- Design and Planning: Keren Gans
- Photography: Assaf Pinchuk
The couple, who have two teenage children, decided to refresh and renovate their duplex apartment located in a residential complex in the heart of one of the Sharon cities. They enlisted interior designer Keren Gans to create an elegant and meticulous living space that redefined the warm and inviting feeling they loved. The previously enclosed space has been transformed into an open, spacious, and upgraded layout, rich with a carefully measured blend of colors, textures, and materials, making it effortlessly chic.
After many years in their beloved apartment, the couple decided to renew, refresh, and adapt it to their family's current needs. Before making the decision, they debated whether to sell and move to a new property, but the excellent location and good memories accumulated over the years tipped the scales.
The apartment is a duplex located in a residential complex, with another duplex apartment below it. The original staircase construction intruded into the entrance floor of the apartment, creating a kind of mezzanine floor that has now been given a creative functional role in the public space. At the beginning of the new planning process, it was clear that the entrance area needed to be opened up and enlarged by removing the original concrete staircase that blocked it and replacing it with airy iron stairs moved to the corner of the house. These sit on an oak wood platform beneath which is the neighbors' staircase construction. This created a harmonious and continuous motif that serves as both the base of the metal stairs and a built-in bench that serves the family's dining area. Inside, the platform offers plenty of storage space.
As part of the renovation process, the original openings were expanded from floor to ceiling, and the aluminum windows were replaced with minimalist Belgian iron windows in a black-brown shade. The windows feature adjustable shutters that change color according to the natural light throughout the day, giving the house different hues at various times. The rustic flooring was replaced with 120x120 gray-toned porcelain granite tiles that extend to the balcony and blend with the intermediate floor, which features oak wood flooring. This combination of modernity alongside warmth and casualness extends throughout the rest of the house, in the materials, textures, and colors. The front door was replaced with a new design by Gans, made of homogeneous oak wood slats in a Scandinavian shade.
The designer opened up the original closed kitchen to the public space, creating a noticeable flow as soon as the entrance door is opened. She wanted to emphasize the length and height of the space (3.40 meters!), so she planned one side with floor-to-ceiling oak kitchen cabinets featuring a green plinth, floating green iron shelves, and an iron island; on the other side, she designed a floor-to-ceiling iron library that hides the air conditioning system and conceals the television.
The homeowners love to cook and entertain and spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so a wall of tall cabinets was designed for ample storage, while also hiding the air conditioning unit. This wall features functional open shelves in a soft green shade, making the kitchen feel less formal. Another wall with low cabinets allows for a wide work surface, above which two thin floating iron shelves were planned during the construction stage for precise positioning. The long iron island in the center of the kitchen emphasizes the length of the entrance floor and integrates with the iron stairs and library. Part of the island is intended for seating, and part for storage—"the most fun place where we spend the most time," according to the residents.
An integral part of the kitchen, visible yet hidden, is a large 100 cm deep cabinet painted in the same color as the walls and tucked next to the stairs leading to the intermediate floor. This cabinet stores folding chairs, large serving dishes, and more.
On the intermediate floor, leading to the bedrooms and bathrooms, an intimate seating area was designed, which can become a functional workspace in the future. The entrance to the master bedroom was concealed by an extended existing concrete wall. The iron stairs lead to the attic floor, to the daughter's bedroom, and a small bathroom. A small window in the room was enlarged into a large glass door, providing a wide exit to an intimate balcony, transforming the once dark room into a light-filled space.
Belgian iron doors were chosen for the bathroom and the exit door to the spacious roof overlooking the entire neighborhood, bringing natural light into the space. The entire house features interior doors in a smoky green shade; each room is painted in a different color while maintaining a light color palette. The carpentry details were designed by the designer, inspired by international design magazines and travels around the world. Thus, a unique deep blue wardrobe can be found in the son's bedroom. In the bathroom, there is a dusty pink nude cabinet combined with green-toned floor tiles and colorful grout that completes the mosaic.
In the master bedroom, the walls were painted in a pastel shade. The bathroom was also redesigned—instead of the small shower, a spacious shower was planned, along with two sinks as requested by the residents, and two round iron mirrors adorn the wall. Blue 'pied-de-poule' tiles were chosen for the flooring, and Gans also incorporated colorful grout in the wall cladding, this time in blue.