrors, hand-painted boxes, ceramics, plates, journals, so many beautiful things that your eyes won’t know where to look first. And their staff is so helpful and lovely — and no pressure — they offer help and then let you alone to wander and imagine. I love that.
And good news for you if you’re not traveling to Istanbul anytime soon… You can buy Tulu goods at select stores in the US, like Layla in Brooklyn (another favorite shop of mine) and Nest in San Francisco.
A special thank you to Azmi for being such a great help in this shop!
I hope you enjoyed my photos — I took them at night so forgive the exposure… I did my best! :)
(images: holly becker for decor8)
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November 22nd, 2010 at 1:17pm
the pictures are stunning, Holly! Tulu looks like such an amazing place, a must-visit! I’m putting it right now on my visit-this-places list, thank you for the introduction! xo
Ludmila {creamylife.com}´s last [type] ..Tolix chair & stool crush
November 22nd, 2010 at 1:19pm
oooh, this looks really lush & interesting! I’m jealous!!!
thea.
xx
theaxx´s last [type] ..Tag – You’re it!
November 22nd, 2010 at 1:19pm
Oh, how gorgeous!! This post has made me want to visit there myself… not likely in the near future, but maybe one day…
Jess´s last [type] .. Dream Additions to my New Desk
November 22nd, 2010 at 1:33pm
Wow – I´m overwhelmed by all this prettiness, lovely! :-)
Tina´s last [type] ..Fun idea for your Christmas cards!
November 22nd, 2010 at 2:09pm
Never been to Marrakesh and Istanbul but reminds me a little bit of the colour splashes you see India.
Great photos too… I think you captured lots of beautiful details here.
Thomas Folke Andersen´s last [type] ..round-and-round-01psd by Thomas Andersen
November 22nd, 2010 at 3:05pm
Tulu looks simply gorgeous – the sort of place you could wander round and imagine far too much of it in your own space! :-P
Jem xXX
Jem´s last [type] ..Postcards
November 22nd, 2010 at 3:13pm
So glad you got to go to Tulu, and thanks for the mention. I came back with a suitcase filled with her gorgeous things.
Raina Kattelson´s last [type] ..Halloween
November 22nd, 2010 at 4:11pm
How incredible! What a gorgeous shop….really gets my creative synapses firing! :) And I couldn’t be more with you on the whole shopping experience. I like to have space to imagine and enjoy. Off to check out their things at Layla and Nest.
xo
Melis
Melissa de la Fuente´s last [type] ..Monday inspiration
November 22nd, 2010 at 5:36pm
Loved your photos, as always.. I always think of Istanbul and Morocco as being juicy with colour… and you perfectly captured this!
Emily@theNest´s last [type] ..Beautiful Tea-light Holder Tutorial
November 22nd, 2010 at 9:00pm
Your posts about Istanbul are SO inspiring! I would never have thought that Turkey had so much color and pattern!
November 22nd, 2010 at 9:02pm
My place of birth, ever so long ago! I have many many things around my home from there and because I am so old all of my pieces are vintage and loaded with charm…it pays to be older!!!!
Danielle´s last [type] ..My Ode to Neutrals
November 22nd, 2010 at 9:10pm
I am so jealous. My last time in Istanbul is four years ago and I must say I really didn’t appreciate it the way I should have. My experience was very touristy, which was great, but I am so ready for some exploring on my own or with a good friend. Hopefully I can go back some time and do some discovering and fabric shopping, etc. I wish Tulu had an online store. :)
Either way, lovely lovely blog post. ♥
November 22nd, 2010 at 9:54pm
Can you give me favorite shops in Marrakech – I will be traveling there soon. Trudy
November 22nd, 2010 at 10:01pm
love all the colors and gorgeous fabrics
hena tayeb´s last [type] ..New- Bunny Love
November 22nd, 2010 at 11:26pm
Feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven! Gorgeous!!
Elizabeth´s last [type] ..Stripe Love and Weekend Plans
November 23rd, 2010 at 2:26am
Hi Holly, My husband , son and I visited Istanbul (and Italy) in October. We loved the city and the shopping…my husband was a great barterer. I left that to him. I would definitely go back anytime and now that we know that everyone has a pitch it will be easier to avoid be sucked in. Even our boat tour of the Bosphorus ended up at a store before we had lunch!
Roseanna´s last [type] ..Folded Page Book Art
November 23rd, 2010 at 5:25pm
Oooooh the retailer in me wants to jump right in that store and own it! It is so wonderfully full of happy colour and texture and beautifully crafted items. I’m not surprised you only bought a few things cuz it was probably hard to choose from all the lovelies! I totally agree with your thoughts on shopping in the Marrakesh Souks, I was sweating and fretting trying to make decisions with our travel group waiting on me and the pressure from the shop keeper along with my decision process-phew- it was stressful for sure. Perhaps if I return I will know more what to expect and be better prepared, knowing what I need–more poofs and slippers for sure! But Turkey, here I come! Tulu is on my list now–Thank you!
Julie the Alkaline Sister´s last [type] ..Cozy Raw Veggie Soup w- Peas- Carrots- Ginger & Cilantro-Conscious Eating is Life Changing!
November 24th, 2010 at 4:32am
Lovely photos, as always, Holly! The colors are just so rich and vibrant.
November 24th, 2010 at 6:53pm
I’ve always wanted to go to Istanbul but now I’m dying to go! I hear you about shopping in Marrakesh. I went there about 12 years ago and the souks were kind of intimidating – the grabbing you by the arm and pulling you into a shop and then the bargaining. I ended up only buying in a store in the newer section of town that had fixed prices and a more Western way of dealing with customers. I developed a way of looking at the merchandise in a totally bored, indifferent way so as not to give away that I might be interested in anything and avoiding eye contact with the merchants. I got so used to it that it was quite a readjustment to go back to NYC – it took me awhile to go back to my normal window shopping mode.
November 24th, 2010 at 10:41pm
Hi! So glad to hear that you have been in my home-town, Tulu is one of my fav too.. Love you, god bless you and your family.
November 25th, 2010 at 3:33am
Boy did I need a pick me up today and all the gorgeous color combinations definitely did the trick. I could gaze at this post for hours…and I might! Thanks for sharing Holly. Happy Thanksgiving, American Girl in Europa! :)
kalanicut´s last [type] ..Stay Warm and Safe
November 28th, 2010 at 7:18am
Oh, I hope I can track down some of those beautiful dupattas at one of the NY stores that carries Tulu’s merchandise!
Jennifer´s last [type] ..Gratitude
December 28th, 2010 at 10:09am
definitely it is the best shop in the Sultanahmet,if you visit you can compare with the other shops…I thanks for photos,Azmi to TULU…
June 25th, 2011 at 1:27am
my husband and i are going to istanbul for a few days in the fall. this was such helpful information and the photos look lovely!
April 20th, 2012 at 3:27pm
Hi!! I’m so glad you visited my country, Türkiye and published information here!! ;)) Yes, it is true that except touristic sites, there lots of wonderful place to shops especially closer to Sultan Ahmet. Most of them gives good prices with good quality ;) Not only home textile, you find nice clothes and jewellary ;)) Next time you come here, I would like to meet you!! Take care xoxo :))