The genius trick to style any contractor apartment – Even in a rental

"Our home, which served as our base, was tailored to our needs at the time: no screens, a minimalist kitchen, and lots of vibrant, cheerful colors. But the years passed, I fell in love with a wonderful partner, my daughter grew up and left the nest, and I realized more and more that our beloved and well-maintained duplex had become too large for me. Honestly, maintaining a duplex is tedious and exhausting."

"I decided to change atmosphere and style, to rent out my own apartment and move to a rental in a Tel Aviv project that every Israeli knows, right next to the project of my life – the interior design studio I established 27 years ago," she recalls. Despite spending most of her time at the office, she invested time, creativity, and effort to transform the generic design of the contractor apartment into a dreamy living space, even though it is not her own.

"After so many years in my own home, the move was a dramatic change for me, a significant step up in quality of life. At the same time, I knew that a large investment like the one I made in my owned property simply wouldn’t make sense for a rental apartment where we’d live for only a few years."

"Still, one thing I’ve learned during my 45-year career is that our homes – when designed correctly – have the power to comfort, nurture, heal, and save us from ourselves. They can influence the mood in the space, family and social interactions, and productivity and energy at any given moment. That’s why I decided to make even our new rental extraordinary – a living space that suits our tastes, preferences, and needs, combining items that traveled with us from Ramat Gan with new, exciting, portable elements that we can take wherever we go next."

The new apartment has many strengths: it is flooded with natural light, overlooks the mesmerizing urban landscape of Tel Aviv, and we enjoy sitting together in the evenings to watch romantic sunsets. At the same time, like most rental apartments, it was quite generic at the beginning of the process and had several design flaws that, for me, are big no-nos. So, I took up the challenge and adapted it to my standards.

So, what’s on the menu?

"Let’s start with the challenging entrance, which opens to the public area but, at the same time, is completely exposed to the private wing. If, by chance, the bedrooms are not perfectly tidy when guests arrive, we have a problem. Additionally, the living room layout was problematic, to say the least, making it difficult, if not impossible, to place a standard sofa. The only option was to position the seating area against the windows with its back to the beautiful view – a huge missed opportunity, so that was out of the question."

"And the joy doesn’t stop there," Berzin adds. "The relationship between the apartment’s lighting points and the room functions was purely coincidental. And the kitchen, oh, the kitchen! Completely impractical, filled with cabinet doors that require you to bend over and practically crawl into them (even if you’re just looking for a grater), upper cabinets hung with no regard to what lies beneath them, and the pièce de résistance: a refrigerator niche placed in the most absurd spot imaginable, making it nearly impossible to fully open the vegetable drawer."

And what’s the plan?

"First and foremost, I extended the only built wall in the living room, a change that serves me in two ways: it finally allowed space for a cozy, comfortable sofa and also created an entrance area that keeps the private wing intimate and hidden from view, just the right amount. I didn’t want to destroy the existing flooring or block light and air in the space, so instead of building a standard drywall partition, I created an airy one with slatted shutters, similar to those on the public area’s window walls. This way, the space’s boundaries remain cohesive and continuous, and the area feels more open, airy, and functional."

"In practice, a 1.7-meter wall was extended significantly to 3.2 meters, serving as the ultimate base for the custom-designed sofa. I chose to upholster it in black velvet with two different textures: corduroy and suede. The golden wallpaper installed behind it is a specialty wallpaper designed for painting, available in various textures. I chose a striped pattern reminiscent of the horizon and the sea visible through the windows. I also hung a large round mirror that reflects the sunsets and infinity we see every evening."

"I replaced the lower kitchen cabinet doors with drawers, sent the existing upper cabinets to a better place, and added a new island purchased from IKEA, equipped with drawers and ample storage space. I topped it with a marble countertop for a stunning look. In the new design, the refrigerator is placed in a much more practical position, and its side facing the public area is softened with a Venetian-style curtain similar to the one in the living room."

"I replaced the standard contractor wall tiles with an infinity panel resembling white onyx marble, from Eliyahu Hasson. At its center, I embedded a horizontal mirror that reflects light, creates an illusion of size and space, and simultaneously mirrors the charm and vibrant colors of the nearby dining area. For the dining area, I chose botanical wallpaper that ties together some of the shades featured in the public space: nude pink, black, and gold. Additionally, I updated the lighting layout to match the room’s functions, and since this area had a gypsum ceiling, the process was neither complex nor difficult."

For those of us living in rental apartments, Berzin strongly recommends making adjustments to turn them into real homes that reflect who we are, fit our needs, and, most importantly, make us feel good:"Rental apartments are, by nature, generic. To make them a welcoming and intimate place, you need to infuse the apartment you chose with your vibe," she explains. "It’s a rare opportunity to make a shift, create a new atmosphere, be adventurous, and rediscover yourself. There are no strict rules because tastes and preferences are personal, as are colors and materials. Furniture, textiles, and accessories are excellent tools for setting the mood. I urge you to avoid creating a boring, cookie-cutter look. You can achieve a unique look and feel by mixing and matching items from different places. To reach the ultimate result, I recommend exploring online to find elements from stores, chains, suppliers, and creators – ones that will remain relevant even in your next living space."