Tchochkes

Dutch design speaks through minimalism, this house in Kfar Yona makes a stylish statment with a tonal black and white palette.  Leoni and Ami, a Dutch - Israeli duo designed the place themselves.  Surrounded by green gardens, the combination of nature and modernism unite to create a peaceful refuge.

The first garden is just beyond the entrance gate.  Here a small wood table and chairs are nestled under a young olive tree.  Not only is this garden a sanctuary, it is filled with herbs and fruit producing trees whose bounty is used to make home made goodies. 

Looking in from the main door you can see the back gardens.  There is an open airy feeling that flows through the entire space.  The metal door and surrounding windows were designed by Leoni and Ami for this entrance and the work was executed by a local metal smith.

You can really apperciate the design of the door from the inside, the window in the center of the door opens; just like the one at the Emerald Palace in the Wizard of Oz!

This house has three levels and a basement, here is the main stairway that leads to the upper floors.  These colorful paintings really make an impression hung against this dark grey wall.

The traditional carved Indian wood cabinet here in the living room houses the television set.  A leather floor carpet is used to offset the tonal walls and furniture.  I just love the mix of family heirlooms like the chair shown here with the modern style couch. 

This view looks out into the dining area from the living room.  The open layout here allows a view of every space on the main floor. 

This stove provides heat in the cool winter months.

Many things in this home are from abroad but not all.  Quite a few of the light fixtures throughout the house are from IKEA but you would never know it!

Here is the back garden, the one that can be seen from the front door.  The outside of this house is as lovely as the inside. 

This water garden is a new addition along with the wood decking that was added last year.  The climate in Israel is one that plants just thrive in.  Every corner you turn in this house has a “touch of Dutch”.

Country living with style

This house has country style written all over it.  Perched on a mountain top in Woodstock Vermont, it radiates tranquiluity.  These old houses were built to withstand harsh weather, something we don’t have to worry about much here in Israel.  The sloped tin roof insures that snow and ice do not linger there for long. 

This entrance is actually a mud room, a typical design feature in country styled homes.  What’s more functional than a place to leave your dirt behind, this one even has a bench on the left side making it convienient to takle off soiled work boots or shoes.

The dining room sits just off of the kitchen, making it easy to serve family meals.  The simple wooden table and chairs and the braided rug add to the relaxed country atmosphere.

In this guest bedroom a patchwork quilt is inviting.  Patchwork is a definite country style statement.  Lately I have seen it making a come back in home furnishings and fashion.

A view from every window of “the old apple tree” completes this house in real country style. I actually had the pleasure of staying here for three days and nights and it was devine.

Country Accents:

There are a few decorative accents that are absolutely country. The rooster stencil below is definitely one of them.

Adding an old ladder is a creative way to hang towels and clothing in a bathroom or a bedroom and it’s “oh so country” in style.  Ladders are multi functional and if you find a sturdy one, it can even be used to reach out of the way places around the home.

Punched tin cabinet doors and lanterns are a definite country style accent. These tin lanterns shed a soft diffused light through the tiny holes in the tin, I don’t recommend them as a main source of light, but they are a good secondary source.

This painted flower pot by Hagit Dvir, a decorative painter from Israel; is a sweet and festive way to liven up both an inside and an outside space.  These pots stand on their own with or without flowers.

There are many elements in design that reflect the country theme in addition to the ones mentioned above.  Any antiquated utility item can make for a great conversation piece.  No matter where you live, you can still visit flea markets to pick and choose items that can make any home “a little bit country”.   

The first time I walked through Mick and Lilach’s house was when it was a construction site. I didn’t yet know the inhabitants, but I could get a feel for them by the way the home was designed. The indoor courtyard created to save an old tree, the massive upper deck giving a view of all the valley, the yin/yang symbol etched in to the wall all gave the impression of people who love nature and are rather shanti.  

Mick is an executive for a music technology company who travels globally for work, and Lilach practices Chinese medicine. Their home is filled with interesting combinations of retired technology, Asian antiques from their trips to the far East, and tchochkes picked up from everywhere.

The living room, above, doesn’t have a traditional sofa. Instead there is a long, custom made bench with a custom cushion and pillows from their travels. A few Milega cushions are scattered for further comfort. The artwork is a groups of photographs from a friend who travelled through India, blown up and put on thick foamcore for strength. 

Their kitchen isn’t grand, but it is extremely functional. The table just welcomes you to sit and chat while they cook. The floor is blue pigmented cement, so there are shades and nuances throughout the house. The blue tile backsplash was chosen to pick up on the floor color.

Their backyard welcomes the kids.

Their home is about 140 meters inside, but the upper deck is almost 100 meters alone. They have a pool and a comfortable living space up there, and have been known to bring the bed out in the summer to sleep. With that view, who could blame them?

It’s the combination of everything that I love. The worldwide tchochkes which create a story for the imagination.

The above courtyard brings light and air to the entire house, making nature the center of their home.

Niche’s were created throughout the house to showcase their wares. You’ll just as likely see an African sculpture as you would an expired technological toy.

Obviously green in this otherwise neutral neighborhood, this small house makes a statement.  The house, recently featured in the April issue of ”Itsuv (Design)magazine”; located in a Moshave in the Sharon was designed by architect Shuli Beimel.

An orchard once stood in the spot of this new neighborhood and adding back some green keeps history fresh in the minds of surrounding neighbors.

From the front you can see the natural wood entrance door.  I think the combination of wood with the stone of the outside wall and walkway works well. 

