The project: a 5-room penthouse apartment in Gan Yavne
The tenants: a high-tech couple in their thirties, they have two small children of kindergarten age
Interior design: graduate of Barbara Barzin's interior designer training studio - Tomer Mizrahi
Photo: Yonatan Tamir
In the heart of a new neighborhood of buildings in Gan Yavne, a settlement most of which consists of detached buildings, the new apartment of the hi-tech couple and their two children is located, which was designed by Tomer Mizrahi, an interior designer who specializes in planning and designing apartments and houses, who is also the brother-in-law of the father of the family. Together with the couple, the designer turned the generic contractor's apartment into a living environment that fits precisely the needs and tastes of each and every member of the young family.
Mizrachi, a graduate of Barbara Berzin's interior designer training studio, was let into the secret by the couple immediately after purchasing it directly from the contractor: "We are both very realistic and practical people, but in practice we had trouble imagining how we could maximize the apartment and what the final result would look like. We knew what we were not We want to, but we had a little trouble explaining in words what we need and want, and this is where Tomer comes into the picture," says the owner of the apartment. "The only thing we all immediately agreed on was the need for many storage spaces - as a lesson from previous apartments we lived in and from the understanding that a house where a family with small children lives requires a lot of storage solutions - or it will always be messy. In addition, it was important to us that the central space in the apartment be fun to host and stay in And from there we started working. Tomer managed to simplify for us the concepts that we were 'embedded' in, chose the palette of tones with us and built an inspiration board for us that helped us focus and all this with endless patience."
"Already at the beginning of the process, we decided not to upgrade the standard proposed by the contractor and instead to build an accurate budget for making adjustments that we would make after receiving the key," recalls Mizrahi. "After two years of construction, the couple received a key and immediately after that we started renovating and decorating the house. In many cases, from the stage of purchasing the apartment on paper to the moment when the customers move in to live in it, several years pass - this is a long process during which they very naturally develop and change their minds, and this is one of the challenges that arise in the planning and design of a contractor's apartment. To that end, we decided to create a neutral shell with a few upgrades, on which we could dress the relevant style that meets their style, dreams and needs at the time." When the husband preferred a more luxurious and darker look while his wife preferred a clean and bright look and a palette of light shades. In the end, we decided to create a look that combines contrasts, shades and styles that suit the taste of both couples. Meanwhile, from their acquaintance with me, they both know how much I like to create, paint and sculpt myself, so as part of the work process I was asked to prepare interesting pictures for the apartment that would add another layer to the house and they were indeed hung in the various spaces."
"As part of the initial clarification of the needs, we realized that there was no need for a formal dining area because it was not active most of the time either, so we gave it up - this is how we got a large, open and pampering public space which we divided in two. The kitchen has grown significantly and the space allowed for the addition of a pampering island with 4 seats facing each other The second one. "The living room also grew and in it I designed a carpentry cabinet for storage in individual production according to and in accordance with the needs of the family. For the facades, which were painted in an oven in a shade that matches the color palette in the space, I added notched veneer panels that give an additional dimension to the multi-purpose cabinet that also contains less trivial products for the living room and kitchen such as the broom, the mop and the Dyson: this way they are accessible to the public area and family members do not have to walk to get to these products that are Frequently used in the average Israeli home, especially in this area."
"Except for the living room, the original layout of the apartment included a corner that was really requested to create an informal space for the family - a kind of warm place where at the end of the day everyone could lie down together and summarize what they've been through. "For the couple's master bedroom, I designed a matching wardrobe and chests of drawers , which are adapted exactly to their needs. I chose to cover the floor with SPC parquet which is seen as very practical. The feeling in this space is very clean and yet warm. Not least thanks to a sheer curtain in a light stone shade and the bed, which is also upholstered in an impressive stone shade fabric."
