An ocean view dominates the design of the modern bachelor pad. Set right on a beach, close to a nature reserve out Tel Aviv, Israel, this remodeled duplex was designed to make the most of its place.
Architect Lihi Gerstner and brother Din Gerstner remodeled this home as a soothing space for the busy owner to come home to and as a spacious venue for entertaining, indoors and out.
at a Glance
Who lives here: A businessman Who’s unmarried
Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
Size: 1,700 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 3 baths, independent workplace
Photography by Amit Geron
Gerstner
The Gerstners added more square footage into the backyard patio and outfitted the room with multiple seating areas and a full outdoor kitchen. At night a projector — hung in the base of a balcony on the second floor — displays movies on the stone wall of the neighboring apartment complex.
Sofa, dining table, seats: Artan; projector: Viabizzuno
Gerstner
Some of the duplex has been turned into a separate office in which the homeowner receives clients. The office is set at the back of the deck, behind the kitchen, and can be obtained through the patio.
Even though the office feels very separate from the rest of the house, it shares the same ocean view and patio.
Gerstner
Having grown up in a big Argentinian household, the owner enjoys to cook and interact. The kitchen is the center of the house to him, therefore the Gerstners designed it to open until the principal living area.
Flooring: Jerusalem stone; cabinetry: Boffi; countertop: Corian; faucet: Boffi
Gerstner
Even though the white color palette is a tribute to the proprietor’s style, it was selected to permit the view to eventually become the house’s focus. “The inspiration was serenity and stillness,” states Lihi. With a hectic lifestyle — he travels often for work — that the homeowner wanted a calm and soothing area to come home to.
Sofa: B&B; coffee table: Habitat; TV suspension: Future Automation
Gerstner
The owner’s love of fun too contributed to the open layout — here he can cook and clean while still being part of the celebration.
Stove: Wolf; refrigerator: Sub-Zero; bar stools: Habitat
Gerstner
Each one the kitchen small appliances sit in the white built-in cupboard beside the refrigerator. The seamless cabinetry layout reduces the pragmatic look of the area, making it feel as a natural expansion of the primary living room.
Gerstner
Though he favors a clean and modern design, the homeowner wanted to bring warmth and wood to his residence. This habit Belgian pine cabinet — which retains cookbooks and glassware — adds a pure element to the starker environment.
Shelving unit: Custom, from old Belgian oak
Gerstner
This entry door opens to the home’s entry hall in the apartment building’s hall. The doorway has the same length (2 meters, or about 6 1/2 ft ) as the window right facing it.
Gerstner
These unique triangular stairs turned into a new venture for the group, and the outcome is stunning. Wood treads in a triangular form allow for optimum strength in a slender shape.
Gerstner
Lihi saw the stairs as the house’s main sculptural element, linking all three degrees. Visually, the stairs seem to hang out of the glass handrails. “The thought was to blur the gravity forces to raise the weight of the stairs into nothingness,” she states.
On the second story, a plasma screen has remote-controlled transparency, either opening or blocking the view to the master bedroom.
Gerstner
The master bath was developed to be an open portion of the bedroom. “The thought was to enjoy a bath with the view of the water before you,” states Lihi. Each area in the house presents a different view of the sea. Whenever someone is lying down in the bed, the property outside is barely visible — the view is ocean and skies.
Bathtub, fixture: Boffi; flooring: sandblasted oak parquet; bed frame: custom, from old Belgian oak
Gerstner
The group purposefully kept the upstairs sparse and tidy. While this contributes to the house’s serene feel, it also creates a blank slate that the client can increase and accent however he wants.
Gerstner
While the tub and sink are in the primary bedroom, the Gerstners place a shower and the toilet behind separate doors for privacy.
Sink: Boffi