GLD
Apartment 133 sqm // Hod HaSharon
2023
The phone rang on Friday morning, and on the other end, she sounded a bit lost… They had just purchased a new apartment, only a few years old on the surface, but practically, it was owned by the contractor who built the building and was rented out. It was clear that in its current condition, the apartment was not suitable for them in terms of design and appearance. To tailor the layout to their needs as a family with two lovely daughters, they embarked on a comprehensive renovation, at the envelope level.
When renovating an apartment in a relatively new building (5 years old), there are many limitations. Load-bearing walls, the load-bearing wall, significant structural walls... and indeed, in this apartment, there were such limitations, and we decided to turn these limitations into advantages. We decided to expose the beautiful concrete walls that lay beneath the plaster, knowing that due to the new construction method, they would have a sleek and smooth appearance, resembling the kind of wall that usually costs thousands to create if you are looking for a genuine concrete look.
Where the kitchen originally stood, we set up the work/entertainment room. From the entrance to the balcony, a versatile and two-sided carpentry unit extends over 8 meters.
The unit contains:
An entry closet, on the other side which serves as a guest bed, with the upper part discreetly housing the room's air conditioning unit.
Entrance through a Belgian door to the guest/workroom.
Wall cladding with a thickness of 15 cm to hide the shutter boxes (of course we left access to repairs if needed) that also becomes a shelf next to the sofa, to place a drinking cup or a phone when charging.
In the place where the bathroom used to be, extending to the service balcony, we removed the walls and installed a spacious open-plan kitchen. It includes a generous island and multiple work surfaces, and the service balcony has been transformed into a pantry/storage area.
The entire kitchen is painted in a soft, muted shade, and the carpentry extends towards the living room, featuring a pass-through to the bedrooms, shelves framing the exposed concrete wall, and the TV area.
The master bedroom was upgraded, and the bathroom expanded at the expense of the small walk-in closet. Two spacious double wardrobes were added, one of which even includes a makeup corner. The second wardrobe extends to the back of the bed, also incorporating an integral bedside table. The master bathroom is covered in stone that simulates marble with dramatic purple veins.
In the daughters' bathroom, we achieved an excellent balance between a floor adorned with geometric tiles from the Italian company Mutina, creating a lively pattern, and weathered white tiles that provide a serene backdrop. A multi-purpose wall cabinet, accommodating a washing machine and dryer, serves as storage for cleaning supplies and bins for sorting laundry by type.
The daughters' rooms are of similar size, and the furniture placement is identical. In each room, we planned a wall cabinet on the wall above the bed, which houses a writing desk, a clothes cabinet, and open shelves next to the bed. These shelves, which effectively replace a nightstand, provide a place for a water glass, a book, and a beloved doll. This furniture placement effectively creates a much larger floor space in a square shape, making the room feel much larger than in a "traditional" layout, which separates the wardrobe, desk, and bed.
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before

after
































credits:
Photographer: Itai Benit.
Photoshoot Stylist: Maya Livnat Harush.
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Contractor: Sahar Twina - Pi Projects Ltd.
Kitchen: Regba.
Work surfaces: Fervital.
Artisan carpentry: Pascal Wooden Furniture Ltd.
Sanitary ware and tiles: Mody / HaKoach Ceramics.
Parquet: Mody.
Doors: stato/Rav Bariach.
Lighting: Sheka and Teka.
Personal imported lighting: FLOS.
Art: Chen Hefetz, Ingrid, Michael Aviv.
Furniture, textiles and accessories: Pick Up, Tollmans Dotm, Gita Home, the new Kfar Nursery, Israeli Green Nursery, Josephson Carpets, Ceramics - Lori Goldstein, Northly.
Outdoor furniture: Tollmans Dot.
Wallpapers: Avi Wallpapers.
Wall paint: Tambor.