Hunting: Coffee & Side Tables
Favorite finds from across the Israeli web while sourcing a coffee table for a client:
(1) Betili ₪3,270 · (2) Floralis ₪430 · (3) Betili ₪1,995 · (4) Leopard Home ₪2,700 · (5) Penthouse Basic ₪861 · (6) Leopard Home ₪1,990 · (7) Casa Mia ₪3,680 · (8) Leopard Home ₪2,500 · (9) Pas Normal ₪7,245 · (10) Pas Normal ₪ 5,210 · (11) Pas Normal ₪5,650 · (12) Leopard Home ₪1,200 · (13) Pas Normal ₪10,353 · (14) Casa Mia ₪1,480 · (15) Pas Normal ₪6,300 · (16) Tollman’s Dot ₪2,116 · (17) 9 Design · (18) Tollman’s Dot ₪2,460 · (19) Tirador ₪995 · (20) IKEA ₪95 · (21) Bring It Home ₪3,250 · (22) Henshai · (23 & 24) Tollman’s Dot ₪8,855 · (25) La Ronit ₪320 · (26) Betili ₪490 (sale) · (27) Idana ₪2,454 · (28) Bromo Design ₪990 · (29) Leelou Home · (30) Take-It ₪349
Store Opening: Drom, House of Dreams in Jaffa
If you’re in the market for a luxury bed, Drom opened in Jaffa on Marzouk and Azar St. 11 with beds by Kluft, Hästens, Treca, Aireloom, and Novaluna.
With the lovely hostess Avigail Lapin Gera
And a trend lecture by The Visionary
A peek into the Hästens catalogue…
A truly luxurious bed has: horse hair.
Up to size 200x200
Photographer Alice Gao
At some point before I knew who Alice Gao was, her Instagram went viral and she approached 1M followers. Her still life and interior photography, composed and lit to perfection, are as hypnotizing as her documentary-style Instastories of the New York high life. Enjoy the ride.
Sarah Sherman Samuel’s Michigan Home
I’ve been following Sarah Sherman Samuel for nearly a decade as she designed her own homes in Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Now based in Michigan with high-profile clients across the US, she calls her style “artful modern” and has made her family this woodland retreat to call home.
IKEA Hack: Placemat Wall Decor
I’m making some affordable art for a client’s gallery wall. This ₪9 ($3) Mittbit placemat from IKEA fits her color scheme perfectly, and I framed it with the 40x50cm Hovsta for ₪49 (~$15).
She also wants basket-style wall decor mixed in. Somehow basket wall art is simultaneously ubiquitous and tough to find at a low price point. Instead we’ll use some more IKEA placemats, including one that I painted with some leftover pink paint from the samples I used on Talia’s wall.
It’s a subtle accent on the ₪9 Sluten placemat.
Talia’s Room
Earlier this year I shared Talia’s in-progress bedroom and plans for updates. Since then I’ve painted her walls pink and added a green mountain mural.
Her room before.
Testing pinks. Ended up going with Tambour’s Baked Alaska (top right).
First coat of green mountains in Tambour’s Green Maiden.
The end result.
This side of the room is still a bit rinky-dink and I may edit the scale of the mountains, but it’s fine for now.
This view I’m happy with. It has the wonderland feel I was going for.
Design Styles
Narrowing down your design style will help you define your home’s aesthetic. Take a moment to consider what you gravitate towards and which elements you like and, most importantly, dislike.
#1 - Clean & Serene
I’m calling this one Clean & Serene — minimalism with a light, bright palette. It can be modern or rustic or Mediterranean or Scandinavian; what these spaces have in common is “less is more” in white and neutral tones.
#2 - Fresh
A contemporary style with bold pops of color that feels playful, informal, and energizing. This is one of my favorites because paint is a budget-friendly way to make a big impact in a room.
#3 - Eclectic
This is my other favorite because it combines many styles. If you like mixing modern with vintage; displaying art, knick-knacks, and souvenirs from travel; and playing with pattern and texture, this is a good option. Add personality with unpredictable color combinations, like a pink kitchen counter or green and yellow in the dining room, and items used unconventionally, like a crate as a side table.
#4 - Modern Rustic
Modern Rustic blends farmhouse and cottage decor with contemporary designs. It’s semi-casual country charm, simultaneously polished and homey.
#5 - Bohemian
Also called Boho, this is your relaxed globe-trotting artist vibe. Though Bohemian and Boho are the same, the word Boho makes me think macrame, pampas grass, Moroccan poofs, and peacock chairs, while Bohemian makes me think baskets, plants, rattan, and layered Persian rugs. Both can look great but I veer towards the latter.
#6 - Maximalist
More is more! It’s not for everyone but it sure is fun.
#7 - New Traditional
Old-fashioned formality with updated comfort and sleek lines.
#8 - Contemporary
An Israeli favorite, Contemporary is modern and of the moment, “defined by simplicity, subtle sophistication, deliberate use of texture, and clean lines. Interiors tend to showcase space rather than things.” (The Spruce)
Beata Heuman, London
Beata Heuman’s rooms make me go WHAT! The combination of items are always — WHAT! Amazing. The artwork and light fixtures — amazing. The wallpaper and curtains — amazing. She makes the impossible amazing.
Romy Silber Benit’s Storage
125 sqm Ramat Hasharon - kitchen storage
Romy Silber Benit is my favorite interior designer in Israel that I’ve come across. She does beautiful gut renovations that transform modest-sized apartments into airy functional homes. There are a lot of Israeli designers doing clean, modern design, but Romy’s spaces have an extra special something — a subtle terrazzo floor that’s unlike any of the trending terrazzo out there, a beautiful vintage (or vintage-inspired) cabinet, luxuriously warm woods that stretch seamlessly across the wall, or a quirky pair of vases. On top of it, she does great storage (and prides herself on it). You can read a few storage tips from her on Walla.
125 sqm Ramat Hasharon - beautiful hall cabinet
125 sqm Ramat Hasharon - custom hallway storage
160 sqm apt in Ramat Gan - gorgeous cabinet in the corner (and those subtle terrazzo floors)
160 sqm apt in Ramat Gan - hallway storage
160 sqm apt in Ramat Gan - kitchen storage in warm blond wood
95 sqm penthouse in Tel Aviv - wall to wall living/dining storage
95 sqm penthouse in Tel Aviv - kitchen and island storage
95 sqm penthouse in Tel Aviv - those gorgeous vases
120 sqm apt in Tel Aviv - hallway storage
120 sqm apt in Tel Aviv - every surface with seamless storage
120 sqm apt in Tel Aviv - bathroom storage
88 sqm in Tel Aviv - beautiful cabinetry detailing in this kids room, plus a trunk and oversized basket
88 sqm in Tel Aviv - stunning black cabinet against great tiles
88 sqm in Tel Aviv - bathroom storage in deep wood and clean white