From Curation to Creation: The Story of Living Cult

After working professionally as an architect, I found myself unemployed during most of the COVID-19 lockdown. Like many others, I was stuck in a moment of uncertainty but also reflection. Like many architects working in the field, I also had spent years designing buildings on paper, working through long, complex timelines, and rarely seeing the final result. During lockdown, I realized what I truly missed was the emotional immediacy of design; how quickly a space, a texture, or even an object could shift the atmosphere of a room and how people felt within it.

That period became a turning point. I realized I had gathered a huge collection of visual material; images and inspiration related to spatial design, interiors, jewelry, and fashion; that I wanted to organize and share on Instagram. I was equally fascinated by jewelry design and fashion as sculptural expressions on the human body, which led me to create Armour of Body (@armourofbody), an account dedicated to exploring wearable art and personal adornment. At the same time, my background in design and passion for interiors motivated me to launch Living Cult (@living.cult), my digital journal focused on interiors and spaces full of character, warmth, and personality. Both accounts became creative outlets to explore and share the aesthetic worlds I was deeply drawn to.

Still, I knew I wanted to go further. My background in architecture and my Master’s in Interior and Spatial Design had already led me in the direction of atmospheric design; temporary environments like exhibitions, installations, and events that were more sensory and emotional. I had long been drawn to creating captivating experiences rather than large-scale architectural projects. I wanted to work closer to materials, to colors, to craft, and most of all, to people and their stories. So, I made a decision that didn’t make sense to many around me: I turned down a higher-paying job on a construction site and instead waited for an opportunity at an interior design studio. That leap of faith paid off and got a phone call from the office I've applied earlier. Working in interiors gave me exactly what I had hoped for; exposure to craftspeople, manufacturers, and workshops. I was no longer just drawing details; I was selecting finishes, understanding upholstery, exploring custom production. I was learning how things were made.

One day, during a mundane moment at an airport, inspiration struck when watching the baggage claim band in motion. There was something humorous and symbolic about it; this place where people wait for their belongings, hoping nothing is lost or broken. It’s a concept that many designers have explored before, yet it felt personal to me in that moment. That moment sparked an idea: a mirror imitating the baggage claim pattern, playfully referencing the systems we move through every day. Functional, sculptural, and graphic, Baggage Claim Mirrors became my first products.

Designing these mirrors gave me a sense of creative authorship I hadn’t experienced before. It allowed me to embed my own references, humor, and aesthetic into something physical. From there, Living Cult evolved from a curated page into a creative studio. I began developing a full product line; soft furniture, steel accessories and more, all designed to enhance the emotional language of a space.

Living Cult is now a multidisciplinary practice: it started with interiors that inspired me and has grown into a platform that offers interior design, styling, and original product design. Whether I’m working on a home, an object, or an event space, it’s always about atmosphere; how space feels, and what story it tells.

Photographed by Orhan Cem Cetin

My aesthetic is rooted in a minimalist yet colorful approach. I embrace contrast of soft volumes with graphic lines, playful references with timeless shapes, and brutalist touches that bring raw, honest textures to the mix. I’d like to combine these elements as colorful sculptural objects to create dynamic and engaging interiors. I want to continue creating pieces and environments that feel personal, layered, and full of meaning; whether they last a lifetime or are temporary.

And this is just the beginning.

*All photographs and videos featured in this article were captured by the author unless a specific image states otherwise.