7 Steps To Your Elegant & Stylish Home

As Shavuot approaches, we think about Ruth’s dedication to Naomi.  Ruth was willing to separate from her past life and move toward a future with a new beginning.  Perhaps that’s your desire as you plan to make aliyah or prepare to create a vacation home for your family in Israel.

Moving from your home in the United States or Canada to make aliyah may seem overwhelming. How can you pack your belongings and begin again?  Is it possible to leave everything familiar and move to the Jewish homeland?  What will life in Israel be like for you and your family?  

You may be worried that you won’t have the same lifestyle in your new home.  

There’s a way to calm all of the uncertainty and doubt.  As a professional interior designer, I’ll guide you through the 7 steps to create an elegant, stylish, and inviting home in Israel.

Step 1: Meet for an initial consultation

The first step is to talk about the home you purchased or are purchasing. Is it a new development project or a historic property?  Will you be making aliyah, or is this apartment a vacation home so you can spend holidays in Israel? We’ll discuss your taste and lifestyle during the consultation to understand your preferences.  

The initial conversation is about what kind of home you envision for yourself.  Are you looking for a place where you always entertain family and friends or a quiet retreat where you can escape and enjoy views of the old city from your balcony?  If you’re planning a vacation home, you may want to feel pampered and relaxed. Or if you’re making aliyah, you may want to feel a strong sense of belonging.

An initial consultation is exciting as you begin to explore all the possibilities for your new home.

Step 2:  Create a conceptual design

Once you explore what’s possible, it’s time to create a conceptual design.  Are there images that inspire you?  What do you envision for your kitchen, living spaces, and bedroom? One client loves Jerusalem stone, so I incorporated the design throughout her home, including an accent wall and a stone sink.  Inspiration can come from anywhere, and we’ll work together to identify what style is for you. 

Your initial plan layout will be created, designing a home for you to flow from room to room comfortably and easily.  Having a functioning floor plan means you won’t be carrying your Shabbat brisket from the kitchen through the living room to the dining table.  

Designing an efficient floor plan for your home that aligns with your lifestyle is essential to making your home perfect for your family.

Depending on the apartment you purchased, there may already be an initial floor plan. Designs can be modified to personalize the layout for your needs. The walls can probably be adjusted if you want to enlarge the kitchen. One of my clients requested that the location of the kitchen and living room be switched to better suit their family’s interaction.  Another client purchased adjacent apartments, which we customized and combined to create a larger home.

You can create a comfortable home in Israel specifically tailored to your family's lifestyle.

Step 3:  Design detailed plans

With the conceptual design and initial layout complete, detailed designs are created.  This step includes creating plans for plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems.  

You’ll want to ensure that you have enough electrical outlets in the kitchen to connect the mixer, microwave, coffee machine, and other appliances without wires running haphazardly on your countertop.  With the cold winters and hot summers in and around Jerusalem, sufficient heating and air conditioning systems will keep your home at the right temperature all year.

The detailed plans are instructions for the builders and contractors to ensure they design your home to be elegant and inviting for you and your family.

Step 4:  Select your finishes

Along with detailed plans, select all the finishings that help make your home unique.  There are multiple flooring choices, ceramic tiles for your bathrooms and kitchen, and door knobs for cabinets.  You’ll probably want to choose light fixtures that align with your style and reflect your desired ambiance for the spaces.

For some of my clients, this can be overwhelming. For others, they enjoy shopping and choice selections.  Either way, as a professional interior designer, I can guide you in checking the materials so you don’t have to jump on a plane for each decision.

Collaborating with you ensures your home has the furniture, lighting, textiles, and window coverings that align with your taste and style.

Step 5:  Visit the site

At different times during the process, you’ll want an expert to come to your apartment to see the progress.  The site visits allow for verification that the contractor is constructing according to your plans.  

There are milestones to check that the electrical outlets are all in the right place, that the kitchen is installed the way you desire, and a final inspection to see that your home aligns with your expectations.  Even when the build is complete, there’s a site visit to check any additional upgrades you requested.

As a professional interior designer visiting your site, I’ll communicate progress and keep you informed, so you always know what’s happening with your home.

Step 6:  Coordinate your project 

Being overseas, it’s difficult for you to coordinate with contractors, suppliers, and tradespeople.  It’s essential to have a professional in Israel to ensure your home's design and implementation are running smoothly.  

Project coordination happens throughout the process of designing your home.  There could be coordination with the architect to modify the windows in the original plans to have the view you want of the Western Wall.  If you’ve purchased a new development, there’s synchronization with the builder to understand the project timeline.  And when it comes time to bring in the electrician, plumber, and mechanical team, a professional interior designer can align all the disciplines and make installations smoother.

Keep your project moving forward with an expert to coordinate so you can start enjoying your apartment as soon as possible.

Step 7:  Wrap up your project

Final touches happen once the construction is completed.  At this phase, your home is checked to ensure everything is according to your plan.  Any missing items are noted so there can be a follow-up to verify you’re getting what you desire.

If you are out of the country and unavailable to get the keys to your apartment, we’ll pick them up and finalize the customization of your home.  Walking in the door, you’ll feel at home, with style and elegance—right down to the minor details. 

Create an elegant, stylish, and inviting home in Israel

Ruth may not have worried about making aliyah or the house she would live in. She just said to Naomi, “Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.”  

Had Ruth thought about her lifestyle, she may have followed these 7 steps to ensure she would have an elegant and stylish home. If you are interested in designing a unique and inviting home that brings to life your personality in every room, contact me at 052-308-9779.

Wishing you a Happy Shavuot