They wanted a bigger dining area. The result: A crazy renovation

For: A couple in their 50s, their children live away from home

Where: Ramat Hasharon

The area of ​​the public space: About 100 square meters

Planning and design: Architect Lilian Ben-Shoham

Photo: Elad Gonen

The idea to renovate the public space in the private house in Ramat Hasharon began with a desire to create a larger dining area; Now, when grandchildren have joined the family, the owners of the house bought a bigger, nicer and more comfortable corner. They also wanted a fireplace in the living room and for that, the layout was changed and the dining area was enlarged at the expense of the living room which is located to the right of the front door, diagonally from the dining area and parallel to the pergola.

"The new design combines modern elements in a warm domestic space," says architect Lilian Ben Shoham, "We have incorporated touches of wood; for example, the three-layer oak beam parquet and the TV furniture, which is followed by the fireplace, is partly painted in a gray shade and incorporates oak wood panels that speak to the parquet. 

The fireplace is double-sided, made of metal and glass. It is a focal point and can be seen from the kitchen and the living room. The color palette is mostly monochromatic; The walls are light and the kitchen is gray combined with light marble surfaces with gray veins. The monotonous colors are softened by the details of the wood and other elements in pastel shades."

"It was important for us to create a kitchen that would be open to the dining area so that it would be possible to enjoy the garden that can be seen through the large windows on Saturday morning or when one of the children pops up to visit. It is designed in an L shape and in the center is an island that is not very large but proportional to the dimensions of the space.

The front of the tall units, the work surface and the fronts of the island were painted In a gray oven, when the dark mass breaks the coffee niche in the front of the tall ones with an oak front." The island is encased in a veined marble-like porcelain granite surface. It is particularly wide and comfortable and, in addition to sitting, is also used as an additional hinge for storage. The bright bar stools are made of flexible acrylic material and are very comfortable to sit on. The peripheral technical lighting, sunk into the plaster ceiling and designed with straight and geometric lines. Above the island hovers a dark metal linear lighting fixture.

The dining area is especially large (1.2 m wide * 2.4 m long) and overlooks the garden. It is made of a walnut wood plate and legs of Goshni wood. The chairs are also comfortable and present, upholstered in brown fabric and have wooden legs. The two lighting fixtures that hung above the table, and the display cabinet in the background of the corner, are among the only items left from the design before the renovation.

As such they are more classic and add an eclectic dimension to modern design. The lampshades are made of glass and the showcase is made of nickel construction and transparent fronts, in which books, wine glasses and decorative objects are embedded. The living room has an almost direct connection to the dining area and was designed as a warm and enveloping environment. The TV unit, with the fireplace next to it, is a central and present feature. It is installed on an existing wall, which I continued so that the fireplace sticks out a little, so it is visible from almost every angle in the public space.

The library was designed with an asymmetric composition and is made of a body and open shelves painted in a graphite gray oven, combined with closed compartments for storage for which I created oak facades. The corner sofa is upholstered in a gray fabric and cushions in pastel shades and green are placed on it, which is also repeated in the armchair, with a vintage look, which is also upholstered in green fabric.

Next to her is a round metal side table and in the center of the space, on top of the 3D circle rug made separately, wooden tables painted in graphite gray and off-white were integrated. A minimal plaster cast, in which hidden lighting was installed, wraps the entrance hall and the living room. The grayish curtains soften the atmosphere, emphasize the vegetation that surrounds the interiors and at the same time create intimacy.