Architecture, planning and design: Dorit Sela
Photography: Oded Smadar
This is an existing house that has undergone a massive and thorough renovation. "We peeled back the shell and in the process the interior design underwent a significant change. However, no structural changes or construction additions were made," explains Dorit Sela, owner of an architecture, planning and design office. The house, built in the 90s, is located in one of the Sharon cities. The area of the lot is about a dunam and the area of the house is about 450 square meters built over three floors (about 150 square meters) and it is home to a family plus 3 children in their teens.
On the basement floor, which has English courtyards that bring in plenty of natural light and air, a spacious family area, a gym, a home cinema room and a bedroom suite for one of the children that also includes a bathroom were planned. On the entrance floor is the public space where the living room, kitchen, dining area and guest services are located. On the bedroom floor, two suites were planned for the two young children, a family area and a master bedroom with an area of approximately 85 square meters. Before the renovation, the facades of the house were covered with stone and the interiors were characterized by shades of stone and sand. In the new design, we created powerful combinations between natural materials (such as stones of various types, metals and iron) and intense monochromatic colors in shades of gray, white and black, to which we added splashes of color that are reflected in textiles and furniture.
The existing openings were replaced with modern aluminum systems that create an immediate connection between the outside and the inside, we changed the locations of the functions so that an optimal flow was created between them and in addition we created a conceptual, colorful and material system of connections between the various wings that gives this large house an inviting, intimate, enveloping and cultural feeling," explains Sela.
The process took about a year, during which the family members moved to live in a rented house. The family members, who lived in the house before the renovation, decided that it was time to give it a serious facelift. The original house, which was designed by the architect Jacob Winter, was endowed with great architectural features, but it had quite a few elements that naturally became obsolete over the years and required updating. For example, a beige stone floor, many low ceilings in various spaces, plaster cornices and stone cladding on the facades. As part of the renovation, we changed all of these and in the process also the locations of the functions without touching existing constructive elements, in order for the house to be up-to-date, which gives a place of respect to the building's architecture and in the process connects to the 21st century. Every area of the house has been carefully treated to the smallest detail and in fact almost nothing remains of the original elements - both outside and inside. We replaced the aluminum systems, the air conditioning systems, the bathrooms, the kitchen, the flooring and as mentioned the interior design changed according to the current needs of the family.
An amorphous staircase, whose shape resembles the opening of a deck of cards, leads to the entrance plaza of the house, which has been re-floored with blue stone. Upon opening the front door, which is made of black iron, visitors are exposed to a powerful entrance hall that is a purpose display of what will characterize each area of this house: a mind craft of connections between materials and special pieces that have been carefully collected and give each space an elegant, visually rich and unique appearance. Each area looks different, but even though each element has its own character and formality, all the pieces connect into a harmonious and inviting space. The console at the entrance combines straight and round geometric shapes. Its color is dark and deep blue and the front facade of its round part is covered with marble. Above it hung a mirror in the shape of a bubble, the creation of the Israeli artist Gal Gaon, whose other items were incorporated throughout the house. Opposite the corner stands a large oven-painted wall cabinet with integral handles, which contains technical systems and plenty of storage space. Like the entire entrance floor, the foyer is paved with Nero Marvina marble whose dark black color in which the light veins are embedded gives the space a dramatic and powerful look and on the other hand creates dynamism and movement in it.
In the wide public space, original architectural elements were preserved and emphasized, such as the amorphous-sculptural staircase and the facade of iron rails, inside which a square is integrated in a diagonal position. The original gram has been upgraded by adding Nero Marvina marble pillars and a railing made of brass chains that is made on site and is used as a kind of jewelry. The transparent elevator connecting the floors is covered with brass panels.
A monument of ceramic pebbles was integrated next to it, another creation of Gal Gaon. A power wall in the living room is a carpentry piece of furniture designed by Sela, behind which a VRF air conditioning system is hidden. The asymmetric piece of furniture combines sealed facades painted in a metallic gray shade used for storage, and open shelves for displaying beautiful dishes.
Opposite was placed a large, deep and luxurious sofa upholstered in a luxurious fabric in a gray shade. Beside her are two minimalist chairs upholstered in leather and in the center is a table with a modern and clean design. This living room is mainly used for entertaining, if the family members want to watch TV, they can do so in the family corner on the lower level or in the family corner on the bedroom floor.
