Turkish Delights, Part 1: Decor Inspiration

Istanbul is one of the most colorful cities I’ve been to in my travels. Turks have a long, proud history of creating gorgeous crafts, and Istanbul presents many opportunities to find detailed ceramics, rugs, and textiles.

The city that spans two continents is full of inspiring decor. During my first trip there I toured Topkapi Palace, home to sultans of the Ottoman Empire and their many, many wives (the Harem sometimes held up to 500 people, including 300 women, kids, and eunuchs). While it sounds pretty awful to me (living with two other women was challenging enough!), at least their surroundings were gorgeous! Sections of the palace are covered with ornate Iznik tiles, and I dream of using them to create a backsplash in a kitchen or bathroom one day.

Here I am with my backsplash inspiration!

Domino magazine recently featured the Paris apartment of decorative artists Mehmet and Dimonah Iksel, who have taken the backsplash idea a little too far IMHO:

Purchasing tiles for your home can be done from the comfort of your home – no flight required. Prices can be very expensive depending on size, intricacy of the design, and materials used. Pricier examples are the ones below from Yurdan:

Yurdan also carries less expensive versions, as does Blue Hudson for Tribal Home. The one on the left from Yurdan is $8.50 for a tiny 2″ square tile, but the version on the right from Tribal Home is a better value, on sale for $9 for a 8″ square tile.