Scandinavian-style apartment
Stav Levinger, 30 and Bar Molot, 32, both high-tech programmers by profession, live with their two cats Pepper and Toffee in a rented 70 square meters (about 750 square feet) apartment on Pinsker Street, Tel Aviv.
The couple's home is designed much like they write code — with impeccable order, adherence to a clear design language and a precision that creates coherence, which in turn produces a gentle aesthetic.
It is the home of two programmers who love cats, enjoy working with their hands and turning ideas into objects. Almost every item or piece of furniture was built, repaired, painted or invented — from an old television turned into a cat bed, through handmade bedside tables, to the design and assembly of light fixtures. Their apartment is a laboratory of shared creation, a place where Scandinavian aesthetics meet Israeli art and logical thinking translates into beauty.
“Our relationship started with a conversation about cats, which revealed that we both share a deep love for them", Stav says. “We brought Pepper and Toffee a week apart so they could keep each other busy, and we planned the entire apartment around them, to be as practical, safe and stimulating as possible for them, without giving up on aesthetics. That was quite a challenge."
“As our relationship deepened, we realized we shared a hobby — working with our hands,” she continues. “I draw inspiration from Instagram and Pinterest, scrolling daily and looking for project ideas. Over time, we gained experience and started taking workshops together to acquire tools and skills.
"We took various workshops in upholstery, candle-making, felting, and pastel painting. Bar also took a carpentry workshop with friends. We have never hired a professional to assist in designing the house. We do everything ourselves, whether it's electrical work, woodworking, installations or design projects. On weekends, it’s our leisure activity."
The apartment
“We were looking for an apartment with a large, beautiful, well-lit central space. We wanted a space, without the landlord’s furniture, so we could pour our own objects into it in harmony,” Stav says. “When we moved here, I solidified my style. Around that time, I started following fashion and lifestyle influencer Luba Shraga and really loved her home. She inspired me a lot, I got familiar with designers through her, and I gradually realized that I wasn’t just gravitating toward the same Scandinavian aesthetic, I was actually implementing it in the apartment."
A fascinating fact
“It turns out that Putin has an apartment in Tel Aviv, and it’s on the third floor of our building,” Stav says. “We discovered this a few months after moving in, and since then we haven’t stopped hearing conspiracy theories. What we do know for sure is that he originally bought it for his beloved German teacher, who immigrated to Israel. Today it stands empty, and the Russian Embassy uses the parking space. We wondered whether that’s why the building remained intact after the Iranian missile strike on the street…"
The kitchen
“We hardly cook, but it was important to us that the kitchen look good,” Stav says. “It’s designed in a rustic style, but the wood and pastel colors worked perfectly for us. On the upper part, we added pink geometric wallpaper that we bought on AliExpress, as I was looking for a print that would tie the kitchen into the rest of the house.
"I love collecting tableware; on the shelves are cups by ABS Studio, cups by Israeli-Japanese artist Mai Kawamura, and cups by various Scandinavian designers. Above them sits a ceramic balloon by artist Elia Bloch. We found the building’s sign broken in the trash, and Bar fixed the lighting. On the wall hang small clay spheres by Studio Arhoj that I found in a remote town in Norway, and on the ceiling is a rope lamp by About Studio that we found on the same trip."
The dining area
“The dining area used to be our work corner in the previous apartment,” Stav recalls. “When we moved here, we expanded it and added new chairs alongside chairs we found on the street and refurbished. On the table is a mirrored vase by HAY that I searched for months, and the light fixtures are AliExpress replicas of a well-known BOLIA design.
"Behind the table are IKEA cabinets that we connected and turned into the cats’ litter area. We had to find a solution because our shower is tiny, so we bought tin snips, cut a hole in the cabinets and lined the inside with a litter mat. I promise it doesn’t smell as bad as it looks.
"On the wall is a blue painting I found on the street; I would love to discover who painted it. There is a shelving unit from Ūbject with souvenirs, and my piano, topped with a painting of a small deer that I painted a few years ago."
