modern pastel touch transforms 1950s apartment at the heart of tel aviv, israel

located in the heart of tel aviv, israel, the 1950s apartment was transformed by florencia michelli into a modern pastel-colored dwelling. the brief was for a young student in her early 20’s who spends most of her time cooking, hosting, and studying. therefore, the new design of the 80 sqm flat, was focused on the seamless intersection between private and public areas.all images courtesy of itai benit

view of the green kitchen, dining table and study room – a mix of colors and materials

florencia michelli completely revitalized the previous modest living room, while connecting it with the kitchen — which was situated in a separate room before. the elongated floor plan originally did not enable natural light into the apartment. thus, the study area takes shape as a glass and steel box allowing plenty of light to enter the corridor. furthermore, the study room functions as an anchor of the apartment, buffering between public and private areas. on one end, the corridor leads to the open kitchen and living room area, and on the other to the two bedrooms and bathrooms. a large light-green closet and a rounded countertop made of dark green marble add a playful touch to the kitchen displaying a variety of colors and textures.
kitchen closeup

moreover, the living room is framed with a large floor-to-ceiling window overlooking towards a four-story tall ficus tree. a wide wooden bench upfront allows inhabitants to sit next to the tree while it provides extra storage space. the master bedroom takes form behind a bare brick wall, featuring a walk-in closet and a pink-colored bathroom with a free-standing tub. the bathroom is separated from the room utilizing a semitransparent partition, enabling pink light to enter the room. meanwhile, an additional bathroom — decorated in a combination of colorful tiles — and a playroom with a sitting windowsill, take shape at the end of the corridor. a custom glass top table was designed for the dining area. the base of the table is a one-of-a-kind terrazzo cylinder with green aggregates that were picked to match the green marble

study room closeup – white colored wood, white iron frames, and transparent glass

view from the entrance – bare brick wall and the study

view of the large window from the living room, the main focal point of the house

custom media unit made from a combination of maple wood and rattan

view of the master bathroom

master bathroom partition with a view of the pink 10-by-10 cm tiles the decorate both the walls and the floor

master bathroom interior – pink tiles and carrera marble

guest bathroom – a combination of two different tiles

apartment plan

project info:

name: a colorful modern twist for a 1950s tel aviv apartment

architects: florencia michelli

location: tel aviv, israel

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina petridou | designboom