The Great Gatsby-inspired art deco apartment on Montefiore St

Interior designer Oron Milshtein transforms a weekend apartment in Tel Aviv into a modern Art Deco haven, reminiscent of the Great Gatsby's lavish New York parties in the 1920s.

 Planning and design: Oron Milshtein (photo credit: ELAD GONEN)
Planning and design: Oron Milshtein
(photo credit: ELAD GONEN)

Where: Building for preservation on Montefiore Street in Tel Aviv

The property: A weekend apartment for a couple in their 40s who live permanently in the Sharon area

The area of the apartment: About 50 square meters

Planning and design: Oron Milshtein

Photography: Elad Gonen

In a historic and eclectic building designed by the architect Yosef Minor in 1924, and recently receiving contemporary additions and careful preservation (Yaniv Pardo Architects were entrusted with it), an unusual apartment is located in the landscape: This is the vacation apartment of a couple from the Sharon region that they visit on the weekends, and as such it was designed and designed to be powerful- Staying there is more reminiscent of an exclusive hotel hospitality experience. "The couple comes from a spacious house that has all the necessary facilities for living and entertaining, while here they wanted to create something completely different; an atmosphere of a boutique hotel with an international flavor, and inspired by the visual richness that characterized the prevailing design trend in the 20s of the 20th century" , according to the interior designer Oron Milshtein who is entrusted with the planning of the project.

Planning and design: Oron Milshtein (credit: ELAD GONEN)
Planning and design: Oron Milshtein (credit: ELAD GONEN)
 Planning and design: Oron Milshtein (credit: ELAD GONEN)
Planning and design: Oron Milshtein (credit: ELAD GONEN)

"We decided to take the prominent motifs of the Art Deco style, which dominated at the time, and create a modern orientation for it on a precise scale to match the dimensions of the apartment. The style, which combines modern styles with fine artwork and elegant materials, has here the exact scale for it. This apartment has no A few elements that attract the height and catch the eye, but they are combined in a measured way and balance them with monochromatic colors on pure tones of black and white, and mirror elements or those made of glass, which produce a reflection of light and make the space feel airy."

"The apartment is located in the addition of the new construction of the building, on one of the higher floors, which allowed us to make design changes, although not particularly substantial in light of its size and in light of the fact that the bedroom is in the MMD. We created a clear division between the public and the private and in the private wing we added a corridor that leads to the sleeping area and the bathroom. The entrance to it is done through stylish pivot doors and in this way we tightened the scheme of the hotel suite we wanted to create even more.

Planning and design: Oron Milshtein (credit: ELAD GONEN)
Planning and design: Oron Milshtein (credit: ELAD GONEN)
 Planning and design: Oron Milshtein (credit: ELAD GONEN)
Planning and design: Oron Milshtein (credit: ELAD GONEN)

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"We introduced several prominent and rich elements that support the style. For example, the geometric tiles we chose to cover the floor of the public space, which simulate a colorful carpet and add an eclectic-modern touch. In fact, these tiles were one of the first choices we made and around them we built the story of the frame. They were tempered in the perimeter by black tiles who climb the wall, after which a brass cut-off strip was installed and later a corrugated covering that carried up to the cornices in the ceiling - details that add a more classic yet up-to-date layer." "Actually, the walls in the public space are not visible. They are covered with elements that give them a unique texture and color. Meanwhile, we often worked with golden motifs that are present but to an extent because we made sure to balance them with dark and light elements. The final result is very measured and the combinations do not overload the space. The textures create A play of light and shadow and the reflection of the light serves as a filter that makes the feeling in the space enveloping and warm."

Planning and design: Oron Milshtein (credit: ELAD GONEN)
Planning and design: Oron Milshtein (credit: ELAD GONEN)

Upon opening the front door, there is a small, almost imperceptible foyer, to the left of which is the public wing and to the right are iron and glass double doors that lead to the couple's sleeping area: "The public space includes the kitchen and the living room, and since the apartment is not large, and is used by the couple for short stays, quite a few thoughts arose What are the fasilites that you should include. As mentioned, the concept is of hotel accommodation, so the kitchen was designed with the concept of a brasserie - it is not intended for cooking complex meals, so instead of a refrigerator, we chose to work with a mini-bar and a microwave instead of a home baking oven." "It is parallel and open to the living room area and we created a work area and a spacious island in it, around which you can eat and entertain. The kitchen cabinets are made of MDF fronts and in order to achieve the exact golden shade we used a special painting technique with a liquid metallic color. Above we installed onyx marble surfaces and the work surface is decorated with a brass metallic unit which is influenced by classic motifs which I simplified so that they would work correctly with the proportions of the kitchen.

Planning and design: Oron Milshtein (credit: ELAD GONEN)
Planning and design: Oron Milshtein (credit: ELAD GONEN)

"For the living room, we chose a sofa and coffee tables from the creator of the super designer Marcel Wenders. The sofa is deep, comfortable and upholstered in a relatively calm fabric in a white X pattern, which moderates the presence of the colorful floor. The tables were chosen in metallic shades that correspond with the kitchen furniture and above the whole area the high ceiling decorated with -500 m2 of eaves that were installed by hand by a craftsman on site, and in an accurate and deviation-free distribution. In its scope, we incorporated a minimalist-rectangular lighting system that eliminates the need for lowering and illuminates the space in the best possible way."

And from the public to the private area, which Milshtein also characterized with reference to the Art Deco style: "Because the bedroom is located in the MMD, and it was important for me to create an unusual entrance that would increase the The private wing as much as possible, I annexed a part of the corridor and created a foyer with two pivot doors made of iron construction in a geometric and glass pattern - this is how I created a more formal entrance. Opposite, I installed a cabinet with a geometric cut in a rhombus pattern, which creates perspective and enhances the sense of depth - a detail that is a modern interpretation of the design of the 1920s. When standing in front of it, a kind of wings are revealed that allow the observer to see its sides. A door on the right leads to the bathroom, and the opening to the left leads to the bedroom, which, although not large, feels relatively spacious.

 Planning and design: Oron Milshtein (credit: ELAD GONEN)
Planning and design: Oron Milshtein (credit: ELAD GONEN)
 Planning and design: Oron Milshtein (credit: ELAD GONEN)
Planning and design: Oron Milshtein (credit: ELAD GONEN)

"There, on top of a blackened oak Versailles parquet, we placed a 2.7-meter-long commode with a marble surface on top - this is an item that is a complementary storage area to the closet in the hallway. The back of the bed is made of Del Mare marble slabs in a book match pattern, which are 2.2 meters high. Similar to the closet at the entrance to the wing Here, too, I used the folding mirror motif, with the central arch of the back of the bed being installed at a 30-degree angle. The marble construction is slightly removed from the wall in order to give it the appearance of a piece of furniture and to integrate the electrical sockets into it. On both sides of the minimalist bed, we integrated nightstands made of brass ". "The couple's bathroom also includes details and motifs that are true to the desired style. "For the floor we chose black and white mosaic tiles and we lined the walls with green marble-like porcelain tiles. At the same time as designing the apartment, the Gessy sanitary ware brand released a new faucet series that is a tribute to the Art Deco style and suited us exactly. The front of the bath cabinet is made of blackened oak, plus custom-made brass handles. Above it was placed a Carrara marble surface with a peripheral processing in the shape of wings, which are a reference to the marble back of the bed."