Retirement perfection: 21st floor apartment bomes to life

Project: Apartment in Ramat Gan

Area: the apartment is 84 square meters net. Service balcony - 10 square meters. Balcony adjacent to the living room - 26 square meters.

The tenants: a retired couple

Architecture and interior design: Shir Margolin

Carpentry: Schnir architectural carpentry

Photo: Adi Kronkop

The tenants in the project are an elderly couple who were looking for an apartment for retirement. He came from the field of restaurants and she from the field of education. Both are warm and family people who love to cook and host. They have small grandchildren who come from abroad and stay overnight with them and they dreamed of an open, warm and inviting house. They were looking for a spacious and bright apartment with a large public space for entertaining and small rooms for sleeping and working.

"When the tenants first saw the apartment, it looked very neglected, but they recognized the potential in it. The apartment is located in Ramat Gan, a contractor's apartment on the 21st floor that was previously bought by buyers who live abroad and never lived in it, so in fact it remained empty for years. The tenants' request was to live in a warm and non-alienated luxury apartment where they would feel at home and reflect the character of the tenants," says architect Shir Margolin. In the pre-renovation apartment, the entire living room was turned towards a TV wall so that the entrance to the apartment was blocked by the back of a sofa. Out of the architectural desire for an open space, the architect chose Reverse the direction of the living room, and hang the TV on a rotating pole for the living room, the balcony and the dining area. The choice of the pole over the TV ventilated the space.

The living room is adjacent to the balcony and faces the entrance to the house towards the rotating TV stand. The design line is expressed in a balance between classic and monochromatic colors, a combination of materials and textures without unnecessary furniture so that a proper flow in the space is possible. The walls are not loaded with pictures, as much emphasis as possible on introducing natural lighting. Thanks to a large outdoor balcony, the architect created an extension of the public space of the living room and the feeling of hospitality. The old tiles on the balcony were replaced with Burmese teak that gives a luxurious and warm feeling. Many flower pots and a seating area in pastel colors were added. The renovation included the replacement of all the infrastructure in the apartment, air conditioning, lighting, electricity, plumbing and also changes in the construction of the walls, all the tiles in the apartment and balcony were removed and replaced with new materials and new doors from the Pandora door company were installed.

"One of the things that stood out the most in the previous design of the apartment was the separation between the kitchen and the living room. The kitchen before the renovation was very small and poorly made. The kitchen was separated from the living room by a 25-centimeter thick wall. From the first time I entered the apartment, it was clear to me that the kitchen as it could not I wanted the public space - the heart of the house - to become a welcoming and inviting space. The goal was for the public space to contain various functions and still remain spacious and airy when guests and the public space of the living room can accommodate many people in the style of an open buffet," adds the architect. The kitchen was made by Schnir Carpentry and touches of natural oak were used in the upper cabinet and in the open unit in order to introduce warmth, homeliness and color. The wood gives a pleasant feeling, which brings you closer to nature. The wood is emphasized against the background of the white kitchen and also warms the concrete look chosen for the tiles on the floor at home.

"Out of the need to create storage spaces in the apartment, a deep niche was designed to the right of the entrance with a large and closed storage closet for shoes, hanging coats and keys. The closet also hides the electrical closet and the amplifier. The closet was painted the same color as the walls of the house. Before the design of the entrance closet, there was a small entrance hall in the apartment Through which they entered the parents' room, the foyer was closed in favor of enlarging the master area - a bigger shower and creating a niche for the walk-in closet." The bedroom faces the balcony and has a view of the green pots. Painted tiles were chosen for the small bathrooms and the design language chosen here is clean and restrained. The small window to the warehouse was replaced with a glass door to bring natural light into the bathroom.