Author Archives: Shira Abel Shvo

Home Tour: Artist Ruth Havilio in Ein Kerem, Jerusalem

On a completely different note – I’m now officially a Kellogg-Recanati MBA! YEAH!
Ruth Havilio is an artist that lives in a multi-story stone house in Ein Kerem, Jerusalem. This home was fascinating on many levels – mainly because the house was so many levels. The whole property had rooms and doorways and walkways and paths that were slowly being renovated but currently weren’t being used.
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This blue was on all of the fences and gates of the property. I love it. When we change the colors of our home – I’m thinking all of our metal will be the color of this fence.
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Ruth shares this one bedroom space with her daughter. The living area doubles as her sleeping quarters at night. Don’t feel too bad for her though – in a few years she’ll be sleeping in a mansion. This place has tons of space, it just has to be renovated.

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Blog review: Design Sponge

A magazine (Nest) is calling their version of this column “Link Love” which is so much more accurate, I’m quite tempted at liberating (i.e. stealing) this term for Tchochkes as well. But I won’t. Any witty suggestions for a column name will be accepted – and the chosen namer will be given a thank you from Tchochkes on the site.
Design*Sponge is such an amazing site and Grace Bonney, the founder of the site, has worked to create content that has serious value on several fronts.
First and foremost for me would be the eye candy – of which there is in abundance. My favorite columns are “Before and After” and the designer home tours.
All images randomly taken from Design Sponge.
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I love that. This is what green should be about.

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Designer review: Shine Home

Shine is the creative outlet for Susan Hornbeak Ortiz, the co-owner and designer. The style of Shine is very Southern Califiornia slick. Like Palm Springs during the rat pack years when Courrèges was king.
Shine_Lola Chair_1
And the furniture reminds me a lot of movies from that era as well – with a twist. The fabric of the piece above with the traditional fabric tacked edges is very mid-60’s – but the cut out from the top of the back is something different. An Asian influence in shape.

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Home tour: Haim Hazaz’s Apartment in Jerusalem

Haim Hazaz lived an amazing life. He escaped the Nazi’s and wrote a story praised by T.S. Eliot. However, as this is Tchochkes and not a political or literature journal – we’re more interested in his really cute flat in the Talbia area of Jerusalem. His widow (who was an absolute doll when I met her) lives there now.
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This was one of the many houses I toured thanks to Houses from Within – Jerusalem (yes, you’ll be seeing homes from those two days in September for many weeks to come). I fell in love with this flat from the moment I walked in and saw the French blue door mixed with the yellow carpet tile. Isn’t the combination just stunning? This flat had the prettiest carpet tiles I’ve ever seen.
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Love that tile.

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Blog review: Desire to Inspire

Admittedly this won’t be as much of a review as it will be a gushing tribute, because review infers a bit of a critique which would include negative comments as well. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about Desire to Inspire. It is such an amazing blog filled with gorgeous home porn.
Yeah, I said it – Home Porn. That sweet delicacy to the eye of women, gay men and metrosexuals everywhere.
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All of the photos have been taken at random from Desire to Inspire.

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Store Review: Wynne Alex in San Francisco

Went I went into Wynne Alex they were getting ready for a sale, so very likely they have absolutely none of the products you can see below. Yes, I know, convenient of me wasn’t it? Well, you can see their style if nothing else. And the pictures are pretty…
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And we all like pretty pictures.

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Home Tour: Architect Roey Alroey in Jerusalem

Architect Roey Alroey opened his home during the Houses from Within – Jerusalem tour in September (you’ll be seeing homes from this for awhile.) His newly built, three floor home was designed to keep the feel of his neighborhood, Kiryat Yovel. The neighborhood is filled with old homes that have been added on in a “we need so we add-on” organic fashion.
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As such he kept the finishes simple and the materials inexpensive.
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The design, however, raises up the various elements to a much higher aesthetic.

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Store Review: Zinc Details in San Francisco

I went into Zinc Details on a day I didn’t bring my camera. But I needed pictures of this insanely cool shop. I absolutely had to cover it on Tchochkes. And yes, I do get somewhat theatrical when I get passionate about a place, but this is design – it’s allowed. I’m not like this when writing about Ku antennas on the fuselage of an aircraft, I can assure you (yes, I have written about Ku antennas – you’d be amazed at what I know).
But I digress.
Zinc Details was filled with amazing mid-century modern furniture. The kind crying out for attention. For photographing. For filling a San Francisco loft with hardwood floors and exposed cement ceilings.
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And me without my camera. In case you’re wondering – no I didn’t get back there. What I did was convince Casey, the amazing guy working there, to take some pictures for me. And he did. Love him!

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Interior Design Magazine Review: Southern Living

I was contacted by Southern Living magazine to find out if I would like to review their magazine for Tchochkes. Well, I love Southern Living and their country cottage look – so why not?!
We agreed they would send me a magazine and then I would review.
I waited. And waited. And waited. Finally I get an email from them asking about the review. Well, I never received the magazine. Apparently someone in the Israeli Postal System decided they needed to check out Southern Living even more than I did – because it never arrived here.
So I got pdf’s instead. Which is ok, but not the same as a magazine. You can’t hold a pdf unless you print it out. And then the quality isn’t the same. It’s not bound. You can’t sit with your girlfriends on the sofa gazing at photographs and pointing out what you love and hate. In short – I want my magazine!
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*Sigh* Isn’t that stunning? The picture is from “Chattanooga Bungalow” an article on southern bungalow design (and as you know – I’m a sucker for the bungalow).
Admittedly, I would have gone for a deep strawberry red door – which would also be more traditional, but it would also be kind of expected. I’m loving the orange. You know the man is single though – that carpet. I have to wonder if he rolls it up when he invites people over. Or only serves white wine?

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Home Tour: Green Construction by Matt Baran in Oakland, California

I’ve known Matt Baran, the architect who designed the renovation of this house, since we were 11 years old. I’m not going to reveal my age and say how long ago that was.  He’s talented, has completely different taste than myself, and one of my favorite people to argue with on design.
Front_gate
Of course, when we were 11 he was that hot skater who hung out at the donut shop every morning before class started and I was the geek forced to go with her much cooler friend who liked Matt’s friend. Did that make sense? If not – don’t worry about it. The point is, we’re still in touch and he’s an architect now – an architect who designed a pretty cool house.

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