Nordic Secrets

This project was conducted in the house of Tamar Robin Star, the town of Zaandam, North-Holland. Tamar is a Standup comedian and Life Coach specializing in Trauma therapy. She sees her clients at home, so her home serves as her clinic.
The design was conducted over the house's first floor, mainly the living room and kitchen, producing substantial renewals.
The outcome made Tamar and her clients, too, feel so much at home. We asked her to tell us about her journey.

• What was your initial intention when you decided to renovate? What did you want to be different, and why?
When I decided to go on a designing process, I got to a point in my life when I simply wanted a change. I'm a therapist treating people in my house, so the location is essential for the therapy process. The location's setting is crucial as it enhances energy, radiates the atmosphere, and may affect the therapy.
So I wanted to upgrade my life this time, focusing on an external, outside-of-myself upgrade. I knew a transformation was needed, but I didn't know where to begin or what re-designing meant.
I needed help with this, so I asked Zwia to guide me.

• What were the main changes introduced during the renovation process?
There were a few areas we wished to take care of. The main thing to work on was the kitchen; I wanted it different and new. Although I had a beautiful Portuguese stone floor in the kitchen, changing the whole floor coating to laminate was better. This present flooring with excellent insulation saves me plenty of money in the winter and looks much more appealing.
All of the cupboards were replaced, too. The kitchen island was created from scratch, and it's now one of my favorite places in the house. I cook there, make arts and crafts on it, talk to people on the phone when leaning on it, and serve food to visitors; it's just so practically handy. It's the center of the house.
Another issue we addressed was the basement entrance. The access to the basement is through stairs on the floor next to the garden door. For years it has been a difficult part. It's the sunniest place in the house, so it made sense to place the dining room there, but instead, there was this basement pit. In the winter, it would bring lots of cold to the house. It was unsafe, too, and when the children were younger, I was terrified that one of them might fall down there. So to barrier it, I and placed some bookcases around. That added to the clutter I already had and suffocated the house.
Zwia suggested we simply close this open pit, creating a wooden door that becomes the floor itself. It can be lifted up when I need to use the washing machine or fetch something from downstairs.
More extra open space was added, and there's also a hammock hanging above, used by my clients as part of the process! Swinging on the hammock grants the feeling as they are in the uterus again, wrapped and secure.

• What about the cluttered bookcases?
The house was cluttered with so much stuff, I knew I had to get rid of a great deal of it. Before we began with anything to do with designing, I had to discard massively! But it was just impossible for me to do it by myself; getting rid of clutter is hard!
Zwia was tremendously helpful with that, too. She simply made a schedule, a plan of when to throw out what. I threw out soooo many things that just were there with no one using them!

• Were there other complex issues to figure out?
The TV wall project was a complex issue indeed. As this is a corner house, it has some unusual angles. After changing the living room's layout, we needed a place to put the TV so it could be watched from the couch. This was sort of a venture. The solution Zwia came up with was to hang the screen on a handle attached to a newly-built wall that concealed the storage place behind it. It was all-in-one, creative, sophisticated, and practical. I love this perfect result.

• What did you like the most in the course of the renovation process?
I loved the fact that Zwia could envisage the outcome of the whole process. I was dismayed by only even thinking about it, but she was not. She had the vision of how it would look in the end, and this vision was absolutely aligned with the understanding of my needs.
Zwia took care of all the accessories, too. She made this stuff that enhanced coziness and style to look as if it had always been there. She spent hours in home-designing stores, meticulously choosing the precise lamps, rug, plant pots, or wall pictures - everything to refine the interior and add this final touch.
Another thing that I liked so much was the teamwork of Zwia closely with André, the contractor. There was no ego involved there, but only mutual striving for the project's success. I could fully trust both of them, getting the impression that their sole objective is to make it work to the best.

• What was the biggest challenge you faced during the process, and how did you overcome it?
As the renovation began, I had to rush out abroad to see my mother, whose health deteriorated. I didn't know how long I would be gone and how would it be possible to continue the renovation without me being there.
Zwia and André simply told me: 'Go! We'll take care of everything.' And they did! I was in Israel, and they kept working with me remotely.
Of course, there are always unexpected issues, and we had the same here, too. Before the renovation, the neighbor complained that he was bothered by the noise coming from my kitchen. When André started removing the cupboards to replace them, a rotten, decaying old wall was discovered behind. It turned out that the wall wasn't noise-insulated, which was why the neighbor heard everything. It must have been taken care of. Somewhat nerve-racking matter to deal with, without the owner - me, to be present!
Zwia took the role of mediator. She calmed and made everyone relaxed and less stressed. Specifically, of course, she comforted me...
When I came back and made the first step into my old-new house, I felt myself an actual princess! The cleaning lady came the day before, she cleaned everything, Zwia arranged it all. It was as you watch on these reality TV shows. This is how it felt.

• How would you describe the work process with Zwia?
Zwia enabled me, through the renovation process, to go into an inner development journey. I wanted to make my house suitable for conducting work with my clients, and it seems that I went through this work myself.
Zwia was always optimistic, confident, extremely practical, and organized. This enterprise looked insurmountable to me. I just couldn't see the end of it when we started. Zwia made it happen. She constantly encouraged me, saying, 'your house is going to be awesome, everything is going to be just fine, no need to worry!'
Zwia took my hand and led me through this, without being pushy or forcing her opinions but just letting me decide what was the best for me.
Some other interior designers I encountered seemed to have their own design style that they would implement, fully or partially, to nearly every project. Unlike them, Zwia was open to sensing my personal taste and flowing with that, not putting her own but her clients' preferences at the front. This is one among many other Zwia's superpowers!

• What was the best advice Zwia gave you?
I was given a piece of great advice to prefer white or bright colors for the various items in the re-designed living room. Bright colors help keep things clearly seen and possibly prevent further clutter.
And Zwia's best advice, by far, was the Hebrew words 'Ihye Beseder,' meaning 'everything is going to be alright.'

And it indeed is, and much more than just alright for me.
It's the very best of what I could've asked for.
Thank you, Zwia!