Not quite Paris

The owners like being a part of what’s going on outside from their second story apartment in Kfar Saba.

By GLORIA DEUTSCH
Kfar Saba 521 (photo credit: URIEL MESSA)
Kfar Saba 521
(photo credit: URIEL MESSA)
Having a ringside seat at the Kfar Saba Independence Day celebrations was not really the main attraction when Peter and Viviane Reich bought their second- floor penthouse apartment back in 1999.
They had been living in Petah Tikva in the same apartment for 20 years, and the plumbing had gone awry.
“It was a choice between a serious renovation and moving,” explains the French-born Viviane, who made aliya in 1977 from England with Peter and four small children.
They picked Kfar Saba because one of their daughters was living there at the time, and the apartment was exactly what they wanted.
It was a new development overlooking the central plaza of the town with a huge balcony, allowing Viviane to indulge her passion for gardening without the worry of a lawn to take care of. And because the seven floors were built in a step formation, they were able to be on the second floor and not have anyone above them – enabling them to have a succa there as well.
Back then, before all the Independence Day celebrations moved to the park built later at the eastern edge of the town, they could enjoy the visiting stars appearing on stage and have a great view of the fireworks display. Today, there is still plenty going on in the city square, and even on the second floor the noise is distant but constant. For Viviane, who grew up in Paris, this is a reminder of home.
“Paris is always noisy but it doesn’t bother me,” she says. “I like the noise.”
Now that skateboarding has been banned in the square, that particular noise is gone and the steady hum of life two floors below is something they don’t even notice. And living in the center of town has its similarities to Paris in other ways.
“When I lived there, wherever you were in Paris you could always go down and find a bakery or grocery nearby,” recalls Viviane, “and now it’s the same in Kfar Saba.”
The open plan is something she really likes, too. The kitchen is set up in a corner of the large living room, separated only by an island which doubles as a storage/worktop. The multicolored granite surface matches the backsplash in the kitchen, and Viviane likes the fact that she can always be a part of what is going on in the living room – rather than being isolated in a separate kitchen.
“I can watch the television, or at least hear it while I’m cooking,” she says. “Obviously I have to tidy up a bit more than usual, but that’s not a bad thing.”
For furnishing the living room, she and Peter consulted their architect son, Rafi, who came up with some creative ideas that turned out to be less than practical.
“He suggested that the cabinet at the entrance should be on wheels so we could move it forward and backward, changing the size of the entrance at will,” she explains. “But when we put the idea to our carpenter, she said she said it was a great idea, but the neighbor’s ceiling would probably collapse.”
They found Marina, their Argentinean-born carpenter, through the Yellow Pages, and couldn’t quite believe the attractive, blonde young woman could make such furniture. But they are indeed very happy with the cabinets she has custom-made for them. The brown cabinet at the entrance is made from zebrano wood and is highly polished for a luxurious look.
In the long white wall unit, Viviane has a good place to display the silverware that she makes herself. She began to learn the craft as a hobby only about a dozen years ago, and found that her candlesticks, kiddush cups and other Judaica were very saleable. She also makes beautiful silver jewelery. Above the wall cabinet, most of the paintings are hers as well, and include several landscapes of their adopted hometown.
The rest of the living room is furnished in chic black wood and leather, with red cushions for a splash of contrasting color. Many of the ornaments are genuine African works of art inherited from her late father, who used to travel there for work.
The large patio, covered in white trellis work, is often used for Friday night dinners as well as during the week. The fruit trees, which include kumquat, lemon and tangerine, all give a bountiful harvest thanks to the loving care Viviane lavishes on them. When it’s very hot outside they sit around the table in the dining area, which she finds very practical as it takes up less room than a square table would.
With four married children, many grandchildren and even a great-grandchild born this week, the Reichs need all the space they can get.