Daniella Siegel Daniella Siegel

From Spreadsheet to Bookshelf

In the #beershevatraditional project, my clients wanted a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling bookshelf to accommodate their library. Their library included books of all shapes and sizes, from kids books accessed daily to various sets of Jewish sefarim to tall megillot used once a year. My clients wanted each type of book to have a clear home, with little space wasted above and around the books. That meant that a set of short 17-cm books needed a different size shelf than a 32-cm-tall set, and a 41-cm-wide set and 90-cm-wide set needed different neighbors. Out the window went the symmetrical bookshelf, in came the spreadsheet:

I ran a few trials to figure out how and where on the bookshelf each type of book could be placed. Once we landed on an arrangement that felt good to them, I tweaked surrounding shelves to make the asymmetry cohesive. Below is where we landed. Since they wanted to keep the existing AC units throughout the home, we worked around the living room AC. And because we needed a tall space high up to accommodate the infrequently used megillot, at left, I balanced this out with a tall space at lower right, in keeping with the overall asymmetry of the piece.

Below you can see the living room when the previous owners still lived there. We removed the old light fixtures as well as the drywall-plus-lighting piece jutting out at top right.

My clients also wanted electrical outlets within the bookshelf, and we included two sconces on the bookshelf for atmospheric lighting. When you want electrical points all over a concrete wall, this is what it looks like to make that happen:

And here’s the bookshelf during installation:

It’s been a while since my clients moved in. I’m looking forward to taking final photos before 2024 wraps.

Read More
Daniella Siegel Daniella Siegel

AliExpress Decor Picks

AliExpress was the Amazon of Israel before Amazon started shipping to Israel. Still a popular place for home decor, I finally sat down and browsed the Chinese rival’s artwork, curtains, and lighting selection. Here are some favorites:

(1) Woman with Palms Tapestry - I love this. It reminded me of a tapestry I saw in a Beata Heuman space, and then I realized — it is that tapestry. I can’t believe it. And I can’t believe it’s sold out. It was on my to-buy list.

(2) Rattan Chandelier - I’ve seen this in Israeli homes and it looks great. It adds nice texture and warmth to the boxy concrete rooms of newly built apartment buildings.

(3) Green Forest Poster - This is a great way to add leafy green shades to a room without having to water anything. Nice pattern from the leaf detail. And a playful take on man-marveling-at-nature.

(4) Matisse Poster - Can’t go wrong.

(5) Matsumoto Hoji Toad Poster - Maybe in a kitchen? Ha!

(6) Leafy Green Curtains - These are fun. I may swap out the forest bedding in Talia’s room and put these curtains there instead. Because then I can use the bedding in my room. ;)

(7) Green Floral Curtains - I have a thing for green… but they also come in yellow.

(8) Doorway Curtain - I’d love to find a use case for this. Maybe a playroom doorway, to give the illusion of privacy but still be able to hear everything.

(9) Rattan Flower Pendant Lamp - So cute. I like the understated size.

(10) Retro Pleated Table Lamp - Again, this reminds me of Beata Heuman, who always includes whimsical, vintage-inspired objects in her spaces.

(11) Psychedelic Goldfish Tapestry - This feels so random and fun.

(12) Hare Poster - Why not.

(13) The Roses of Heliogabalus Poster - This is so over-the-top, great for adding humor to a room.

(14) Medieval Wood Side Table - I like how this adds a lot of curvature to a space with a very slim profile. Perfect for a drink rest in a small living room.

(15) Pleated Umbrella Floor Lamp - I like the white best, with the shade angled so you don’t see the bulb underneath.

There’s a lot more to be found aboard the great AliExpress, for anyone who is comfortable explicitly shopping in China, as opposed to implicitly shopping there.

Read More
Daniella Siegel Daniella Siegel

Hunting: Coffee & Side Tables

Read More