After a long day’s work, the owners want to know they have a warm, tranquil home to which they can return and relax
By GLORIA DEUTSCHtwo LED strips of light on the far wall are attached to a521(photo credit: URIEL MESSA)
Architect and interior designer Iris Shamir had a very specific mission when she was hired to turn this house in Rishon Lezion into an attractive home for its owners.“They work together in their computer business in the town, and when they come home after a day’s work they want the place to be as comfortable and pampering as possible,” says the designer.So the experienced Shamir, who has an office in a converted barn on Kibbutz Gan Shlomo nearby where she employs several young architects, set about creating the ideal home for her clients, who at the time three years ago lived there with three daughters, two of whom have since moved out to study.“They wanted a modern and contemporary look,” explains Shamir, “so we had to find ways to bring warmth into what could be a very minimalist look without the extra features.”Interesting lighting and the use of natural wood were some of the ways she used to achieve her aim of softening the overall look.The kitchen offers a good example of how a functional room was transformed into a welcoming place through the addition of several features.The cream cabinets are painted in eight layers of epoxy paint, then baked to give a smooth and hard finish. The upper cabinets have an extra surface of glass and on this she ordered a special ornate design in a contrasting mocha shade, which becomes an eye-catching yet delicate feature on entering the kitchen.“The light-fittings in this area were chosen very carefully,” explains Shamir, “as I feel that light is very significant in influencing atmosphere.”Both tables – in the dining corner and eat-in kitchen – are made from natural oak, again for warmth, and over each hang different light fittings according to the function of the room. The dining area is more formal and the white-painted metal flower-like chandelier adds to this feeling, while over the kitchen table she aimed for a cleaner look, with three glass and metal globes hung high above.“They don’t compete with each other, but they blend well together,” she says.The theme of unusual lighting continues in the lounge where two LED strips of light on the far wall are attached to a computer, and the color can be changed according to mood.“We can have purple, blue, red, green or gold,” says Shamir.The stairs up to the second floor are mahogany with a wrought-iron balustrade, and the area under the stairs has been turned into a computer corner.“I didn’t want to waste all that space and as my client often brings work home with him, I thought it would be nice for him to have a work corner in the living room, not cut off from the rest of the family,” says Shamir.The oak theme continues in the rest of the lounge, except for the white-painted wall unit containing the home cinema and all the other audio devices hidden inside.They paid a great deal of attention to the outside, as the family loves to take advantage of the long evenings and friendly climate to eat outside. The father of the house is an accomplished barbecuer and has a well-equipped cooking corner, with a small bar, sink, refrigerator and grill with a work top and tall chairs made of plastic ‘lace.’ Off the lounge is an outdoor sitting area with a three-piece rattan suite, artificial grass and a Jacuzzi.Privacy is complete with bamboo atop the concrete wall, another wall of wood and a covering of green canvas.For the master bedroom the designer chose all white, but fashioned the far wall from brown-painted bamboo.“I wanted the warmth of another color but not just a different shade; I wanted the interesting texture that bamboo gives,” says Shamir.The flower chandelier was chosen to create a romantic bedroom, with extra flowers attached to the wall lights. A Roman blind of white cotton covers the window.The guest bathroom has dominant colors of brown and gold with some unusual textures, like the mosaic back wall and the zebra-like veneer of the sink unit. The little girl’s room is bazooka – pink and white, with a built-in toilette and room for a desk in the corner.The buttons on the quilted headboard are crystal.In the entrance a supporting wall could not be removed, so it was covered in white bricks to make it interesting. Lights set into the wall throw shadows onto the floor, while a mirror set in the middle means anyone sitting in the lounge can see at a glance whoever is at the front door.For the hardworking owners, a short drive from their office after a busy day brings them to the tranquility of their carefully designed and attractive home.
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