“Teacher was awesome with great energy and passion for his craft.
The other student in my class had some extra needs and he held space for her with kindness and respect.
The delicious cheese box which was lovingly made by my teachers wife was delicious and a generous portion for the price! Highly recommended class!”
“Ali was very helpful and supportive. He made for a very fun class and patient with my nervousness.. Even replied after leaving when I had trouble assembling lamp.”
“I recently attended Atolya’s Turkish Lamp Making Class with my partner and I wanted to share my experience. While there were some positive aspects, overall, I left feeling a bit disappointed compared to what we’d hoped for.
I booked for a Saturday morning but was asked to reschedule by Ali, who runs the workshop. He explained in detail that he’d be traveling and that instructors in training would take over, which I completely understood, life happens, and I appreciated his transparency. That said, it would have been a nice gesture to offer a small discount or upgrade to make up for the inconvenience of changing plans.
When we arrived, the instructors and other students were warm and welcoming, which was a great start. However, after settling in, we were asked to move seats — likely to accommodate a birthday party group. It wasn’t a huge deal, but it did feel a little disorganized. When we received our materials, I noticed a small chip on my glass lamp piece. It wasn’t a big issue, but it did make me wonder about the quality control.
During the class, I could tell the instructors were doing their best, but it felt like their main focus was supervision rather than guiding us through making the lamps. I didn’t quite get the hands-on, instructional experience I was hoping for and I ultimately felt a bit unwelcome, which led me to rush through the final part of the class and leave early.
I also had a different expectation about what we’d take home. I thought we’d leave with a fully completed lamp, but instead, we were given the pieces to put together at home. My lamp was intact and worked fine, but my partner’s lamp was wrapped in bubble wrap, which made me wonder if my piece had been used or inspected before, while hers was brand new. It was a small thing, but it added to the feeling that the experience wasn’t as polished as it could have been.
After the class, I did some research and found nearly identical DIY lamp kits online, as well as fully complete lamps for half the price we paid. While I can’t speak to the quality of those kits, paying around $120 per lamp made me expect a more premium experience with something that felt special and worth the cost.
That said, I don’t want to overlook the positives. The instructors were kind, and the space had a nice vibe and the lamps work as intended, and I’m glad we have something handmade to remember the experience by. I just think there’s room for improvement in terms of organization, instruction, and overall value.”
“Such a fun environment with lots of good vibes and reasonable pricing. The teachers were so helpful and had good vibes too. Thank you for helping make my mum’s birthday special!”
“The teacher is consistently helpful and friendly, creating a welcoming atmosphere. It’s a wonderful space to nurture creativity and practice mindfulness, offering a relaxing environment. You’ll meet fun, like-minded people, and the space is always clean and well-organized.”
“Our teacher was so lovely and patient. I took my 7 year old daughter and he was able to help her and made us both feel comfortable and ensured we had an enjoyable experience. It’s impossible to not make a mess but we were basically told it was a requirement to make a mess!! :) definitely recommend for children interested in creative activists as the teacher is very patient, encouraging and helpful.”
