A Glimpse Into a Four-Annex Family Home
We all dream of starting and ending the day in a pleasant home. One that is well designed, cozy and meets all our needs, desires, and preferences. For the owners of this property, the dream became a reality. Thanks to Architect Itsik Niv, who skillfully created an experiential living environment deep in the heart of one of the most pastoral villages in the Sharon region, Israel
Architecture and interior design: Arch. Itsik Niv
Location: Sharon region, Israel
Photography: Elad Gonen
This is a glimpse into a modern, immaculate, and cozy home that is truly inspiring. This property is owned by a family of six - a couple in their 50s and their four 20-something children. It was built on an estate in one of the Sharon region villages and is the perfect realization of the owners’ dream: a one level living space that is weaved into its pastoral surrounding views and offers a cozy and pleasant living experience for the entire family.
"The planning and construction process took approximately two and a half years”, says Architect Itsik Niv, responsible for the project planning. “The exceptional synchronization with the owners meant we were able to execute on many of the planning and design ideas we had”.
The main living space was planned at the center of this H-shaped property and leads to four separate private annexes. One annex accommodates the master bedroom, another accommodates two children suites, another suite is located in the third annex and the fourth includes additional bedrooms and a bathroom.
"The idea was to allow for future separation of two of the annexes into independent self-contained units, without compromising the quality of living in the other areas of the house and with minimal structural changes”, explains Arch. Niv.
The property is located in the heart of a large eight-acre plot. A foot path leads us from the main gate to the property via descending steps. The path, planned by “Itamar Landscape Design”, creates an organic route that naturally blends into the front garden.
The front door is unusually wide and covered in teak wood cladding. It opens up into a wide and spacious entrance hall from which the open space can be seen along with impressive 16-meter-long patio doors. The living room area is located to the right and was furnished with high-quality Italian furniture.
The TV was mounted onto a custom-made library that was fitted in the living room and contains ample storage and display space. The dining area was planned to the left, continued by an open kitchen fitted with floor to ceiling cabinets and two islands with sinks, induction hobs, and a breakfast bar. “The kitchen is the most utilized space in the property, and as such was designed in a very flexible way”, explains Arch. Niv. One of the walls is made entirely of cabinets that conceal the fridge, oven, and additional storage. Two parallel islands were fitted perpendicular to the wall and are used for cooking as well as seating. “We positioned them in a way that would allow for an optimal view of the garden”, continues Arch. Niv.
The sense of space on the ground floor is endless and connects through glass patio doors to the spacious garden, both on its northern side as well as southern side.
"In this space, the glass doors overlook the eastern and western annexes of the property, creating an optimal separation of the mass and the various areas across the level”, says the Architect. The east annex includes the master bedroom and a children’s’ bedroom complex and bathrooms, and the west annex includes two-bedroom suites, each containing a bedroom, living room and bathroom.
Stepping out into the garden through the patio doors, we can see a large and spacious pergola, swimming pool, an outdoor kitchen, and an orchard. “The outdoor area forms an integral part of the house, which can be felt and seen from every angle inside the house”, summarizes Arch. Niv.