A carpentry unit similar to the one in the living room has been incorporated into an existing niche in the formal dining area. In its center stands a knight's table no less than 5 meters long, around which at least 12 diners can dine with maximum comfort. The dining table is made of gilded geometric metal legs at varying angles on which a plate combines 3 materials, wood, metal and marble. The dining chairs are light and rounded, made of brass and leather and soften the straight geometric mass of the table. Adjacent is the formal kitchen with a hidden door leading to a fully equipped work kitchen. The main kitchen includes a floor-to-ceiling unit covered with golden aluminum panels, which Sela also used to cover the fronts of the island. For the surface, she chose natural Patagonia stone with which she created, in collaboration with Nagar Oman, a cantilever unit that is located nearby and is used for storage.
One of the highlights of the public space is the grand piano which has its own corner and is used by the family members frequently. Between this corner and the new kitchen stand two constructive columns that Sela harnessed to create a gate inside which housed a monumental library, Veliero Liberia, originally designed by Franco Albini - one of the greatest architects in Italy in the 20th century. In the center are two wooden pillars standing at an angle on which glass shelves are suspended by means of steel rods. For the guest services, Sela chose two FREE STANDING sinks made of copper that were imported to Israel by personal importation. Similar to the rest of the floor, this space also has Nero Marvina, this time combined with light natural stone.
The basement floor in this house is experiential and includes a spacious family area with a kitchenette hidden through a carpentry unit, a fully equipped gym, a cinema room and a large and bright bedroom suite. The floor is covered with aged and blackened oak parquet in a fishbone pattern. Together with the family members, Sela chose to use red sofas in the family corner, which serve as a unique and bold splash of color in the monochromatic space, which stood before the renovation in the home's living room. They are beautiful, incredibly comfortable, in excellent condition and blend wonderfully with the woolen carpet spread under them. Further down the space, she created another, more intimate sitting area, in the center of which were two rounded armchairs that were until recently in the corner of the original family. In a separate position, two deep and comfortable lounge armchairs were integrated behind them a piece of furniture with perfect symmetry nestled in a niche. A kitchenette is hidden through the mirror facades and in the center of the furniture is an open beehive used to display bottles of wine and books.
The home cinema room is designed in shades of dark gray that give the space an elegant look and allow viewers to focus on the plot of the movie. The wall that leads down from the entrance is a diagonal wall that Sela knew how to emphasize with vertical lighting strips in a constant rhythm. In the lowered ceiling, he planted optical fibers in a random composition simulating stars.
The children's rooms on the living floor were planned and designed according to their taste, hobbies and needs. Similar to the basement floor, this floor is also covered with an old and blackened oak parquet floor. The parents' master is spread over no less than 85 square meters and includes a bright and spacious bedroom in which Sela created an internal balcony enclosed by a display case at the expense of part of the original room that overlooks the well-kept garden and the pool.
In the master, many textural items were incorporated that give the space a soft and rich layered look. In the center of the bedroom is a large four-poster bed with a modern design that emphasizes the height dimension in the space. Next to it, an intimate seating area in a rounded amorphous silhouette that simulates a hot air balloon, from the creator of Marcel Wenders. In the carpentry unit in front of the bed is a hidden door leading to the closet and the bathroom. The walk-in closet, which has an area of 20 square meters, is extremely pampering and probably fulfills every woman's dream. Sela created a carpentry unit in it with fronts made of oven paint in a combination of melamine, iron and leather.
The bathroom in the master is bright and spacious, and she also combined rock between Nero Marvina marble surfaces and light natural stone. In addition to the double shower, this space has an oval free standing bathtub above which a bird monument has been hung and a bench nearby, which creates a splash of color in the monochromatic space. The double sink cabinet is also made of marble. The facades of the house were plastered and the existing pergolas were removed, in their place a large pergola was installed that defines the outdoor hospitality area. The original pool was replaced by a swimming pool and apart from it the family members also enjoy a fully equipped outdoor kitchen, a lounge area, a sitting area facing the garden and a dining area that is about 5 meters long, similar to the one inside. Sela divided the outdoor environment into zones and also created a large lawn.