Yes, there’s a story that goes with this. I was in Neve Tzedek in Tel Aviv last week. As I was walking from Cafe Tazza D’oro back to my car I heard loud dance music and I saw an open gate. I couldn’t help myself… I peaked in… and then I walked in (which, if you knew me, wouldn’t shock you in the slightest.) It was obvious that the inhabitants were planning for a party. It was also obvious that this place had something most places don’t have in Tel Aviv – large ground floor patio space totally enclosed by a fence.
For those of you not in Israel, Neve Tzedek was the first neighborhood of Tel Aviv and is currently the most expensive property in the city. However, there are still many places built ages ago which are rented and not refurbished (although that is changing). This place would be one of those.
There’s fish in there.
Real. Live. Fish.
Anyway, as I start to walk in I hear from outside “excuse me” (but in Hebrew) and I went back out with a big smile and said “Can I have a look?”
“Go ahead.”
“Can I take pictures?”
“Sure.”
And there you have it! They were in the middle of getting ready for a BBQ so I didn’t want to take up too much of their time. As such it was a rush house tour with me taking pictures quickly and without much focus. The batteries in my camera died before I was able to finish, so the last pictures were taken with my cell phone. Thank you Nokia.
I walked into the house, saw this, and gasped. Mid century modern bookshelf. What looks like mosaic on the front of the piece is actually painted on.
Look at that. That’s not a common style arch used in Israel – isn’t it fabulous?
The female portion of the couple who rent the flat is a massage therapist and this is her treatment room. I was in such a rush to get out of there I never asked what the guy did… or their names…
But when I walked into the treatment room, I turned and saw this – and yes, it’s real. They have a tree growing through their house. Specifically, there’s a tree growing between the massage and eating areas.
There were bizarre, funky things throughout the entire place. Even the kitchen didn’t miss out. The backsplash tiles are very likely original and the counter-top is solid wood butcher-block. I would love to be able to get those backsplash tiles now. They looked hand painted.
Skeleton chandelier and lights on a string. After awhile of trying to hang it in some sort of order (my guess is) – they gave up.
Missing a tile or one broke, no need to replace the whole thing – just add another painted tile in a similar color. It’s the patchwork quilt of floors and it works perfectly in this space.
And the sari covered bed. Love, love, love the sari, could live without the butterflies on the bed. However, with that said, this is probably one of the best made beds I’ve seen in a house in Israel. And one that wasn’t even expecting me no less!
So thank you to the shanti (Hebrew slang for hippy-ish) couple who let this stranger come into their home and take pictures. You have a fantastic place.
Shira Abel is the CEO and founder of Hunter & Bard, an award-winning public relations and design agency that works with scale-ups and enterprises on building their brand, awareness and thought leadership.
As CEO of Hunter & Bard, Shira oversees a team that manages public relations, marketing, design, and brand development for clients across multiple industries. She develops strategies for organically growing companies through sincere digital engagement and the application of behavioral marketing.
Clients include JELD-WEN, Benchling, Sixth Continent, Totango, Folloze, Radix DLT, Axa Tech, Allianz, and many more. Shira is also a sought after corporate speaker and marketing mentor, and has spoken at events such as Confluence and Content Marketing World, and taught at institutions such as Kellogg School of Management and S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research in Mumbai.
Read more about Shira’s company Hunter & Bard at https://www.hunterandbard.com
Amazing! I love this apartment. The tree growing in the middle is such a great surprise. It reminds me of an apartment of a guy I once knew who had a tree just outside his apartment around which a wooden balcony was built. A tree in the middle of an apartment is something I have never seen. I also love the patchwork floor and the hand painted backsplash tiles. Keep up the adventures Shira!
It’s a shame that the real estate sharks are planning to ‘poshify’ Neve Tzedek. I’ve been watching the new complex they’re building on Barsilai, just opposite Hotel Lulu (it is Lulu, no? The artist hotel and cafe…). It doesn’t fit in! I feel like they are trying to turn the neighbourhood into a kind of a picturesque museum, where the rich and bohemien-wannabes lodge in their penthouses high above the city (and the smell), gazing out of their panoramic windows and exclaim “Aren’t we fortunate to live among the real artists? I feel so… so… so inspired!”
The neighbourhood is losing what made it so special, it’s really heartbreaking.
I agree completely – but once the artists can’t afford Neve Tzedek they’ll move to Florentine – and I can’t imagine that neighborhood getting “poshified”.
-s