Oh – my point. They are having a contest. A really neat one open to people worldwide. Yeah that’s right – worldwide.

Here’s the info:

For the next two weeks, short video clips of 13 different furniture manufacturers will show you pieces from their furniture collections that are eco friendly. The purpose of the contest is to showcase manufacturers who have made a commitment to using sustainably sourced materials.

The contest is easy. The person, each day that the contest runs, who makes the most insightful, helpful or educational tip of the day either on the blog or on the video itself, will win a 100 Visa gift card. The contest starts today and runs through July 26th. The contest is open to people from all countries and all of the details and the first video are on Bio’s site right now.

And for the record – no, this isn’t a paid post. I just thought it was insanely neat that this contest is open worldwide and wanted to tell people about it.

Walking through the already open door, I was greeted by Ayal Segev and Yasha Goman, who were sitting with their Macintosh computers at the work table they built using two carpenters’ saw-horses and a large slab of translucent corrugated pvc.

I told them I was interested in whatever it is they do, because at this point I wasn’t exactly sure. I just knew I loved the way they had set up their studio, for which they intentionally chose a location on the street because they like having walk-in visitors. Turns out they are a team of three architects who recently graduated from the program at Bezalel and had also each studied abroad in different locations. They decided together to skip the three-year internship that is customary for architecture grads in Israel because they wanted to break away from the established building and design methods here.

They were able to win a bid for a contract to design a development of 13 semi-detached homes in Hod Hasharon as their first major project, which they are currently working on alongside a few other endeavors. Their design philosophy encompasses the entire process of creating a space, especially finding inexpensive materials and configuring them for easy assembly. “We refuse to allow building companies and contractors to constrain our creativity and eat up project budgets”, they explained. And they went on to demonstrate these ideas via a tour of their own work space. Using some old materials and simple raw elements, they were able to renovate the space on their own, and only needed to hire a handyman to help out with some of the carpentry.

The studio was previously a restaurant, with all the conventional types of covering and fixtures you see in most homes and commercial spaces—a sheet rock facade on certain walls, drop ceilings, tile floors. The guys wanted a rough-and-ready aesthetic, or as they put it, “we wanted to reset the space to its original state”. They stripped out any non-functional elements leaving a concrete floor, exposed wires, and bare walls. The light fixtures that went with the drop ceilings are now hanging from wires, and the ladder they use to reach the top shelves of their industrial steel bookcases gives the place a playful “under construction” feel.

Most of the furniture in the studio was built from scratch to fit into specific places. Iron railings with steel cables strung through them, like you would see in many upscale modern spaces, were built for a fraction of the cost you would pay a contractor. Floor lamps, sometimes used outside for parties, were very simply constructed from existing light fixtures, rigged plastic sheeting, and a few screws and bolts.

Upstairs, Igor Shevchenko was working on a topographic model, which the team is using for their entry in a competition to design a new city hall for Eilat. We looked at another design element they built from scratch, a long aluminum shelf anchored into the wall for their kitchen area. There’s also an old refrigerator (one of those cool 1950’s ones with rounded corners) that they rescued and painted gray—it fits in beautifully.

I asked if they take smaller projects for everyday consumers, and these guys are ready for anything. Custom furniture, additions and renovations, they can do it all. Take a look at these pictures of a rooftop kitchen and laundry room that was built for a friend. Again, they used simple materials like wood and aluminum cut to size and then assembled onsite. Ayal explained that they did not want to use any paint for this structure because it is very close to beach, and the salinity in the air would corrode the paint. I’m really impressed by how simple this setup is, but it still has character and looks comfortable.

To see more projects by Yona3, check out their website or drop by the studio sometime!

Egyptian cotton is my favorite quality of all.  It washes well, has a super soft hand and is easy to find in most stores these days.  I found a sheet resource here in Tel Aviv that I really like.  Darlain has a nice collection of home furnishings, including sheets; to choose from.  I went to the store and asked to photograph the bedding but the owner was not there.  I was given a phone number that did not work so now you are stuck with the few photos of actuals and some bad store windows.  

