Choosing My Kitchen Backsplash (a Fairy Tale)
When we made Aliyah in 2021, we moved into a newly built apartment in Modiin fresh from the kablan (contractor). Because we’d been Airbnb’ing for 6 weeks already and I was 9 months pregnant, we were eager to get the keys, so the owner rushed the final to-dos and left the kitchen without a backsplash. As you can see below, this isn’t great for the wall behind the sink or the stove.
The owner is now selling the apartment and we’ll likely get the boot within a year, but I’m taking a trip down fairy tale lane to consider how I’d tile the backsplash. If we zoom out for a second you’ll see there’s already a lot going on in the living room and the surrounding areas:
If I was to do a color, a green tone could be nice, to complement the plants and contrast the red and pink hues of the living room. I’d do a vertical or square pattern to balance the horizontal cabinetry. These mint tiles from Tile Israel could work, but I’d place them side by side rather than staggered for a more streamlined modern look. I really love these colorful green and white tiles from Balatot, but they’re too busy as pictured. Choosing just one or two of the tones could be fun. And I like these deep green squares from Milstone, but they feel too dark for this kitchen.
Here’s a test using just one of the green shades from the Balatot tile set:
If the white half of the tile is actually white and not grayish like this photo from online suggests, then I like it. This one requires some in person research, so let’s move on for now.
If I was to lay off the color and get white tiles, they should be matte, because the cabinets are already glossy, and white gloss on white gloss is overkill in this context. A plain white tile could work, but something with texture would be more interesting. I found this textured white tile from Studio Ceramica that looks wonderful:
The downside is it’s probably terrible to clean and not ideal for a grease-catching kitchen backsplash. (I’d look into this further to be certain.) If we’re back to the drawing board with whites, these Milstone and Kal Vahomer rectangles are available in a matte finish and would be a simple elegant option, stacked cleanly like at left.
So that’s a workable white solution. But it’s a bit of a yawn. And while there’s nothing wrong with a good clean yawn in a good clean kitchen (I do love a white kitchen), I keep circling back to the tiles on speed, like this blue asterisk pattern from Milstone:
Testing it….
Kind of cute, no?
If I were really getting a backsplash right now, I’d visit tile showrooms in person.
Another option is to have the Caesarstone countertop continue up the wall, not have to choose a single tile, and live happily ever after.
Korean Countryside Living
Once in a while I zone out to Korean YouTuber Hamimommy, a 30-something housewife who shares scenes from her home and daily life with 2 million subscribers. She cooks, cleans, organizes, and gardens against the backdrop of her various homes, all of which have been a take on white and wood. She peppers her videos with little clichés like, “Small happinesses add up to create happy life,” and “Life is beautiful anyway!” which, thanks to her meditative style, feel more warm and fuzzy than trite. She recently gave a tour of her newest house in the countryside. I love the five simple bulb pendants in the kitchen and the crisp plant in the bedroom.
Her previous home was also charming. I can never get enough of the plaid curtains (as I’ve mentioned here before).
A Day in Tel Aviv
During the week of Sukkot while my parents were visiting, Jake and I abandoned the kids and spent a day walking and taste testing Tel Aviv. We started with a coffee and pastry at Dallal Bakery in Neve Tzedek and then walked north to have lunch at Port Said in Lev Hair. After wandering around the Yemenite Quarter we got another coffee at Papua Cafe, sat on a bench for an hour to call friends and people watch, and then got malabi and another coffee at Hamalabiya. From there we headed north on King George St., through Meir Park and around Dizengoff Square. After reaching Old North we took a scooter down the beach to get to Florentin for pizza and beer at Teder.
Best coffee: Papua Cafe
Best bite: Port Said
Neve Tzedek
Michal Flowers
Okra salad @ Port Said
Grilled mackerel @ Port Said
Painted shutters on Allenby St.
Dostoevsky Bookstore
My great grandparents’ former home on Mohiliver St.
Original tiles where my grandfather grew up
Papua Cafe
New build in the Yemenite Quarter
Sunset by the beach
Teder.fm
Mood Board: Calm Netanya Living Room
I’m working on a living room in Netanya for which the guiding word is: calm. My clients want modern, clean tranquility in blues and café au lait. The most important feature for them is the sofa — they’re couch people. They want a big, comfortable, enveloping couch that serves as the showpiece of the room. So we decided to invest in the perfect couch and spring for a custom-made one that fits neatly against the unusual angle in their newly purchased apartment.
The sofa will stretch across the back two walls at left and the TV will go on the wall to the right of the balcony. The floors are a cream terrazzo.
Painting in progress
My clients chose Tambour’s Patience for the walls (the left wall will also be painted). And they’re playing around with cardboard to see how the sofa will stretch across the room.
My sense is they’re leaning towards a shade of blue for the couch. Once that’s finalized we’ll have an anchor around which to decorate the rest of the room.
Sources: Art // Fan // Round Wall Light // Black Wall Lights // Coffee Table // Dark Blue Rug // Blue Striped Runner // Light Blue Couch // Beige Couch // Dark Gray Tassel Pillow // Dark Beige Pillow // White-Beige Pillow
Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert’s Outfits
I first came across Giovanna Battaglia in The Sartorialist’s street style blog a decade and a half ago, before she married Swedish entrepreneur Oscar Engelbert and took his name and had two kids. I’ve been following her outfits ever since. When it comes to fashion, she has the most glamorous take on fun.
