A Turkish 'Sofra' Set-up — Floral Styling for a Traditional Yer Sofrası

A “yer sofrası” — a low table spread shared seated on the floor — is one of the most enduring ways of eating in Türkiye, built around abundance and closeness rather than formality. For this collaboration with Ischta, known for Mediterranean recipes and generous table settings, I designed the floral scene.

The saying goes that we eat with our eyes first, so the flowers needed to hold their own against a table already full of color and texture. I worked in jewel tones — anemones, tulips, hellebores, ranunculus, and fritillaria — chosen to sit naturally alongside the food rather than compete with it.

The set spans the full table laid with Turkish food and surrounded by candlelight, a second styling built around cake and sweets, and lush arrangements threaded through with trailing grapes. Close-up details capture the texture of the petals against the richness of the table itself.

Photography: Ezgi Polat

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— Hürriyet