About four years ago, architect Mor Zuaretz renovated a home for a family of four. Since then, another son was born, and not long after, they decided it was time to move into a larger home better suited to their needs.
They purchased a 560-square-meter house in Ashkelon, built directly on the seafront, and asked Zuaretz to design it for them, following the success of their first project together. “The house had only walls and windows,” she recalls. “We created a completely different exterior development plan, including a pool, and redesigned the interior as well. Everything was done under time pressure because the family had already sold their previous home and committed to handing it over to the new owners.”
The front door opens into a large foyer, facing the staircase and an exterior wall composed entirely of a large glass façade that overlooks the yard and pool. The entry cabinet is clad in dark wood veneer and conceals the electrical and communications systems, while also serving as storage for coats and items such as a vacuum cleaner. The cabinet continues along the wall, turns with it and connects seamlessly to the kitchen cabinetry.
Double-sided sofa and floating console
To the left of the entrance is a large open space finished with greige-toned (combining gray and beige hues) granite porcelain flooring. This area includes a living room, a spacious dining area and access to the yard.
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The entrance level, featuring the living room, kitchen, dining area and access to the yard
(Photo: Elad Gonen)
At the far end, close to and open toward the outdoor space, is the living room, where Zuaretz placed an especially large, light-colored double-sided sofa. It allows seating either facing the living area and television or looking out toward the garden. Beside it stands a set of dark glass tables in varying sizes and a pair of light armchairs. Opposite them hangs a floating marble console designed by Zuaretz, accompanied by a lighting fixture made of three circular elements by Roche Bobois, purchased at Pietro Hecht.
On the wall to the left of the living room, between two long windows, a slab of natural granite was mounted on a specially constructed frame designed to support the stone’s substantial weight. “It was intended to separate the dining area from the living room while adding another material layer to the space,” Zuaretz explains.
In the dining area stands a table, also purchased at Pietro Hecht, by the brand Porada, featuring a large glass top. “We chose clear, thin glass so as not to visually overload the space,” says Zuaretz. “It rests on a unique handcrafted wooden leg, so we did not give up the table’s strong presence or its connection to the materials used throughout the home.”
Immediately after the dining area, and parallel to it, stands an especially large island clad in natural stone. “The kitchen is located in a defined, side area, and I wanted to expand it and bring it outward so it would become part of the main space,” Zuaretz explains. “That is why I placed an island with a material consistent with the kitchen design, incorporating not only seating but also a cooktop."
On both sides of the island are cabinets with glass vitrines. On one side is a large wine cabinet that continues the wood-veneer-clad entry cabinet. On the other is a display cabinet for decorative objects, which marks the end of the tall kitchen cabinetry.
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A slab of natural granite mounted on a structural frame in the living room
(Photo: Elad Gonen)
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Clear, thin glass was used to avoid visually overloading the space
(Photo: Elad Gonen)
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A sense of openness and the use of consistent materials throughout the home
(Photo: Elad Gonen)
The kitchen itself was designed in a clean, modern and functional style, with light-colored cabinets arranged in a U shape and a granite porcelain work surface that extends upward to become wall cladding. A large window stretching across most of the back wall of the kitchen is covered with a dark wood-toned Venetian blind, intended to add color to the bright space and visually connect it to the living room, where identical blinds were installed.
Outside, a roughly 200-square-meter yard extends with a heated seawater pool clad in mosaic tiles that mimic natural stone. Beside the pool, a raised area was planned with a lounging sofa, followed by another hosting zone featuring a dining area and an outdoor kitchen by Segav Carmel. Among the plants, Zuaretz concealed built-in speakers.
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A view from the kitchen into the living room, with a repetition of materials
(Photo: Elad Gonen)
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All the furniture, textiles, lighting fixtures and accessories were purchased at Pietro Hecht
(Photo: Elad Gonen)
Cinema in the basement, gym on the roof
Inside the house, to the right of the entrance, is the room of the eldest son, now 10, designed as a more mature child’s room that will serve him for years to come. The nearby staircase leads down to a 28-square-meter windowless basement, transformed into a fully equipped home cinema with acoustic insulation, a tailored lighting system and upholstered armchairs custom-ordered from Italy.
From there, the staircase leads back up to the first floor, where it opens into a large open space with a balcony facing the sea. To make efficient use of the area, Zuaretz placed the homeowner’s office here, featuring an asymmetrical desk with one leg made of dark glass.
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The bathroom, with matching floor and wall cladding, creates a harmonious look
(Photo: Elad Gonen)
This floor also houses the bedrooms of the two younger children, an 8-year-old daughter and a 2-and-a-half-year-old son. One of the rooms includes a bed by Ditre Italia. The floor also includes a shared bathroom, a laundry room and the parents’ suite.
The suite spans the entire rear side of the floor and is highlighted by a wall clad in dark wood veneer, integrated with a vitrine featuring concealed lighting. The upholstered bed is set against this wall, with the bedside tables and reading lights incorporated directly into the cladding. Accessories and bedding were selected from Fendi Casa at Pietro Hecht. From here, the space continues into a walk-in closet and the couple’s bathroom, as well as access to a large balcony overlooking the yard.
Finally, the tour returns to the staircase and ascends to the rooftop level, where a single room is surrounded by large windows. Here, facing the sweeping sea view, a fully equipped home gym was built, complete with dedicated rubber flooring, bringing the tour of the house to an indulgent close.