Here’s a set that my neighbour bought for her bedroom, and below is a set that I found for my daughters room.  If you notice in both of these photos, the top sheet looks like a duvet cover…  that’s because it is.  The double sheet takes the place of a flat sheet, at first I thought this was strange but now I can’t live without it. 

If you need sheets now, Darlain has a large store on Dizengoff street in Tel Aviv.  They also have high quality bathmats, small rugs and various items for the home.

It comes in pink, blue and yellow and will be sure to add a special glow to any room! Just let it absorb the light during the day, and watch it turn on as it gets dark!

I photographed the good parts . That’s what’s good about writing about my apartment, I can leave out the messy bits, unless they’re cool of course like my creatively messy desk you will see later on.

Here’s the first thing you see when you walk in – La Cucina

I realized that for one little person, I have a lot of stuff. I wish I could be more zen, but I can’t be because I love stuff, so I have zen areas. Like this one:

And this one (Even a Zen girl’s gotta have her shoes):

This is the living room and the couch where I spent most of the last week with my foot elevated on one of those pillows. It’s an ” L” shape, which I don’t recommend unless you have another couch which has arm rests on both ends. The person that ends up on the side without arm rests will not be so comfortable (I speak from experience).

And the view from the couch (sorry about the light):

There’s a weird niche next to the couch which I slotted a book case into to store some of the stuff that I just can’t bring myself to throw out, but never use (everyone has stuff like that, I can just tell you’re nodding). Oh, and there are some unfinished paintings and other started-and-never-finished projects which I keep there so that they’ll bug me because I can see them every day with hope that I’ll finish them soon, but procrastination gets the better of me.

This is my visible bookshelf (as opposed to the hidden one in the niche) with all my knick knacks.

A close up of this picture of my granny emerging from the sea in Tel Aviv which I love so much because it’s so nostalgic:

I have a notebook fetish. Here are only some of them on my coffee table, which incidentally I picked up off the street and turned into shabby chic by painting white and sanding the edges (it was a kids’ table in its previous incarnation). The notebooks are from all over the world, India, Baharain, South Africa, Prague, NY…. (if ever you need a gift for me…)

My beautiful palm, a drawing of my granny’s and my sewing kit:

This is my bedroom (not everyone goes in here, count yourselves lucky ). I did the painting on the wall and the rows of smaller pics are postcards of Hiroshige’s paintings (some more Japanese influence) which I framed in cheap Ikea frames. Another zen corner.

Lampshade made of paper which I love, in the bedroom:

And the dresser (Ikea, yes) and I also have a box fetish.

Here’s the creative mess I was telling you about. I love my desk. I’ve had it since I was a student, 11 years now! OMG I’m getting old.

Here’s the most exciting part of my bathroom, I found this dusty pink cabinet in the street as is! I just cleaned it out and voila! (excuse the greenish bathroom light):

Hope you enjoyed your visit. Thanks for dropping by. Come again soon.

P.S. I want to appologize for the quality of the photos. I think my camera is coming down with a focusing virus, I hear there’s one going around. I’ll have to take it to the doctor. Hope you enjoyed the visit anyway.

Well we got a letter from Nancy showing us how she dealt with her pine ceiling and asking us for some help:

Hi Shira!–

When we bought our new home it also had a pine ceiling that I couldn’t stand!!
Before we moved in we put white “Geves” (plaster) boards between the beams. It was a challenge because in some places the ceiling is nearly 3 stories high.
I love the way ceiling looks now! (I’ve attached pictures)

I thought I needed to see more before giving an opinion – so I wrote back asking for more photos.

This is the front of the house – and the two side sliding glass doors are where the living room is located. As such there’s a definitive traffic way via the living room because people would automatically go through the sliding glass doors over the front door – mainly because the front door has stairs.