The living room
“The sofa is from IKEA, and it’s perfect for us because you can clean it and replace the cover whenever the cats destroy it. The cushions are from NAMA Studio, another cushion is from Ferm Living, and the blanket is by OYOY. The armchair is also from IKEA, and the cushion on it I sewed myself from two HAY napkins.
"I got the hammock from my sister; I always knew I wanted one at home, and it immediately became the living room highlight. The cats love it too. All the cat installations were purchased on AliExpress, and it was really important to me that they be pretty and blend into the design. I ordered the rug from The Red Carpet; I wanted a Japanese mat vibe, and this was the closest I found. I bought the table at Saga."
The shelving wall
“We had to find a design solution for the long wall,” Stav continues. “It starts in the bedroom hallway, passes the entrance and ends in the living room, so we needed to integrate several spots that would work together in harmony. We actually started building it around the "Bring It Home" artwork and arranged the living room shelves to complement it.
"The shelves are my pride and joy, filled with objects that all demand attention. Among other things, there’s an original painting by Menashe Kadishman that we had long wanted, a candlestick by FRILL Studio, figurines by Studio Arhoj and mementos from trips around the world. We plan many of our trips around design, dedicating a lot of time to finding the specific shops that interest us. We are very selective when it comes to mementos, like the tulips and houses from Amsterdam, the vase from Amalfi and the fan we found in a village in Japan.
"Next to them stands a light fixture we assembled from an IKEA wooden base and an AliExpress shade, a green pouf from the children’s department of a Spanish studio, and a burgundy cushion by IOTA that adds color to the space."
The entryway
“In the entryway stands an IKEA wooden cabinet where I also keep all my art supplies,” Stav adds. “Above it is a light fixture we made ourselves, inspired by a Valeria Objects design, and next to it a shelf by the Israeli Nachshon Studio from its Bauhaus collection.
"We found the vintage armchair on the street, refurbished and reupholstered it in colors and a style that suits the house. The bench is from IKEA, with a 1960s vintage lamp I found on Facebook, and opposite hangs our butterfly collection. They’re framed on a board I made from illustration cardboard to create a single hanging space for all the butterflies, which are a kind of cardboard puzzle by Roof Studio that constantly releases new butterflies.
The hallway
“The long wall continues into the bedroom hallway, where we created a kind of gallery wall, with a vase from ABS Studio, a mirror by Studio Reish and a textile work by Sara Lipkin, the mother of artist Amnon Lipkin, which we purchased at a joint exhibition by the two of them.
"We made the bench from a torn rattan seat we found on the street, embroidered a butterfly on it, and Bar figured out how to attach it to the wall so it could become a folding seat. We built the magazine rack together from wooden planks, and above it hangs a painting I created, inspired by artist Ehud Raz, using colors and abstract geometric shapes."
The study
“On the desk is a computer Bar assembled himself; we wanted it to be transparent, because that turns it into an aesthetic object rather than just a technical one,” Stav says. “He also assembled the keyboard, chose the keys and the cable, and he’s constantly swapping and playing with them.
"We also redesigned the desk: we replaced the legs and glued white tiles with grout onto the scratched surface, and today it looks like a completely different piece of furniture. On the shelf are dolls, which are our shared collection."
The bedroom
The bedroom style is less Scandinavian and more Japandi,” Stav explains, referring to the blend of Japanese and Scandinavian design. “The wardrobe came with the apartment, and on the wall hangs an embroidery by Amnon Lipkin depicting our previous building on Pinsker 21 street. When we saw it, we knew it had to be ours.
"Next to it is a photo from our wedding that we developed and framed, and a metal wreath by Glyphs. We bought the Japanese-style bed online, and we searched for bedside tables that would fit its height and dimensions, until we finally built them ourselves from IKEA organizers. We cut them down, replaced the handles and clad them with bamboo slats in the shade of the bed so they would look like a single unit. The bedside lamps are from IKEA, and the vases on them are Israeli vintage pieces from the 1960s."