Here's How the Designer Saved the House From Being Sold

Or: Kfar Saba.

The property: A duplex apartment for a family of four.

Surface area of treated soil: About 80 square meters.

Duration of renovation: About four months.

Interior design: Ma’ayan Rahav, graduate of Barbara Berzin’s interior design training studio.

Photography: Omer Dekel.

Welcome to the top floor of the Kfar Sabai duplex where a mother and her two children live.

The grandmother (mother’s mother) lives on the first floor. For a long time, many advised the two to sell the property and instead find a house that would suit them and save them from having to deal with renovations. For their part, they decided to seriously consider this step, especially because they like the quiet and pleasant neighborhood and of course also the apartment itself, where over the years they have experienced many beautiful moments.”

“They didn’t think it was possible, they really didn’t, but just before they decided to sell, they contacted me to create some design options,” says Mein Rahab, an interior designer who graduated from the Barbara Barzin interior design training studio and is in charge of the project. “I created two great options for them and we debated a lot between them until the option chosen was to create two private wings, one for the mother and a second wing for the children.”

Ma’ayan Rahav (credit: Omer Dekel)

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“Throughout the planning process, we were faced with difficult ceiling slopes that we could not touch at all. In addition, the location of the plumbing and air conditioning infrastructure was also difficult, but we also found practical solutions to address this. The staircase leading to the roof floor is made of old stones with very prominent panels, and originally there was a gravel wall between the steps and a window in the center. We decided to dismantle the wall and create a lightweight metal balustrade that would allow natural light to enter the space through the window and openings and thus create a vital, balanced and pleasant atmosphere.”

The new mother’s suite is located in a space that was previously used as the children’s bedroom: “It is a space that is under sloping ceilings and therefore, at first glance, some of the spaces in it are perceived as impractical. While the original division was quite standard, and also included a closet and a bathroom, in the new one they have provided a huge joinery hinge that creates a practical buffer between the lowest point of the slope, and still allows a pleasant and comfortable walk in its direction. In this area we have placed the wardrobe, which acts as a buffer between the very low part of the ceiling slope, and the mother’s room. The sloping storage. We have created a storage space for a parallel season, lots of hanging and folding, and a place to put the many cosmetics that she likes to use.”

Ma’ayan Rahav (credit: Omer Dekel)

“In the master bedroom bathroom, we designed a spacious and luxurious shower. Due to the location of the plumbing infrastructure, we created a low wall at a height of 120 cm behind the toilet and inside the shower, which serves as a shelf for placing bottles, lotions and even green vegetation that is always a pleasure. Soft lighting with a lower light beam, optimal especially at night, was woven next to the toilet and we also chose porcelain tiles full of character that create a feeling of nature and spa.”

“The family corner is located at the other end of the corridor and includes a fun seating area for the whole family in front of the television as well as a joinery for storing books and toys, from which also extends a comfortable and wide work table. From the entrance to the corridor, you can already see the bedrooms of the two children, which are located in the area that originally served as the mother’s bedroom, which is now divided into two: a room for each child designed according to their character and tastes. In both cases, we located the lowest point of the ceiling that would be comfortable enough for the mother to stand there without being disturbed.

Ma’ayan Rahav (credit: Omer Dekel)

“The children’s bathroom also serves as a laundry room. We decided to create a very bright and cheerful space. We separated the bathroom and created a particularly spacious shower for them as well as a large closet with a large laundry drawer. To keep things tidy, each child was given their own drawer in the closet.”

“In the laundry area, sophisticated joinery has been designed for raised washing machines and dryers. The elevation is designed to facilitate the user’s task ergonomically and to allow loading and unloading of laundry in a more convenient and frontal way, without having to bend and lean over the laundry baskets and machines. Under the machines, there are small drawers to place the laundry baskets. And below, high drawers to store the extra laundry above the washing machines. And as much as possible in the area where the ceiling is sloping, I designed additional shelves to store laundry products and accessories.”