The story of a family whose dream of ‘a different life’ came true…

"Ahmet and I always dreamed of living away from the chaos of the city and shaping our lives in nature," Feryal recalls. "We wanted a life where we are engaged with the land, grow our own fruits and vegetables, where our children can spend time freely in nature. When we first visited Ulupelit, we realized that this life is possible here.”

The Casa Lavanda adventure begins in 1991 when the Şen Family bought a land overlooking the sunset in Ulupelit. "Our dream house was ready in our heads. A house made of limestone, with wooden roofs and shutters, geraniums gracing its windows... It is a great blessing for us to be in nature, to work with nature, to have the opportunities that nature provides us.”

Feryal explains, that the construction process, which started in 1993, was not easy, but a unique experience for them. She shares that working together, managing all the details themselves, producing solutions by their own means, designing each furniture by herself, planting trees with their children, and how this whole creation process of Casa Lavanda added value to their family life.

Emre, who was 9 years old when the Şen family moved into their house, says “I clearly remember when the trees were planted, this place helped me develop my interest in the garden and the soil at a very young age." Ekin also has memories of spending hours playing in Casa Lavanda's large garden. His fondest memory is from 2010 New Year's Eve ‘when my family’s dreams turned into reality’.

Feryal’s gusto enlivens Casa Lavanda. Her undergraduate and graduate education in the painting department of the Istanbul State Academy Of Fine Arts and her 26 years of experience in the field of industrial ceramic design are reflected in every object, from special lighting to custom-made furniture, even today. Ahmet’s broad experience in the tourism and textile sectors became the powerhouse behind the design's final implementation.

‘When we were in the planning stage of Casa Lavanda, Emre went to Milan to study architecture at Politecnico University’ recounts Feryal. ‘At the end of his first school year, he realized he has a passion for cooking and returned to Istanbul for his training at Culinary Arts Academy. Afterward, he trained for a year under Chef Maurio Garola at Michelin-star restaurant La Ciau de Tornavento at Alba/Piemonte, a region known as the the gastro-center of truffles and where the slow food movement emerged. 

Emre’s success as a chef, paved the way for the family’s project of four rooms transition into a fifteen rooms boutique hotel and restaurant. Feryal explains ‘Casa Lavanda turned into a wonderful space where Emre could improve himself as a chef. He started planting his own fruits and vegetables. As his relationship with land deepened, he started creating a biodynamic farm where no chemicals pesticides were in use’.

Casa Lavanda ‘Family’ now has 70 team members. Emre is in charge of the restaurant, the kitchen, farming. After studying Business Administration at Koç University, Ekin worked at Ernst & Young for 3 years and joined the team full-time in 2020 to deal with management, finance, operations, staff and technical issues. "Emre and Ekin now manage the hotel more than we do," says Feryal, "and we are very happy that they we are working here together"  

"We have always enjoyed getting together with the people we love at long tables accompanied by delicious food," says Ahmet. "With Emre directing his career to the field of gastronomy and Ekin becoming the managing partner of Casa Lavanda, these tables are even longer than before. Now we share what we have, our happiness with our guests, family and friends. Our work is a source of great pleasure for us. For me, it's the greatest joy that can be achieved."