As you saw from the picture above the floors are high gloss.

I don’t know your budget so I don’t know whether you can afford to change the furniture or not. I think the space is begging for different furniture. But the first thing, if you can’t get new furniture, would be to move the shelves so that they are centered on the wall between the window and the wall. I can see that you want them to balance the other chair on the other side, but it makes the space look off.

The rug is too small for the space. The furniture is not cozy at all. You might want to consider a new sofa set and get rid of the black completely. The rug should be about 6 inches (which is close to 12 cm) under the legs of the chairs and sofa. This isn’t for every case – but since the space can handle a large rug, this is the size you should be looking for.

Dark denim is supposedly the new trend in the US (read about it on Twitter) – and it happens to be a favorite style of mine – but if that isn’t your style then a dark burnt orange tweed would look good as well. I don’t recommend Ultrasuede. It doesn’t have any of the attributes they claim it does in my opinion and typically looks horrible in no time.

The coffee table is too small for the space as well. And side tables would be good, as would floor lamps.

If you love the paintings on the wall then use them as your color story. Create a theme board and choose colors that you think work from the paintings. Work out the space from there.

To create some interest in the dead space by the patio, add some greenery in the right corner by the sliding glass doors and drapes. The close grouping of the chairs encourages conversation – if you get a new set keep a similar setup.

Another long rug could be added in the open space by the patio doors for the winter time.

It’s a great house though – mazal tov.

These counters are far too spare for my taste… but that’s just me. I like to see, well everything in my kitchen if I can.

We have some seriously opinionated readers on Tchochkes – what do YOU think this space needs?

Something about the sloping design makes this stuff look like it is going to topple over.  The cool part about it is that it is easy to assemble, you don’t need an “L” wrench like you do for IKEA furniture.  And a little bird told me that it’s “cheap, cheap, cheap”.  Abundant Earth offers a 36″ inch desk for $279.00 and a 60″ desk for $428.00, now you really can’t beat that.  Unfortunately they don’t ship internationally but if they did would you buy this product? 

Kids rooms are typically bigger than the parents rooms, because they entertain their friends there – and Ruthie and Ze’ev’s place is no different.

Their oldest sons room doesn’t just house a bed and desk – they also have his drum kit to consider. These people are saints. I want my son to play drums – but his kit will be in the garage (as soon as we build one – fortunately he’s 5, we have some time).

Their oldest boys room killed me – I love it (he’s a great kid, so that’s no surprise). It was like stepping into 1983 all over again. He’s 12 and wears hats and skinny ties remnant of things I remember boys wearing back in the 80’s when I was 12.

Seriously – what year is this?

This is the only piece that looks like it came from now – the closet.

Brit, the painter of much of the art in the first post, has a room befitting a budding artist.

Here’s some of the best recycling I’ve seen in awhile. The tire chair comes from Plastic Plus in Pardess Hana.

More art from Brit.

My favorite thing in the room is this lamp. I just fell in love with it.

The youngest boy has a very typical boys room. Chaos…

… and a guitar.

The kids share a bathroom which is as colorful as the rest of the house.

I love the green tiles in the niche.

And the hilarious bathroom art.

Downstairs there’s more art from the kids (they are Israeli, yet they wrote “For Mom”).

The front of the work.

It’s a wonderful house. Thank you Ruthie and Ze’ev.

Chrysler Building NYC

The spire of the Chrysler Building is typically Art Deco which is also known as Sky Scraper Style.  This alluring style was inspired by the optimism of post WWI design and is noted for its sleek, even lines.  Modern in nature, Art Deco stands apart from today’s minimalist style and is noted not only for its beauty but also for its comfort.  This style was first popular in Europe in the 1920’s and later in the United States.   

This antique mirrored chest is a sign of those times.  Other materials from the period include aluminium, stainless steel, lacquer and inlaid wood.  Curved corners, sunburst motifs and chevron patterns are all are part of the theme.

