IKEA Hack: Placemat Wall Decor
I’m making some affordable art for a client’s gallery wall. This ₪9 ($3) Mittbit placemat from IKEA fits her color scheme perfectly, and I framed it with the 40x50cm Hovsta for ₪49 (~$15).
She also wants basket-style wall decor mixed in. Somehow basket wall art is simultaneously ubiquitous and tough to find at a low price point. Instead we’ll use some more IKEA placemats, including one that I painted with some leftover pink paint from the samples I used on Talia’s wall.
It’s a subtle accent on the ₪9 Sluten placemat.
Talia’s Room
Earlier this year I shared Talia’s in-progress bedroom and plans for updates. Since then I’ve painted her walls pink and added a green mountain mural.
Her room before.
Testing pinks. Ended up going with Tambour’s Baked Alaska (top right).
First coat of green mountains in Tambour’s Green Maiden.
The end result.
This side of the room is still a bit rinky-dink and I may edit the scale of the mountains, but it’s fine for now.
This view I’m happy with. It has the wonderland feel I was going for.
Design Styles
Narrowing down your design style will help you define your home’s aesthetic. Take a moment to consider what you gravitate towards and which elements you like and, most importantly, dislike.
#1 - Clean & Serene
I’m calling this one Clean & Serene — minimalism with a light, bright palette. It can be modern or rustic or Mediterranean or Scandinavian; what these spaces have in common is “less is more” in white and neutral tones.
#2 - Fresh
A contemporary style with bold pops of color that feels playful, informal, and energizing. This is one of my favorites because paint is a budget-friendly way to make a big impact in a room.
#3 - Eclectic
This is my other favorite because it combines many styles. If you like mixing modern with vintage; displaying art, knick-knacks, and souvenirs from travel; and playing with pattern and texture, this is a good option. Add personality with unpredictable color combinations, like a pink kitchen counter or green and yellow in the dining room, and items used unconventionally, like a crate as a side table.
#4 - Modern Rustic
Modern Rustic blends farmhouse and cottage decor with contemporary designs. It’s semi-casual country charm, simultaneously polished and homey.
#5 - Bohemian
Also called Boho, this is your relaxed globe-trotting artist vibe. Though Bohemian and Boho are the same, the word Boho makes me think macrame, pampas grass, Moroccan poofs, and peacock chairs, while Bohemian makes me think baskets, plants, rattan, and layered Persian rugs. Both can look great but I veer towards the latter.
#6 - Maximalist
More is more! It’s not for everyone but it sure is fun.
#7 - New Traditional
Old-fashioned formality with updated comfort and sleek lines.
#8 - Contemporary
An Israeli favorite, Contemporary is modern and of the moment, “defined by simplicity, subtle sophistication, deliberate use of texture, and clean lines. Interiors tend to showcase space rather than things.” (The Spruce)
Beata Heuman, London
Beata Heuman’s rooms make me go WHAT! The combination of items are always — WHAT! Amazing. The artwork and light fixtures — amazing. The wallpaper and curtains — amazing. She makes the impossible amazing.
Romy Silber Benit’s Storage
125 sqm Ramat Hasharon - kitchen storage
Romy Silber Benit is my favorite interior designer in Israel that I’ve come across. She does beautiful gut renovations that transform modest-sized apartments into airy functional homes. There are a lot of Israeli designers doing clean, modern design, but Romy’s spaces have an extra special something — a subtle terrazzo floor that’s unlike any of the trending terrazzo out there, a beautiful vintage (or vintage-inspired) cabinet, luxuriously warm woods that stretch seamlessly across the wall, or a quirky pair of vases. On top of it, she does great storage (and prides herself on it). You can read a few storage tips from her on Walla.