Vibia’s Plusminus Lighting System
I went to a lecture at Technolite’s new showroom in Airport City last week and was introduced to Vibia’s new Plusminus lighting system as the track light of the future. Designed by Stefan Diaz, Plusminus combines a flexible, conductive textile belt with lights that can connect to it at any point and be hung in infinite ways: taut or loose, straight or curvy, up or down, left or right. Vibia’s website calls the design “equal parts easy and avant-garde … If you can draw it, Plusminus can create it.” The pictures explain it all.
Design Process: Carmei Gat Living Room
I did the mood boards for a penthouse apartment in Carmei Gat, which has a lot of light and great views. The unit was purchased from the original owner, so we worked with the existing finishes. Our starting point was gray tile floors and the large gray sectional that my client already owns.
BEFORE
3D MOCKUP
During our brainstorm she quickly gravitated towards a feature wall of books, and we found this rug together which she got excited about and purchased immediately to help anchor the rest of the room. After that the goal was to warm up the space with creamier tones and natural materials, plants, a curtain for the small window, and a large mirror to reflect the great view.
She was keen to paint the space the perfect off-white, instead of the bright white that comes standard in apartments and feels too hospital-y for her taste. We settled on Tambour’s Swan Lake, which turned out beautifully with zero yellow undertones. Only after the long ordeal of ruffling through paint fans did I notice that Swan Lake mirrors the designer favorite, White Dove by Benjamin Moore. If you’re looking for the perfect off-white by a more economical Israeli brand, check out Swan Lake by Tambour.
Sources: IKEA Kivik Couch // השטיח האדום Rug // United Seats (Pickup) Armchair // Betili Coffee Table // IKEA Skottorp Lamp // Pebble Storm Swingfan // Golf & Co. Ottomans (no longer available)
Dusen Dusen’s Patterns
Designer Ellen Van Dusen launched her bold-print womenswear line Dusen Dusen in 2010, and in 2015 she expanded into textile and home goods. She pairs vibrant colors and patterns like no other and has been hailed by Domino as having “reinvented the stripe.” Her trick for combining colors is to select two that are on opposite ends of the color wheel, but then shift them slightly. Some of her towels, robes, bedding, and throws ship to Israel, so have a look around if you’re game to splurge on customs fees.
Mexico City Airbnb in Tacubaya
I still think about this Airbnb I stayed in when I visited Mexico City in 2012 (……a decade ago). The archways, the plants, the windows, the white-washed walls and pops of color…... Run by Gaby, an architect who splits her time between Mexico City and Brooklyn, it was the perfect landing pad from which to explore the city. Located in Tacubaya, it’s a block from the metro and walking distance to the beautiful neighborhoods of Condesa and Roma as well as Chapultepec Park.
Mockup: Mid-Century Danish Wood Shelving
In a Facebook group someone asked for design advice about the built-in wood shelving in her new apartment. Here’s what she said:
I personally REALLY love them. They are some sort of mid century danish design that the previous owner commissioned.
However, a couple of problems: First, there is one area of the wall where the wood is missing. I have no idea what happened there but the previous tenants put some "wood wallpaper" to make it blend in but it does look odd. Also, in general, because they take up such a large area of the living room and are really dark I am wondering if it's making the space too dark.
Thank you for reading so far! So my questions are:
1. Would you hire a carpenter to try to match a piece of wood to the style/stain of the rest of the wood?
2. Would you paint the back wall of the built-in shelves white so it's not so dark? I'm really really resistant to this because I love the wood but wanted to hear opinions and part of me is worried that is is all too dark...
3. Finally, what color floors would you combine all this with? I like the idea of mixing the midcentury wood look with some other industrial/modern style for the flooring so it's not so "matchy matchy" — would light gray textured floors look good here?
For reference, in general I really like this kind of decorating style:
https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/justina-blakeneys-punchy-pattern-filled-los-angeles-home-233347
Here’s what the place looks like:
My instinct when faced with a ton of wood is always to paint it white, but given this is custom work she really loves, I was eager to see how it could feel without the no-turning-back paint solution. This was my response to her:
1 - To start, you can try covering those areas with artwork to hide the imperfections and mirrors to reflect light.
2 - Usually my reaction to wood is to paint it white. But it looks like you've stumbled upon some rare valuable carpentry that might be worth preserving. You can start by trying to brighten the space with books, art, plants, mirrors, and bright rugs and furniture, and see if the place achieves the spirit you're after. (Justina Blakeney's living room is also filled with darker tones.) Down the road you can paint it if it's not working for you, and you'll feel that much more certain about it.
3 - Agree with others: match the warm tones and go light and bright.
Here's how the space could feel doing the above:
That’s how this mockup came to be. It was a lot of fun to put together and confirmed (for my own curiosity!) that even if white paint ultimately becomes the desired route, preserving the wood that initially wowed her can still make for a vibrant, bohemian, jungly space.