The dishwasher finally died. It was one of the machines inherited along with the apartment, and it had lived a long and useful life. But as the homeowner began to hunt for a replacement, she was shocked that the only way to remove the machine was to chisel out and replace all the tiles around it. The previous owners had installed new tile, and rather than remove the old ceramics, they had tiled right over the old tiles, trapping all the kitchen appliances and reducing the measurement of the plinth – the baseboard that protects the bottom of the cabinets from being splashed.
Removing and replacing selective tiles that have been there for a while is a nearly impossible renovation, and replacing all the tiles in the kitchen and corresponding areas is a very expensive overall fix. Why did the original owner opt to tile over the existing tiles?
“When you are changing tiles, it’s obviously better to remove the original tiles, but I’ve had clients who could not face the huge mess a complete tile replacement makes. The issue is that the floor height is then raised, and the doors need to be cut. But if you’re changing the doors [and don’t have trapped appliances], it is possible.”
Sharon Sagiv
“When you are changing tiles, it’s obviously better to remove the original tiles, but I’ve had clients who could not face the huge mess a complete tile replacement makes,” explains Sharon Sagiv of Sharon Interiors from Even Yehuda. “The issue is that the floor height is then raised, and the doors need to be cut. But if you’re changing the doors [and don’t have trapped appliances], it is possible.”
Senja Lauderdale, a Jerusalem-based interior designer, adds that the problem with tiling over tile is that if something isn’t securely glued down on the first level, the new level could shift.
“Besides needing to shave down the heights of the doors, if there was an imperfection on the first layer it will be magnified even more on the second layer. In general, even though it’s a big mess, it’s better to remove the first layer, and then lay your new tiles.”
WITH SO many building and renovation projects happening in our homes today, Israeli interior designers have seen it all when it comes to design blunders. I asked my crowd of English-speaking Israeli interior designers how to avoid design disasters like the trapped dishwasher, and here is some advice they shared:
1. Measure once – and then measure again.
“Whether you’re planning a home renovation or a styling project, take exact measurements. This includes each wall and all openings, including the width and heights of windows and doors, as well as the ceiling height,” says Sandy Brudner of Jerusalem-based Sandy B. Interiors. “Measure the location of outlets and switches. Then measure again to ensure that the measurements are accurate. When purchasing supplies and furnishings, have these measurements handy. This will ensure that you purchase the necessary quantities you need and the correct-sized furnishings.” She recalls, “A few months ago, I had a situation where the floor plans I received from the builder showed the living room to be larger than it actually was. I based the furniture measurement on this plan, which included two custom-made sofas. Before placing the final order, I took actual measurements of the living room on-site. With these accurate measurements, I ordered the perfect-sized couch.”
2. Review all plans before the work starts.
Plans can come from your designer, your kitchen supplier, your plaster person or your contractor. Study those plans carefully. “It costs exactly the same to do it right or to do it wrong,” says Yael Steinberger, a Modi’in-based interior designer and design instructor. “I encourage my clients to take the time to pencil in the plans I’ve drawn exactly – what’s going into each drawer and shelf, and compare the measurements with what they currently have – and what they need.”
3. Anticipate your needs.
“In design, everything is personal taste, and the beauty really is in the eye of the beholder,” says Svietka Rivilis, the owner of Heder 21, a “very funky” design studio. “That said, there are mistakes made when it comes to planning out the renovation. One of the biggest planning mistakes I’ve seen is in the bathroom – placing the hot/cold mixer tap [lovingly called by Israelis the interputz] right below the shower head. Instead, it should be across the entry point of the shower, about 30 cm. to the side of the shower head. Most of us turn on the water before stepping into the shower, letting it run for a few seconds to get warm. When the mixer is right below the shower head, your arm and possibly more of you will get wet with cold water before you can step into the shower. Show me one person who’s not annoyed by that.”
4. Project management is an important part of any building project or renovation and is sometimes an extra service [for an extra charge] provided by your interior designer.
Here is why it is important. When you have different parties doing various elements of a project, someone should be overseeing the entire project. Jerusalem interior designer Mallory Serebrin shared a photo of a shutter box trapped by a door frame that was installed by the kitchen company. There was a kitchen company, a contractor and a plaster man all interfacing on the job. Thankfully, in this case, the designer and the client decided that, since the shutters still worked and only the access panel was covered, it made sense to leave it as is and find another solution to access the panel opening that had been eliminated by the frame.
5. Consider the clearance factor before you install light fixtures.
“Be aware of the heights of the closets and fixtures and the width of the cabinet door [when it is open], so that you can avoid the frustration of not being able to open your closet/cabinet doors,” offers Efrat Arnold, a Modi’in-based designer. “A common mistake is fitting light fixtures or a fan without leaving enough room for closet doors or any carpentry to open. Bedrooms in Israel are often quite small, and depending on the size of the light fixture or fan, they can get in the way of carpentry and doors. A good solution, if you can afford a little extra depth for the closet, is to install sliding doors.”
6. First factor storage into your design plan.
Yael Wiesner, an interior designer and professional organizer who works in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas, points out that there is a decided lack of storage space in apartments here, especially for her clients, who are all immigrants from English-speaking countries.
“Families who are accustomed to a home of three to four floors, including a garage and a Costco room, now don’t have even one walk-in closet, not to mention a coat closet,” Wiesner explains. “Many architects overlook this very important detail when designing a space, giving every inch to enlarge the kitchen and living/dining room without a thought as to where the homeowner will store their belongings. They just don’t get that Americans come here with their enormous lifts, and much of it can’t make it into the house. The first thing I do is assess how much stuff a family owns and how much closet space each room of the home will need.
“Of course, I encourage them to declutter and purge what they don’t really need. But at the end of the day, it’s hard for most to part with their stuff. When an apartment is really tight on space, knowing the minimum dimensions required for the various types of storage is important. For example, a neat, folded pile of clothing is on average 30 cm. wide by 30 cm. deep and only 25 cm. high. A storage unit which is only 35-37 cm. deep [including the back and the doors], with shelves just 25 cm. apart, is 100% adequate to house all the children’s folded clothing without taking too much space from the room. A standard coat closet is between 57-60 cm. deep to allow for big bulky winter coats on hangers. If you don’t have that kind of space near the front door, you can still have your coat closet by hanging the coats facing front on a special rod designed for this purpose. Including cubbies, hooks and areas in the closets for random items allows the limited Israeli space to stay neat and feel larger. “In the bedrooms, shallow drawers with dividers are a must for the many accessories we all own. Consider double hanging instead of full hanging if you have limited space for dresses. And a ‘dumping drawer’ for the husband’s pockets is a must in every master bedroom closet. All these ideas must be planned to ensure that the space in the home will work well for the family.”
7. Tailor your dream kitchen to the size and flow of your space.
Even though you think an island would be nice, it may not work for you, says Alyssa Magid of Alyssa Magid Interior Design in Modi’in.
“Nearly all my clients request kitchen islands. However, sometimes a peninsula is more practical. It can give a larger workspace and allow for better flow in a kitchen. Each kitchen and client are individual, and the existing space and the client’s needs should both be factors in the design of the space.”
8. Tile those bathroom ceilings!
Alyssa Magid adds: “Another design mistake is not tiling to the ceiling in bathrooms. Contractors try to avoid tiling to the ceiling, as it involves more cutting work for them and draws the eye to uneven ceilings. However, a bathroom wall that is tiled only three-quarters of the way up looks unfinished and can contribute to mold issues.” ■
The writer is a journalist and certified interior designer from Karnei Shomron.