125 sqm Ramat Hasharon - beautiful hall cabinet
125 sqm Ramat Hasharon - custom hallway storage
160 sqm apt in Ramat Gan - gorgeous cabinet in the corner (and those subtle terrazzo floors)
160 sqm apt in Ramat Gan - hallway storage
160 sqm apt in Ramat Gan - kitchen storage in warm blond wood
95 sqm penthouse in Tel Aviv - wall to wall living/dining storage
95 sqm penthouse in Tel Aviv - kitchen and island storage
95 sqm penthouse in Tel Aviv - those gorgeous vases
120 sqm apt in Tel Aviv - hallway storage
120 sqm apt in Tel Aviv - every surface with seamless storage
120 sqm apt in Tel Aviv - bathroom storage
88 sqm in Tel Aviv - beautiful cabinetry detailing in this kids room, plus a trunk and oversized basket
88 sqm in Tel Aviv - stunning black cabinet against great tiles
88 sqm in Tel Aviv - bathroom storage in deep wood and clean white
In Progress: Talia’s Room
Talia’s bedroom is in our mammad (bomb shelter/reinforced room, now required in all new buildings by Israeli law), and so far it looks like this:
The window needs a curtain or shade of some kind because it’s an eye sore (pretty much the only thing I see in this photo). I’m planning to paint the walls and ceiling light pink and then do a mural of green mountains. I hope it works out as I’m imagining.
I opted for an oversized globe light fixture to block the other eye sore in the room, the emergency air filtration system:
If I owned the apartment I’d consider building a closet around it to completely hide it, but since we’re renting, the paper globe ensures I don’t see it every time I pass the room. We’re calling it a moon, which will work nicely once the room is a forest.
The theme for the room comes from the forest scene sheets. My grandparents bought it for my mom at Macy’s in the late ‘70s when they came to visit her in the US from Israel. She just gave it to me when we moved to Modiin to use in Talia’s room. I already had the green rug, which had been in our living room in Brooklyn, and all the artwork. The bed, crates, and toy chest were speedy affordable buys from IKEA that I made when we moved in and I was already 9 months pregnant with Sol. The bed needs some work…
Here’s a mood board I put together to make sure everything will work together:
Wood-framed painting from Mexico City // Trees painting by Nicolas Party (for wall mural inspiration) // Landscape sheet set is vintage // Rice paper shade by Hay // Rug by Nordic Knots (similar here) // Elephant by Flying Tiger // Basket, crates, teepee, and orangutan by IKEA // Wall-hanging is vintage from my childhood // Pink paint is Tambour’s “Impatient Heart” // Green paint is Tambour’s “Jungle Book” (great name) // Bedroom by Emily Green for inspiration
The artwork here is too clumped together and organized in my opinion, with awkward vast white space around it. I’m planning to scatter it more once I paint the walls.
And this wall will look less empty after painting as well. For now Talia’s chest of drawers are old Muji storage containers I’ve had for years (already yellowing). One day we’ll upgrade…
Around Modiin
My favorite neighborhood in Modiin to walk around in and take photos is Shimshoni. The plant life and facades make for great inspiration.
I want that pot and plant….
Bougainvillea in Shimshoni
And a few from Nofim, where I live (Modiin’s newest neighborhood … for now):
View of Tel Aviv from our balcony, plus one of the new neighborhoods being built across the way.
Nook Architects, Barcelona
Barcelona has some of the best interiors, with multicolored tile floors and beamed ceilings. Nook Architects uses both beautifully — they’re a new favorite.
Gorgeous windows.
I love that hallway tile juxtaposed with the bedroom tile. Did you notice the clock?
Bathroom Top 10 list.
Beautiful tiles. They give the space everything.
Beams and tiles.
Here’s Nook’s three-person team:
I’m looking forward to their Domestika course, Interior Design from Start to Finish.
Pop of Green
via Fermetti
Bright green is my favorite — it’s clean and fresh and energizing. It adds life to a space much like plants do and feels lighthearted. Like below, where a wood or black table would make the room feel serious and sombre but the green makes it playful and less precious.
via Jessica Wansink
via Nook Architects
via hunker
via Milk Decoration
via thekitchn
via dezeen
via Domino
Leanne Ford’s Oversized Paper Globe Lanterns
Paper lanterns have been around for a long while, but Leanne Ford makes oversized ones look distinct and special every time. I just ordered this 80 cm one by Hay for my daughter’s room. Hope it does what I’m hoping it will for the space. More to come. In the meantime Leanne:
Side note, she spray-painted those wicker chairs Cherokee Red — nice idea. And the room has mirrors on every wall that isn’t a window, which reflects the garden outside all over the room.
