The Past Never Truly Disappears
Some Objects Refuse To Be Forgotten
Between 2014 and 2017, I managed a small antique shop in a quiet town on Turkey's southern coast.
The shop was built around a single idea: that objects with history could live beautifully alongside contemporary interiors. Decorative pieces, silverware, furniture, trunks — things that carried the past without announcing it.
Many mornings began before sunrise. Long drives through France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and England. Small villages. Local markets. Country roads on grey mornings.
The search itself became part of the work.
Each object was selected, transported, restored, and eventually placed in a home where it could begin again.
The Feeling of Finding Something Hidden
There is something quietly remarkable about uncovering an object that has survived decades — restoring it with care, and watching it become meaningful again in someone else's home.
That feeling never disappeared.
When building the By The Curator collections today, the focus remains on beautifully made, unused objects crafted from exceptional materials. Yet vintage has always remained close — a quieter parallel current running alongside everything else.
Eventually, it became impossible to ignore.
Why A Vintage Collection
Some objects deserve another life.
The Vintage Collection was created to make room for pieces that carry history within them — objects that have already travelled through time and are ready to continue their journey elsewhere.
Unlike the other collections, this one is never fixed. New discoveries appear when they are ready. Once they are gone, they rarely return.
The collection is shaped by what is found rather than what is planned.
If vintage speaks to you, I invite you to join the list. New discoveries are always shared there first.
How I Search
The Vintage Collection requires patience — and a great deal of it.
Authenticity is researched carefully. Provenance is examined whenever possible. Condition matters. Details matter.
I follow closely the work of Baccarat, Lalique, Meissen, Venini, Tiffany & Co., Royal Copenhagen, Buccellati, Hermès, and Chanel — though I often hesitate to call them brands.
I prefer the word makers.
It better reflects the craftsmanship and the human hands behind each object.
As with every By The Curator collection, the intention is never simply to gather beautiful things. The goal is to bring together objects that naturally belong together — pieces that create a quiet dialogue with one another.
Research often involves weeks of correspondence, documentation, and careful consideration. The objective remains simple: to find pieces worthy of being passed from one generation to the next.
How I Live
My own home is largely contemporary. Modern leather sofas. Clean lines. Neutral tones.
Yet living alongside them are old Louis Vuitton trunks, vintage suitcases, silver objects, antique tableware, and oversized black-and-white photography prints that transform otherwise quiet walls into something closer to a gallery.
There are plants everywhere. And books — mostly photography, photojournalism, and visual culture — stacked and shelved throughout.
What I love most is the contrast. It creates a sense of depth that is difficult to manufacture.
A home begins to feel personal not because everything matches, but because every object has earned its place.
I have always been deeply home-loving. The corner where morning coffee is enjoyed. The chair reserved for the final glass of wine at the end of the day. The objects collected over time. The memories attached to them.
Calm. Warmth. Character.
An Invitation
If you are moving, renovating, or simply looking to add depth to a room — I hope you find something here that speaks to you.
And if you are someone who feels a quiet excitement when encountering a remarkable vintage object — something whose value has little to do with its price — then I invite you to follow the Vintage Collection.
The next discovery may already be on its way.
— Selda Gülay Kaplan