Designing A Place to Call Home

Interior Design and decoration was a second calling for Natalie, who retrained after a decade in marketing. Now, she works with clients both in Israel and abroad. Recently, we connected with Natalie and asked her some questions about her practice Natalie Sher Interiors, current projects and how best to create warmth and dimension in your home.

What first attracted you to interior design and decoration?

There have always been homes, shops and spaces where from the moment you enter, you exhale and feel good. I wanted to know why some spaces draw you in, and some you want to leave straight away. I was attracted to interior design because I believe that everyone deserves a home that has this magnetic quality. Over the last year, when so many of us have spent so much time in our own spaces, interior design has never been felt and appreciated more. Having your home be your sanctuary is everything, and I want to help others achieve this for themselves and their families. 

What does interior design and decoration mean to you?

It means a considered approach to creating a backdrop for your life. It is channeling 2 main priorities; the first, the look and feel, and the second, to create a functional flow. Good design is when both these priorities are championed. Good design should be subtle, it should be beautiful it should be felt and it should help you feel a sense of control and organization.

Where do you start in the design process?

The design process should always start with the client; how do they want to feel in the space, who uses the space, how does the family function. It’s really only after we navigate through this first step that we can truly proceed in the design process and I can start to formulate a design concept both in terms of aesthetics and functionality.

Can you play a little word association with us? What do you think of when you hear…

Pattern - INTEREST

Ocean - SERENE

Bohemian - SOUL

Playful – HIGH CONTRAST

Eclectic - RESTRAINT

Luxe - TEXTURE

Kitsch - GLITTER

Pink - TERRACOTTA

Rustic - CHARM

Simplicity - ORDER

Scandinavian - FRESH

Myths Or Not: 

Can you confirm or dispel the following myths…

Myth 1: Eclectic is too busy.

Not at all! Just needs to be done in a considered way so that it doesn’t look like an op shop.

Myth 2: Stone is cold

Stone is earthy, natural and warming. Not cold at all. However, it does need to be balanced with other texture.

Myth 3: You can’t do glam on budget

You can. It’s a matter of restraint, and being really considered about where you spend.

Myth 4: The rule of 3 is above all (60:30:10)

It’s a good starting point, but rules were made to be broken. Just remember not to have too many competing details, otherwise you will never feel calm in the space.

Myth 5: Red and green must never be seen

Its all about tonality. Bright red and green in a space is jarring. Saturated colour for moody spaces on the other hand….

Myth 6: Minimal is always cool

Nope. Very easily, minimal can shift from cool to sterile – so proceed with caution.

Myth 7: Every space needs a statement

A statement helps center a space, but it doesn’t need to be a single item. It could be a texture, a tone or a style.

Do you have any tips or tricks to share for creating warmth in the home?

Texture. Texture. Texture. And if you are not sure if you have enough texture, add some more. Adding a variety of materiality to a space is like an injection of warmth- it adds interest and can have a cocooning effect. All the better if these materials are natural– think timber, stone, linen, leather etc.

Can you share any of your favorite projects with us? 

This is one of my latest and favorite projects; the space was starved of light and felt a bit like a cave. We turned the floor plan inside out, knocked through walls and created distinct and comfortable zones for kitchen, living and dining.

I especially loved the large windows allowing the natural light to pour in, the pops of indigo, and touches of terracotta and wood. Everyone was so happy with the outcome- a gorgeous, functional, light filled family kitchen.

What is your average project budget? 

Not sure how to answer this–it depends on the project. The range is very broad - from single room furniture selections or one off consultations at an hourly rate, to design for full renovations (which can also involve design oversight) that can have a total project budget in the multiple hundreds of thousand of dollars.

Natalie Sher is located in Modiin, Israel. To contact Natalie you can call +972
50-496-8444 or find her on facebook or instagram.