Designer: Eden Zoarets | Photographer: Oren Amos
A large apartment in the heart of the city brings endless possibilities. Just ask designer Eden Zoarets, who used Caesarstone’s 513 Striata porcelain countertops to create an unforgettable cooking and dining space.
After many years in Tel Aviv, a married couple decided to return to their hometown of Netanya. Before moving into a large apartment in a building built in the 90s, the couple decided to conduct a full-scale renovation. Eden Zoarets from Studio Lev Haarets was brought on board as the project’s designer.
Together with the homeowners, Zoarets decided to design a modern space that ushers in the present while paying respect to the apartment’s foundations. The goal was to create a warm and vibrant atmosphere with hints of Tel Aviv Bauhaus, which would be both contemporary and timeless. The apartment was completely restructured and realigned to fit the couple’s needs and requirements. As rooms were reshaped and infrastructures were added, Zoarets and the homeowners decided to expose some of the apartment’s concrete columns and foundations, creating a youthful urban atmosphere that pays homage to original construction craftsmanship.
From a design standpoint, Zoarets placed a special emphasis on the kitchen and dining area, which are immediately noticeable from the apartment’s entrance. The kitchen’s centerpiece is a large island (almost three meters in length) with four stylish black bar stools. Zoarets chose a warm wood veneer for the kitchen island sitting area and for the cabinets right above the sink, which complement the kitchen’s vast dark grey matte cabinetry and storage space wall.
Bringing together all of the kitchen’s design elements – cabinetry, wood elements, grey tiling and concrete columns – required a unique countertop for both the island and sink area. Zoarets envisioned a countertop that would blend in perfectly, and yet could also create an unforgettable visual impact. Familiar with the earthy allure of Caesarstone’s 513 Striata, Zoarets decided that this rough-finish porcelain countertop would be the perfect addition to an already beautiful kitchen space.
Together with the homeowners, Zoarets decided to showcase the dominance of 513 Striata’s smoky grey ambiance, prominent veins and intriguing rusty spots. Therefore, Zoarets proceeded to design a waterfall countertop for the kitchen’s island, while also extending the sink area countertop with a striking Striata backsplash. By doing so, the kitchen’s design creates a showstopping effect, which complements both the bare concrete columns and the gentle neutrality of the apartment’s walls and furniture.
Porcelain
A smoky grey base weathered like a rock and fossil-like, a geological landscape that comes to life as a surface, its strong earthy presence reflected in a complex structure of fine dark veins at the center alongside more prominent lines in other parts, emphasized by patina stains, rusted silt, chalky-white streaks, and burnt orange markings, in Ultra-Rough finish.
This project is a perfect example of how an apartment – and its kitchen – can masterfully combine cutting-edge modernity with an earthy presence from past eras. Designer Eden Zoarets’s ability to hand-pick every design element creates a fascinating canvas that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also creates a wonderful living experience.
Designer: Maya Fadlon Grossberg. Styling: Adi Fogel. Photographer: Karin Raveena
Eden Zoarets