Sappir Avraham, 32, an interior designer, and Niv Gleb, 35, a real-estate investor and property manager, spent a year looking for a site before buying a long-abandoned protected building in Ajami, Jaffa. The structure had once been a horse stable, and what was meant to be a buy, upgrade and sell project turned into their home after the work was finished.
The couple said the aim was to create a luxurious, hotel-like Jaffa apartment to sell. To maximize the 65-square-meter space, they excavated nearly one meter into the ground, added a sleeping gallery and rebuilt original openings in the historic shell. Avraham said they also opened the brick-covered facade, discovered the building was surprisingly bright despite facing east, and worked closely with an engineer after finding layers of stone during the dig.
The renovation kept the old walls largely intact while adding a modern concrete floor that marks the new intervention. Mirrors play a major role, with two mirrored fronts designed to increase light and make the home feel larger. All furniture, carpentry and storage solutions were custom-made for the unusual dimensions.
After the war that began on October 7 delayed the planned sale, they left the rental they had in south Tel Aviv and moved in, thinking it would be temporary. They stayed for 2.5 years and say the decision became a gift. The home, now called The Jaffa House for photo shoots and bridal preparations, also functions as a hospitality space that attracts visitors who respond to the building they created.
