Tchochkes

 The Pagoda House, situated on Nahmani & Montefiore streets was built in 1924 and designed by architect Alexander Levy. He came to “Palestine” from Germany during the Bauhaus boom of the 1920’s, lived and worked here for several years but “never felt at home” and later returned to  Germany where he was killed at Auschwitz.  

This noble structure, originally built as a private home; is a combination of Western and Oriental styles.  It is not open to visitors, but the outside is unlike most buildings here in Tel Aviv and worth a visit.    

The pagoda House in 1988 before restoration

Here it is as it stands today

Not only is the house amazing, this area just off of Allenby street is full of cafes and shops and is  fun to explore.  Around the corner at 39 Ahad Ha’am Street there is  Yaniv Glass Gallery, a small but beautifully curated gallery that also showcases fine works of art in their shop.  Keep walking to 68 Ahad Ha’am and you will reach Elemento, a shop that carries contemporary items big and small. 

Old world style in Tel Aviv

Historic Sarona in Tel Aviv has just been opened to the public after a 5 year long renovation of the area. This old German protostant community of houses that date back to the 1920’s are rich in architectural detail and old world style.  I recently had a chance to visit the site, which is just west of the Misrad Hapanim here in Tel Aviv on Kaplan street.  Featured below are some photos I took of the original wall art paintings that were uncovered and restored in some of the houses in Sarona.  I highly recommend a stroll through this old community which is now open for public appreciation. You can’t go inside the houses, but  being on the grounds amongst the old homes brings back a strong sense of the past.

The simplicity of these wall paintings breathe nostalgia.  

These border paintings, which are typically placed along the top of a wall just under the ceiling line; reflect true country style!

Notice the greyed down colors used in these patterns.  The old pigments were mixed with egg whites that served as an adhesive, the same technique as used in Italian fresco paintings…  very Michael Angelo right here in our own back yard!

These swans were a centerpiece for a longer, more detailed border painting.  Below you can see the swan pattern in full detail. 

These odd looking cast iron sculptures “Menchelach”  which means little man in German, are actually shutter holders. They sit on each side of the shutter and grip the edge to prevent it from moving. During the restoration they were stripped of many layers of paint to reveal their fine details.  

In the future, these sculptures are to be enshrined in a “Menchelach museum”somewhere on the grounds of Sarona.   This museum will be the one and only museum of its kind in the world.  Pretty COOL! 

Sharon lives across the street from me, and my brother renovated her home, so I may sound a tad biased when I say the place is wonderful - but it really is.

Living in Israel is expensive, and typically our money is spent toward things like food, shelter, and transportation - so decorating becomes a low priority.

Reader ‘L’ and I have been having an email conversation about all of this:

Boy I wish I had tons of money for all these lovely designer ideas in my head. I could really make a palace for myself. *sigh*, writes ‘L’.

Having less money doesn’t mean you can’t have a wonderful flat. It simply means you have to have more creativity (and hopefully some basic DIY skills.)

My favorite place to find free stuff is on the streets of Tel Aviv at the beginning of the month on moving day. People just leave the stuff they don’t want on the street. Doors from an old closet (assuming the closet is unsalvagable) can become shelves. A regular door from a ’shiputz’ (renovation) turns into a table with legs from IKEA. Chairs are often left out in perfect condition.

The nicest thing about this option is that you are getting something typically old, less common, and you are recycling. The one detractor is finding someone to help you get that old chair, closet, or table up four flights of stairs to your flat. (I lived in a walk-up back in the day).

The picture above is a chair that I found on the streets of Tel Aviv 7 years ago. The cushions will be re-done as soon as I find a fabric that I like (they used to be covered by some great pillowcases when it was in my office - but my husband didn’t appreciate the Ralph Lauren chintz pattern). The drawers next to it was a garage sale find that I brought with me from the US. It’s also been painted.

The table on the left is a door on legs from IKEA.

Ignore the mess inside and on top of the hutch to the left. Instead just look at the hutch, the gorgeous blue hutch, and imagine it without all of that awful clutter.

I’m in love with this hutch, and it’s obvious to me that it’s current owners do not deserve it if this is how they are keeping it. They should give it to me. Or not.

The hutch was restored by Jeremy Zetland, probably the best furniture restorer in Israel.

I could go on and on about why he’s so good and all of his credentials, but you can read that on his website and I would rather focus on his nice work.

See these doors? They’re actually pretty cool just as they are, but they are seriously sexy once they have been restored.