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New Rustic Open Air Courtyard Warms a Tel Aviv Loft

Architects Henkin Shavit Studio have renovated a loft apartment on the top floor of a 1960s building in in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The renovation brings a rustic timber deck to make a sunny central courtyard for the top floor loft.

The clients were an interior designer and a graphic designer who had lived in the apartment for two years.

The 95 sq ft apartment now skirts a large central courtyard and focal point.

Like many touches throughout, the new courtyard entry doors are found objects.

The first thing seen on entrance to the loft, which overlooks ancient views of the Mediterranean Sea and the ancient neighborhoods of Jaffa and Tel Aviv, is a former sniper weapon cleaning table.

A raw concrete pillar is festooned with a flea market find; amusing antique chandeliers from the 1950s.

Old wooden doors were dismantled from a 20′s eclectic building and were renovated and refurbished by the studio.

A box shaped sink is supported atop the legs of an old diamond polishing machine.

A dizzying patterned floor kitchen floor from the 1960s is countered by au courant bare bulb lighting.

New pine floors throughout bring a warmth to the loft.

And now there is an earthy and rustic open air space at its heart.

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A Quirky Resort Filled with Asian Antiquities on the Balinese Coast

The imposing Balinese retreat of Mahatma House blends architectural traditions with meticulous symmetrical lines.

Owned by a Spanish model and a fashion designer, the art-filled, polished black interiors offer a quirky take on Balinese traditions.

Shiny black interior paint is applied to handmade built-in furniture in a way that is almost artisanal.

But also a stunning array of Asian antiquities are casually strewn throughout the rambling pavilions.

With its dramatic interiors and grand sense of space, the quirky and sophisticated villa on Bali’s south-west coast is the epitome of cool.

The five bedroom villa was designed as a venue for holding a special event, from intimate gatherings to more lavish celebrations.

A rocky outdoor seating arrangement offers a convivial retreat for large groups.

The resort is sited just steps from the black volcanic-sand beaches in the traditional Balinese village of Seseh.

Welcoming guests from the grass entry, antique Balinese wooden fretwork is contrasted with a rocky water feature.

The villas offer guests retreat to a quiet tropical serenity with a distinctively Asian flavor.

Mahatma House offers a tropical beachfront atmosphere on the Balinese coast.

Surely a memorable place in paradise!

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Design Dilemma: A Pretty, Polished 325 Square Foot Studio

Who says you can’t live beautifully and elegantly in less than 350 square feet? The home of Jennifer Pade, who lives in New York City, proves that it is possible to live large in a very small space. In fact, she’s lived in an apartment of just 325 square feet for the last 17 years, which proves that less is more.

Take a look:

Below, a view of the living room. Just beyond the living room, you get a peek of the bedroom.

And here, you see the kitchen, which flows seamlessly into the living room:

And below, the bedroom.

And so we’re back to the living room:

We’d say that Pade has mastered the art of small living. She has managed to make a tiny space feel huge, by simply adopting a few tricks.

1) She’s kept everything white, bright and light. Outfitting the floors in a bleached wood look provides a feeling of expansiveness and helps light bounce around the room. She’s keep cabinetry white to continue that open feeling. The use of neutrals for the bed, couch and walls, continues the airy theme.

2) She’s shown remarkable restraint in collecting objects. In fact, the space is very spare at this size, which helps it to feel calm and relaxing. Pade says she lives by the rule, if anything comes in, something else must go out.

3) Her space has important architectural details that go a long, long way to creating a sense of grandeur. High ceilings, tall windows with lots of natural sunlight, help this space to feel much larger than it actually is.

5. Tall cabinets in the kitchen make use of vertical space that might otherwise go to waste. She also changed the door between the kitchen and bathroom into a pocket door that takes up no space.

What an inspiration!

Images via Apartment Therapy.