From a Light Refresh to a Full Renovation: A Beautiful Home in Rehovot

From a Light Refresh to a Full Renovation: A Beautiful Home in Rehovot
A decade ago, the family renovated their home in Rehovot, which at the time had a rustic style. Back then, their daughters were very young. Now that they’ve grown up, it was time to refresh the home. The family’s primary request was to revamp the living room, which felt uninviting, uncomfortable, and ultimately unused.
The couple approached Tola Studio, with designers Liat Kedem-Hadad and Tal Gal. What started as a light refresh gradually turned into a full renovation — involving the demolition of the walk-in closet and bathroom, redesigning kitchen facades and cladding, extensive carpentry, new furniture, lighting, and more.
The couple wanted to maintain a rustic style, but with a modern twist. The living room lacked warmth and didn’t feel like a welcoming family space. The renovation began with changes to the public areas: furniture was replaced, ottomans and a bookcase were selected, the walls were treated with decorative finishes — one became a wallpaper wall, and another was adorned with decorative moldings (cornices). Old drywall niches, which previously held irrelevant art pieces, were closed up and replaced with latticework (mashrabiyas) that gave a taste of modern rustic style.
In the living room, there's also a light, airy floating bookcase framed in decorative molding that adds a design twist, with playful ottomans placed beneath it.
"Since the family spends a lot of time reading, we wanted to give them a proper reading nook." A previously unused small area was redesigned into a cozy reading corner with a comfortable armchair, a garden view, targeted lighting, and a side table for coffee.
The shared living space was covered with parquet flooring, bringing warmth into the home. Upon entering, a prominent exposed brick column immediately stands out — instead of hiding it, the designers chose to celebrate it with adjacent woven pendant lights: “We didn’t try to conceal it — on the contrary, we highlighted it with natural light fixtures,” they explain.
Despite the beautiful garden outside, a relatively subtle botanical wallpaper was chosen for the back wall of the living room. Near it is a freestanding fireplace, a carryover from the previous renovation. To the left of the wallpapered wall, the designers added wood slats that echo the tone of the opposing wall.
The dining table remained in place, but new chairs were added to complement it. The pendant lights above the kitchen island were kept, per the homeowner’s request. The kitchen's redesigned facades and reduced visual clutter helped the old lights shine again and take their rightful place.
The kitchen layout remained the same, but the upper cabinets were replaced with closed cabinetry. Modern green-gray tiles were used for the backsplash, climbing all the way to the ceiling. Cabinet fronts were redone in a creamy off-white tone.
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Master Suite
In the master suite, the designers eliminated the walk-in closet and instead created a large, luxurious wardrobe and a blue-toned storage island. The bed features a soft light pink headboard framed with decorative moldings, enhancing the suite’s warm and romantic atmosphere. The renovated bathroom now resembles a spa, with puzzle-shaped tiles on the walls that extend the tropical vibe and tie in with the bedroom’s color palette.
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Upstairs: Bedrooms and Family Corner
Between the bedrooms is a landing area that has been transformed into a family lounge — a celebration of color. This space includes a lounging nook that unfolds into a sofa or bed, and can even be wheeled into the bedrooms when guests stay over. The work area here is colorful and cheerful, and was custom-built by Ayona Carpentry — "A great honor to acquire a piece that fits the family space so perfectly," they note.
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Teen Bedrooms
The eldest daughter’s room was designed like a boutique clothing store, showcasing her shoe collection, trendy fashion, and favorite posters — turning them into a personal display window. A metal shelf was installed for hanging clothes, set against a black wall. Posters above the bed, featuring her favorite music albums, were designed like a tapestry for the wall.
Another teenage daughter wanted a very calm room — for her, a blue wall was chosen to create a pleasant and soothing vibe.

Budget: 380,000 NIS (approx. $102,700 USD)
House size: 170 square meters (~1,830 sq ft), spread over 3 floors
The budget included parquet flooring, walls, curtains, carpentry, sanitaryware, tiles, furniture, contractor, and labor - essentially, everything.
Photographer: Maor Moyal
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tolastudio/