Adding a lively mosaic or decorative accent to the entrance creates a natural welcome to any home.  This mosaic by artist Merav Feglin draws inspiration from the nature outside to guide us in.

 Red kitchen appliances! I like…

A perfect compliment to the green outside, this red kitchen adds pizazz the the entire house.  I love the stainless steel appliances but I would not want to clean them.  I have a small “simplehuman” trash receptacle in my home and it is a job in itself to keep clean.

Cool tiled bathroom, never a dull moment in here…

The tiles in this bathroom were designed by Merav and then hand crafted for the space.  It is unusual to use so much pattern in such a small room but the rest of the house is white so this room just off of the kitchen adds a welcomed suprise upon entry.

The other two full baths which are predominantly white don’t use as much pattern.  I like the subtle accent of the small multi tiles on the floor in this shower. 

On my way out I snapped this photo of the lavendar bushes with the green exterior and the gray outdoor tiles.  These designers thought of everything and it shows.  

Lisa and Ari Kuperman have an amazing, colorful home full of original ceramics and art of their own creation. Ari and Lisa make jewelry and sell their work worldwide.

Lisa does ceramic art as well - all of the ceramic statues in these pictures are her work. The apples pictured are a mixed media of ceramic and forged iron (the stems and bases) and are done by Ari. The painting (left) was done by Ari and the painted green drawers (below) were refinished by Lisa.

Lisa has an amazing eye for mixing the unexpected together. In their hallway you’ll find an old chinese cupboard with their artwork and pictures of the family.
Even the kitchen is filled with art. Handmade ceramic usable art decorates a shelf, within reach when needed.

Lisa sewed a hem onto a patchwork quilt from the market in Jerusalem and turned it into colorful rich drapes for their living room.

The marble sculptures on the floor and on the chest of drawers are Ari’s work.

[After looking at this post several times I've decided I need to take pictures of Ari and Lisa's artwork OUTSIDE where there's light. Expect another post of their work soon]

You know that friend you have whose house is just so fab you want to throw them out of it and go live there yourself? Well Tal and Ze’ev are those friends for me (which doesn’t actually portray me in the best light - but their house is so cool and well decorated I just don’t care.)

The pictures do not do the place justice - I took them at night. Tal took amazing pictures in the day time but my youngest decided to play frisbee with the disk and I haven’t seen her lately to get a new one.

The kitchen lights are red, red, and clear shades. I don’t totally get it, but it seems to work.

The entry floor has an open living room / kitchen / dining room. You can go upstairs to an office / loft.

Down half a flight is the master bedroom and office (for her) and down a full flight are the kids rooms and play area.

There’s no arguing that Karim Rashid is an acquired taste. Either you like his work or you don’t, his style is that defined. I have to admit that I’ve always seen him as a sort of Starke wanna-be mixed in with an acid test dose of color. I still think that’s a rather accurate assessment, but today I decided that he has something and I like it.

I was looking through a bunch of Israeli company sites and I came across a company which is working with Rashid for design. I can not remember for the life of me which company this is (sorry) but I was interested enough to decide to have a look at his site. This wasn’t the first time I’ve checked out his work.

I took a glance at his products and got bored quick. Yes, they are colorfull and brilliant and lovely, but when you look at one after the other suddenly they all kind of look the same.

Then I decided to check out his Space link and in that was pictures of his own apartment.

A man lives in this vision of pink, pattern, and plastic. Oh my.

It’s over the top. Agreed. I don’t know if I could actually live there because the furniture just doesn’t look all that comfortable. But just look at the fabulous color - how amazing is that?!!!

He does tone things down for his bedroom and his kitchen. I’m loving that glass tabletop.

My favorite thing of all, however, would be the chess set in the bottom photo.

Patti Boker first wrote to me trying to promote her Feng Shui and color consultation business on Tchochkes and I asked her for pictures of her work. She sent some lovely before and after pictures of offices, but that didn’t do me much good. This site is about home design - not office design.
However, I knew when I saw her work that she probably lived in a really fabulous space - so I asked her for pictures of her house and I was not disappointed.

I love how she made the structural pole (above and right) a statement of design by painting it two shades lighter than the wall. The windows in her flat are ‘belgi’ which I just love, and give such a wonderful old world feel. And of course, I love the mix of the furniture. Even the dining room chairs are different - mixing the old with the new and the modern with the traditional. The mixture of textures brings warmth to the space (the woven armchair with the velvet sofa).

Patti brings the open plan together by having a terracotta on the main living room wall, and having the wall connecting to the kitchen a light shade of yellow. The tones and colors compliment each other nicely, subtly.

Notice how the back wall of the structural post is a shade darker than the sides? Like the post in the living room it becomes a part of the design. I especially like the collections on the shelves.

A shelf of shells. Shells shelf. Say that 10 times fast.

BVD has a new homepage article about Mika and Gideon’s home pictured to the left. The furnishings are cool, but there are elements which are leaving me cringing and I just can’t seem to get past them.

The room to the left is great. Just change the drapes, take the bows off the walls, change the artwork, and viola - you’d have a really great space. People seem to think that more is better, but it’s not always so. Sometimes more is just more.

On the other hand I quite like the hallway to the right. The purple makes a nice statement with the crazy table. But it’s not overwhelming. All of the elements are simple and in harmony.

I also really like the loveseat by the window to the left. The combination of everything here is visually striking. The lushness of the follage is the one place where over the top is a good thing.