Tchochkes

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.

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