Located on one of the picturesque side streets of the Old City in Jaffa sits a little shop called Aisha. The contents have been hand picked from the treasurefilled markets of Morocco by Aisha Boni, whose love of traditional Berber crafts has changed the course of her life. Seven years ago Boni visited North Africa on a mission to rediscover her family’s roots. As she meandered around the medinas of Marrakech, she was blown away by the rugs, tea sets and clothing for sale around every corner.After returning to Israel, Boni began to import the goods she had come to know. She sought out contemporary Moroccan designers whose pieces showed a different side to the country. A little over a year ago she opened her boutique, which sells authentic Moroccan home furnishings and spa products.While you may not want your house to look like it’s been torn out of a travel magazine, Aisha is a great place to find little touches that will enhance the ambiance of any room.Aisha, 12 Yefet Street, Jaffa MEDIUM As a working mother, Katia Luk didn’t have time to think about the chemical composition of the furniture in her home. But when she began to develop severe breathing problems, she realized that something was wrong with the way she had furnished her home and arranged her life. She began to look into ecologically friendly solutions for her home, a change she was promised would improve her health. This quickly became a passion, which resulted in the creation of Atmosphere: The Art of Living, Luk’s upscale interior design boutique in Herzliya Pituah. Everything in the store, from the sofas and the artwork to the free-standing fireplaces, is environmentally friendly and cost conscious.Luk says that living ecologically doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money, it just requires a change of awareness. “A person who loves himself and his home cares about the environment.If your space breathes, you breathe,” she says.Atmosphere, 27 Maskit Street, Herzliya
They say the kitchen is the heart of any home. At least that’s what Avigdor Malkin, owner of High Touch in Herzliya Pituah, will tell you. Malkin is a specialist in kitchen design and has spent years offering the finest kitchen solutions to homeowners in Israel. High Touch renovations come in two varieties: basic and deluxe. A basic kitchen costs around NIS 40,000 and includes a makeover of the entire room, consultations with the High Touch team and follow- up maintenance. Deluxe kitchens cost between NIS 800,000 and NIS 2 million.These kitchens feature handmade appliances by French boutique brand La Cornot, outfitted with a personalized plaque for each family. Once the stove and oven are installed, La Cornot sends a chef to the family’s home to give them lessons on how to best use the product. High Touch also has an art gallery with works by contemporary Israeli photographers, painters and sculptors.High Touch, 16 Galgalei Haplada Street, Herzliya