They haven’t moved here yet, but the owners of this apartment knew what they wanted in terms of use of space and colors.
By GLORIA DEUTSCHInterior design 521(photo credit: URIEL MESSA)
Imagine living in gray, rain-sodden Liverpool and dreaming about this holiday home you have waiting for you in Israel perched many floors above the blue Mediterranean, as far as the eye can see.The couple who own it can’t move here just yet – they still have a business to run, family they don’t want to leave and a busy social life in England, including being active in the city’s Zionist activities – but they come here as often as they can.The apartment is on one of the upper floors in a luxurious high-rise built about 20 years ago in Herzliya Pituah and looks out over the sea with unbelievable views of the coastline in both directions.The owners had a holiday home on a lower floor since it was built, but four years ago decided they wanted more space and an even better view so they moved up to one of the higher floors, which offered bigger rooms and large balconies.Originally a three-bedroom flat, they felt they must have a separate dining room as they like to entertain. They turned one of the bedrooms into a good-sized dining room able to accommodate a large table and plenty of chairs.The whole apartment was opened up and other walls knocked down to create one large space containing all the living rooms, but in such a way that one does not even realize a working kitchen is part of the whole.The owner, who is clearly artistic, says she knew exactly what she wanted in terms of use of space and colors. She had a low wall constructed, behind which a fully-equipped kitchen is concealed. She consulted with a designer but the overall scheme is her own.The wall is roughly textured and painted in bright terra cotta. It makes a great backdrop for the many exotic ornaments they have brought back over the years from their travels. The back wall of the kitchen is plain white and here they have hung the two puppets they acquired on their trip to Goa.“You can’t buy only one, you have to buy them as a couple,” they say. “As soon as we saw them we knew that this was the right wall for them.”The lounge is furnished with a beige sofa, which they bought here – but when they had it delivered they couldn’t get it through the front door.
“We had to hire a giant crane to bring it through the window,” says the owner, laughing. “It cost more than the sofa.”For the dining room they chose a rustic table and bright lime-green upholstery for the chairs.“I like the unexpected,” explains the owner. “Theoretically it should all have been sleek and modern and this table is in complete contrast to that. I also chose a strong color for the chairs as they hit the eye the minute someone walks in.”A small study is separated from the main living area by unusual sliding doors. The material is resin inset with what look like dried grasses – creating a very striking effect.Over the dining table hangs a very unusual light fitting made up of papers on which are scrawled messages in many different languages and scripts. It’s even possible to add a personal note to the existing ones.“I liked it as it is so different and goes well in the space,” says the owner. “I also liked the idea of people writing messages, although not many have done so yet.”The huge balcony off the lounge is in a vaguely triangular shape. It looks down on the marina below. The tables, chairs and recliners, which look like they are made of straw, are in fact plastic, which is practical as they can be out in all weathers.The owners are inveterate travelers and souvenirs of their wanderings are all over the apartment. They’ve made it into a real home away from home – until they can finally uproot themselves and leave Liverpool for good.
