Designing a Family’s Dream Home: A Renovation Journey

Sleek and efficient kitchen design maximizing every centimeter, featuring modern cabinetry, integrated lighting, and smart use of space for a stylish culinary experience.

Designing a home is more than just about creating a beautiful space—it’s about bringing a family’s vision to life. For one family of six grown sons, five of whom still live at home, their dream home became a reality after spending 20 years in a chaotic, cramped 60 sqm apartment. Their goal was a home that radiated calm and beauty. Their vision was clear: they wanted a design that felt unified, peaceful, and welcoming. 

In fact, after living in their home for a few weeks, I received this note from the wife: “We had guests for the first time on Shabbos and it was so much fun to have such a gracious space in which to host them! But most of all, we're just enjoying having this lovely space every day. It is really stunning, and it makes our life so much better! We all feel elevated by it!”

The Power of Detail: A Kitchen Designed with Care

One of the first things that stood out in working with this family was their commitment to detail. The clients took my kitchen design questionnaire seriously, filling out every section thoroughly—right down to the measurements of essential items. This level of clarity and thoughtfulness helped me create a design that met all of their needs, and even their dreams, including a stunning and unique wine rack.

Stainless Steel Countertops: A Nod to the Past

A welder skillfully soldering stainless-steel countertops, ensuring a seamless and durable finish in the modern kitchen.

The wife’s number one request was for stainless-steel kitchen countertops. She fondly remembered the sleek, easy-to-clean surfaces from her American kitchen and had always loved their streamlined look. While stainless-steel is rare in Israeli homes, I took on the challenge, sourcing a commercial stainless-steel company that expertly molded and installed the countertops, creating a stunning feature in the kitchen.

Practical Elegance:

Coat Closet Near the Front Door

In many smaller Israeli homes, a coat closet is often an afterthought—if included at all. But for this family, it was an essential part of creating an organized and functional space. As part of their custom entrance wall unit, I added a coat closet near the front door—a feature that delighted the clients and immediately added both convenience and style to the entryway.

The double-tiered bookcase is nestled between the pantry and coat closet.

A Book Lover’s Dream: Custom Double-Tiered Bookcase

As a family with an extensive book collection, a practical and stylish solution for storage was essential. I designed a custom double-tiered bookcase, with the front unit on wheels. This feature allows the family to pull out the front bookcase and reveal another hidden bookcase behind it. Not only is it a functional space-saving solution, but it also adds an element of surprise and charm to their home.

The custom designed bookcase merges elegance with practicality by providing abundant storage for the clients' large book collection by hiding one bookcase behind a secondary bookcase.

Creating a functional office space at home, a person works on installing shelving in the newly expanded area, optimizing the hallway for dual workstations.

Creating Space for Work and Play

Both the husband-and-wife work from home, and we knew that creating an environment conducive to both work and relaxation was crucial. We repositioned an unnecessary hallway wall, widening the space to allow for additional custom bookcases and an office area. Now, the couple can work side by side in a cozy, functional office, without sacrificing the space for their beloved books.

Recliners for the Whole Family

Luxurious living room setup features a spacious, reclining couch where even the center seats recline, and two additional recliner chairs, offering comfort and relaxation for the whole family.

Since the entire family enjoys reading, each member wanted a recliner to call their own. Given the large family size, this meant a lot of recliners! Instead of cluttering the space with multiple individual chairs, we designed an elegant four-seater couch with reclining center seats, along with two additional individual recliners. Now, there’s plenty of seating for everyone to relax and read together in comfort.

A beautifully designed pendant light enhances the entire space, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that complements the sleek and functional space.

A Show-Stopping Light Fixture

The cherry on top of this renovation was the request for a standout light fixture above the dining room table. The family wanted something that would not only illuminate the space but also enhance the overall aesthetic of the dining room, kitchen, and living areas. We achieved that with a stunning, brass-colored chandelier that ties everything together beautifully.

What was a random hallway sink is now been remodeled into a complete bathroom featuring a shower, sink, and toilet.

A Full Bathroom Where There Was Once Only a Sink

The original apartment had an awkward space with just a hand-washing sink and a toilet room—no sink in the toilet room, and not much else. Though the space was long, it didn’t serve its potential. We transformed this underutilized area into a fully functional, beautiful bathroom, complete with a shower, sink, and toilet—making the most of every cm.

Cozy and Inviting: The Final Touch

At our first consultation, the couple expressed a desire for a “cozy and inviting” home. The result? A home that exceeds their expectations—warm, welcoming, and functional in every way. It’s a space where the entire family can gather, work, relax, and enjoy their time together. And that, in the end, is the true beauty of good design: it’s about creating a home where memories are made.

This renovation was more than just about aesthetics—it was about creating a space that reflects the family’s needs, their personalities, and their vision for a comfortable, beautiful life. And that’s what makes this home truly unique.

To see "Before and After", click here.