Tel Aviv Garden Apartment Becomes a Family Home Inspired by New York and Thailand

A Tel Aviv family with four children turned a contractor-built garden apartment into a custom home that feels like a villa. The 167-square-meter, single-level unit, plus about 200 square meters of garden, was originally planned as a four-room apartment but was redesigned as a six-room home with five usable bedrooms.

The apartment, in a charming street off Kikar Hamedina and purchased from the Tzilah Rothschild group as part of a large development, was delivered as an empty shell. Interior designer Shimrit Kaufman of SK Designers planned and executed the project from scratch for the family, which includes a 6-year-old, 12-year-old twins, and an oldest daughter in high school. The renovation took four years and had to be managed on a tight schedule, including during wartime.

Kaufman said the owners wanted one home that blended “the urban energy of New York” with “the materiality and wild nature of Thailand.” That meant a look that is minimalist and precise, but also warm, natural, and open to light, greenery, and textured materials. She used natural finishes, clean lines, and quiet luxury throughout the house.

Storage was a major priority, solved through integrated custom carpentry that preserved the airy feel. Another challenge was fitting the air-conditioning and systems without lowering the ceiling, so direct air-discharge units were hidden inside the joinery. The work included all electrical, plumbing, air-conditioning, bespoke woodwork, flooring, cladding, furniture, new aluminum elements, and the garden.

The public area places the living room at the center, facing the green garden, with the dining area and kitchen beyond it. The kitchen includes smart storage and a concealed pantry hidden behind a matching carpentry door, plus a wild natural stone countertop that the client chose after seeing it in a luxury hotel. Kaufman also used that stone in the living room joinery and on an entry shelf to tie the spaces together. In the children’s bathroom, she built a freestanding tub into a large shower area, while the primary suite includes a smart partition that doubles as the bed back and a walk-in closet wall.