House 1 by Pitsou Kedem // Ramat Hasharon, Israel.

House 1 by Tel Aviv-based architecture studio Pitsou Kedem is an interesting little beast, innit? To me it looks like a slightly offbeat marriage between the signature modernist aesthetic and the 80s.

I know what you’re thinking – how can that be? Well, the way I look at it, the modernist part is expressed through elegant proportions, abundance of glass, super straight lines and a streamlined look where everything aligns perfectly to the point of being slightly obsessive. The 80s vibe is channelled in the strong geometric grid created by the use of white bricks, mirrored light over the dining table and most importantly – those venetian blinds. Hang on a minute, what is going on here? First I feature a cool project with vertical blinds, and now the venetians. Pretty radical stuff! Actually, given those bad boys are positioned on the outside of the house, does that technically make them louvers rather than blinds? No. I didn’t think so.

Having said all this, I really like the streamlined forms and beautiful proportions, although the house does feel a bit uptight. Perhaps all it really needs is some (party-time) excellent furniture and art.

[Images courtesy of Pitsou Kedem.]