Bridging the gaps: An apartment full of inspiration in the streets

Location: Rehovot

Property: Duplex rooftop apartment purchased from a contractor - 158 square meters

The clients: a couple in the 50s-60s - the children no longer live at home

Interior design: Shiri Artzi

Photography: Noya Shiloni Habib

Shiri, the interior designer, joined this house about two months before the clients received a key from the contractor. The intention was to breathe life into the various spaces and design them according to the needs and desires of the customers and pour content and soul into the empty spaces. The couple - he is a rabbi and educator and his wife is an educator, asked the designer to create an elegant, warm and pleasant home for them that would not be an eyesore.

While the couple is religious, the designer is secular and they worked together on the house during a difficult time. However, there were many unifying things and fascinating conversations about books, Judaism, unity and the people of Israel on such days. The conversations between the couple and the designer showed a beautiful face of Judaism that includes and accepts all shades and in accordance with this spirit the process between them also flowed.

At the entrance to the house stands the kitchen. It was designed as a spacious kitchen with two sinks and a separation between the dairy and meat areas. A sandy and warm Sahara shade was chosen for the kitchen. The designer used the narrow space behind the front door for a pantry with a decorative niche in the center. The upper cabinets were designed on two different levels and as befits a kosher kitchen this way the kitchen gained more storage space (Pesach dishes above for example). Next to the kitchen, a spacious island was designed that allows eating every day and contains more drawers and more storage for the kitchen. Chairs with interesting backs were chosen for the island knowing that they face the living room space and are seen from there. Delicate lighting fixtures were designed above the island. (GLOW).

Immediately after the island, the dining area table of Zega Pinat dining areas is placed, which opens up to many places to sit and allows the couple to host the children and grandchildren who come to spend Shabbat. To emphasize the importance of the dining area - a special light fixture that looks like it is made of paper folds (GLOW) is placed above it. The dining area creates a buffer between the kitchen area and the living room area, and next to it are windows and an exit to the balcony that allow soft and pleasant light to enter the area.

The big challenge in the project - together and with a lot of humor, the designer and the clients tried to find a place for the many books of the home owners. From sacred books that they gave her a place of honor in her living room library to books for reference as well as mundane books. The endless amounts of books challenged the designer and every time she thought that was it, the owner of the house arrived with more bookcases from the warehouse. The designer wanted to give all the books a place and at the same time leave a ventilated and spacious house that would not get a feeling of closure and clutter from all the books. They were scattered all over the house - from the couple's living room and study to the top floor. The library in the living room was composed of a closed lower part next to an upper part. In between, cabinets and a display case were placed to contain alcohol and judiac. The closed lower part was created to take the load off the visible books. Next to the living room is a wide chest of drawers against the background of a painted wall. This dresser contains utensils for entertaining.

Shades of Hamra in the armchair, cushions and accessories (Bathili) were added to bring warmth into the home space. For the same reason, the stairs to the upper floor are covered with wood (domus). The MMD was designed as the study room of the owner of the house and a huge library along an entire wall was also planned in it. Since the family members come to stay on Saturdays, in each study room there is also a pull-out couch for entertaining.

The master suite received a delicate geometric wallpaper on the back of the bed and a large and spacious closet at the entrance to the room. A wide mirror was hung in front of him which creates an illusion of depth and width and enlarges the room. The room is decorated in soft and calm colors. The bathrooms already existed with tiles in neutral sand tones and it was decided to add life and color with colorful cabinets. The cabinets were designed according to the needs of the home owners.

On the top floor of the house there is a luxurious accommodation unit with access to a large balcony. Next to the exit is a small kitchenette that caters to the guests upstairs. In a niche at the entrance and next to the guest services, there is a corner for washing hands, which received an oak cabinet with a round handle and a sink in a special gold shade. Above, a special wall covering was chosen in a bronze shade (Gilad Ceramics). This corner, which is located relatively at the entrance to the house, also creates a warm and inviting look that complements the homeowners' desire to create a modern and respectable but also modest home.