Stoneware Tiles by Golem-Baukeramik

The Art Deco color palette is a simple one to follow based in black, white and gray.  “Two color” color combinations like green & black and red & black can be seen all along the way and to soften this story a pale blue or dove gray accented with chrome or gold.

This Art Deco “Springer” chair was designed by Weber Springer.  The name also indicates the chairs function which was to rock in a springing fashion on its steel frame.

Wall Sconce in Etched Metals

Here is a hanging light that captures the true Art Deco spirit.

I place this style somewhere between Bauhaus and Art Nouveau, there’s a little bit of everything in Art Deco style.

* For more on this era, check out this slide show .

Um, no. I need to take pictures of your amazing house.

They built their home about 10 years ago now, taking things, like the doors above, from old homes Ze’ev has renovated (in Israel they don’t have architectural scrap yards for some reason – they just throw everything away) and incorporating Ruthie’s pottery.

The floor is terracotta, which is hard to find in Israel and extremely expensive. Carpet tiles are placed strategically throughout the house.

The main area of the ground floor is open plan. The dining room is surrounded by two balconies and the view of the valley behind their home. The paintings on the wall above the window are by my sister-in-law (brothers wife), Nava Abel. Nava is good friends with Ruthie and there’s a lot of her influence (and art) in this house.

This picture was done by Nava Abel as well.

Between the dining area and the kitchen lies the piano niche. As you can see, there’s an amp there as well, perfect for their boys to plug in the guitar and do a duet.

The welcome mirror was done by an artist in Ruthie’s co-op shop located in the center of Zichron Yaakov.

The house has almost no white walls, yet they have several pieces of white furniture – such as the sofas.

This table was painted by Nava Abel. Admittedly, while I think it’s amazing – I don’t think I could have it in my house.

Nava painted this portrait of Ruthie.

I love this carpet. The colors in it are so clear and bright and the pattern is so ornate!

Of course there’s a story behind it. I asked Ze’ev where he bought the carpet… Apparently there was a bizarre in Zichron Yaakov many many years ago and these carpets were brought in by someone who had a relative who was working in Jordan. Long story short, they were smuggled in from Iraq. See why we need peace in the middle east? – I want this carpet!

Another carpet from the same source.

Ruthies daughter from her first marriage, Brit Yudel, also has a strong creative side. She did the painting above.

And the couple.

Going back around to the front you can see the carpet tile in the entryway and kitchen. The painting in the middle looks similar to Nava’s style with the colorful background, but was also done by Ruthie’s daughter, Brit.

Keep in mind – they had no warning that I was coming in order to photo-ready the house. Ruthie loves to cook, and it shows in her kitchen.

The shape of the arch in the window reflects the patterned painted arch above the sliding glass doors in the dining and living areas across the room.

The back-splash is mosaic-ed by Ruthie. She incorporated bowls throughout the wall for extra close storage. It’s a brilliant idea. I especially like the cup attached to the wall that holds all of the wood utensils.

Open shelving rules here – and I love it. If it wasn’t such a nightmare to keep clean (dust) I would have it in my own house. (Sometimes practicality rules over design for me, I know, shocking – but true.)

Look at the top – see the blue bottle bottoms at the top of the wall? How cool is that? And yes, they aren’t afraid of color. The ceiling is periwinkle blue and the walls are a light peach.

Mirrored toy niche above the stove. Why? No clue. I like it though.

White drawers seperate the kitchen from the dining area. Notice that the drawers, curio cabinet in the back of the photo and the sofas are all white in a home where the walls are a peach and the ceiling is periwinkle blue. And it all works.

Charactatures of their kids grace the front hallway leading to the rest of the house.

I’m only featuring the front area today. Part 2 of Ruthie and Ze’ev’s house with the bedrooms and hang out area will be on Wednesday.