A cozy house in Ramat Gan: A young couple, a baby, and a dog

The family members, a young couple with a baby and a dog, set out on a new journey in their lives. After many years of renting, they purchased their first apartment in a pleasant neighborhood in Ramat Gan. They knew they had to make many changes to adapt the apartment to their needs and desires, but due to the constraints of a limited budget, they feared they would not be able to fulfill all their dreams.

The designer Karnit Dekel, and a graduate of Studio XS' designer training program, was responsible for the process and the design decisions in a professional and comprehensive manner, focusing on the technical and functional aspects of the design, alongside Hana Yahel Keren who was responsible for the styling. The main design key was the transition between the private and public area, which was dressed up in the bow. It was a small dream of the owner of the house that became a central element in the project, creating a new story and a lot of character for the 82 square meter apartment.

When designing on a tight budget, it was important to understand the financial implications of each line on paper. In order to meet the budget, it was not possible to transform the private spaces of the apartment. Moving a wet space or adding one would burden the budget and jeopardize the feasibility of the project. This is why it was decided to give up the possibility of creating a unit for parents with an attached shower. The selected planning alternative was based on moving the kitchen to the center of the house and creating a multipurpose room in the area where the old kitchen was. One of the first requests of the home owners was to redefine the spaces of the house and create a guest space to host a family visiting from abroad. The new design turned the apartment into a four-room apartment, with an overlapping space that is used daily as a comfortable and bright study, and in cases of hospitality, becomes a bedroom.

In the public space, the kitchen and the living room merge into each other. Instead of incorporating a permanent counter for eating, it was decided to place a round and pleasant dining area that creates an open and airy feeling. Between the kitchen and the living room is the opening of the corridor designed as an arch, an element that is present in every discussion about the design of the apartment. In addition, a two-way organizing element was designed, one side facing the living room and containing a TV and media devices, and the other side a spacious service closet. To increase the seating in the public space, a wall-to-wall bench was designed under the large window in the living room, which also serves as a hidden storage place for all the games that are usually scattered around the living room.

In the chosen design, it was decided to give up unnecessary walls in the area of the wet spaces and to unite all the functions together into a comfortable and spacious bathroom. Next to that, a niche for a washing machine and dryer was designed, which is close to all the rooms, and its use is convenient and practical. To keep within the budget framework, the original bedrooms remained almost as they were in the beginning, with no structural changes. They were dressed in simple and clean furniture, while leaving room for the family to grow and develop.