Project: HK House / For The Grandkids
Architectural design and planning: Itsik Niv
Location: Caesarea, Israel
Property: 380 sqm
Plot: 1,000 sqm
Photography: Elad Gonen
This couple decided to build a new home closer to their children and grandchildren, and Architect Itsik Niv created exactly that and more. An open and well-lit bungalow allows them to entertain their family with ease with a variety of facilities such as a swimming pool, an outdoor kitchen, luxurious bedrooms, and a mesmerizing view of the beach.
This couple purchased a 1,000 sqm plot in Caesarea on which a 380 sqm property was built, with internal space that separates the couple’s area from the rest of the property. The planning concept was formulated according to the owners’ requirements. A clean and functional property with good spatial flow and a design that relies on minimal use of materials to create a clean, calm, warm, and inviting feel. Architect Itsik Niv also planned a pampering outdoor area, pleasant and welcoming with a pool and an outdoor kitchen.
The front facade that faces the street is relatively opaque, combined with wood cladding above which a horizontal window was fitted for extra daylight. Wood cladding was also used in the entrance, and the back of the property opens up entirely onto the garden and the open spaces beyond it.
A green pathway leads to a roofed lobby. When opening the front door an axis runs through the property and ends with a patio and an olive tree. This axis marks the space partitioning: to the right, on the western front facing side, are the master bedroom, guest toilets, utility room, home office and garage.
On the other side is the living space that includes a lounge, a kitchen, and a dining area.
The lounge and the dining area are separated by an airy shelf unit that connects and separates the areas of the property simultaneously.
The unit was designed in wood and metal, including open and closed shelves that range in height creating an interesting dynamic in the space. Both the lounge and kitchen are easily accessed from the dining area and a horizontal window connects the kitchen with the dining area to create continuity of space.
South of the open space is a corridor that leads to the grandchildrens’ rooms. At the end of the corridor is an exit to the garden, which was fitted with wooden beams and a skylight to wash the space with a soft light. The corridor is also used for functional storage and is fitted with a low and long custom-made piece of carpentry.
The home is mostly modern and clean in its design but at the same time warm and somewhat rustic, thanks to elements such as an exposed brick wall in the open space.
Wood parquet was used for the floors, graphite colored Belgian aluminum profiles were used for the windows and sliding doors, and the main colors used around the property are black, gray, and white with touches of mustard yellow and wood. The color palette is consistent throughout the property creating visual continuity that is comforting and pleasant on the eye.
Minimalist decorative lighting that matches the spirit of the design theme, was used around the property, such as a delicate glass fitting in the dining area or free-standing lamps that create an ambience and are an integral part of the overall calm space. Homogenous carpentry pieces were tailor-made in metal and wood, such as the library that partitions the lounge from the kitchen or the long tv console that stands against the brick wall. Furniture that combines leather and metal was used for the seating area and the coffee table is made of two metal and marble tables in different heights. One is rectangular in shape, lower and larger and the other fits above it.
Some of the kitchen drawers are gray and some are made of refined oak for a rustic feel. A kitchen island extends towards the dining table, and both share the same dark quartz top. The use of materials and colors continues to run through the bathrooms and guest toilets – wood alongside shades of gray.
The garden was designed as a cozy outdoor lounging space that includes a paved area, a lawn, a pool and a well-equipped outdoor kitchen. A well-lit pergola covers the outdoor seating area and meets the pool, which was designed as a splash pool. External steel stairs were fitted alongside the seating area leading to a roof that overlooks a mesmerizing sea view.
