In and Out Design

I was to pick up a small parcel from Amazon. The carrier had delivered it to the wrong address, which made me mad, of course. It was on the outskirts of the town, at a petrol station shop.

After I left the service station with my parcel, I got rewarded by the sight of a very special store nearby. In fact it was more like a long shaped warehouse. The sign read  "In and Out Design".  It shared the vast open space on which it was set up with an adjacent big cat and dog shelter .   A bit further - a strawberry field .   The whole space used to be one big strawberry field, now only a marginal part of it is allocated to the growing of the delicious fruit (Agriculture, like many other good things in this country, is rapidly deterioratng).

warehouse look

narrow entrance

I was attracted by the bamboo pieces of furniture outside. I love bamboo - so light and yet so solid!  Ideal furniture material for all ages , especially for young  and elderly people ; for all spots - interior or exterior. It's rather expensive as it's mostly imported stuff.

When I entered the place , I felt like floating in the the world of the arabian nights : all magic around - a multitude of lights and colours , furniture, plants, light fixtures, some statues and statuettes -  new and vintage - all collected by the owner from all over the world. 
The store also offers design advice by architects and other professionals.

bamboo items

lightfixtures

plants

plants

'You'll have to come back during the day hours to have a better look', I said to myself.  I doubt it , though, whether I'll buy anything; not only because of the high prices, but also because I'm in the phase of minimalism and simplicity. Here, it seems they've managed to turn even the simplest natural bamboo stick into some sophisticated item.

sign in hebrew indicating the cats & dogs shelter

On Fridays between 11:00 and 14:00,  adoption of cats and dogs takes place in the area near the design store. Big event for both the adopters and the adoptees!

I remember asking a neighbor of mine how much she paid for her puppy. 3 -  was her hesitant reply. 3 hundred? No, 3 thousand came her answer. Well, why pay so much, when you can get one for free at this gorgeous adoption center:)

"Kne Kash" - the Bamboo Concept

The other day I visited the showroom of a bamboo products' firm named "Kne Kash". It's a  spacious place located near a railway station and some other commercial businesses. The structure used to be a barn, one of a series of  seven (7) barns with pyramidal roof shape, close to the train area -  the Mamgurot (Barns) area. 

It was rather dim inside. I suppose the very high  concrete ceiling and the special light fixtures, have something to do with it.  

The concept in this showroom is different from that in their flag store situated in another region. The emphasis here is on bamboo and straw as living materials in the hands of architects. Customers come in with their house plan, and get here professional advice as to the best way to use bamboo and straw in their home design.

I love bamboo in all its forms: furniture, fences, flooring, panels, decoration items, textiles. How could one not love it? Bamboo is natural, ecological, flexible, light-weight, and practical. Its simplicity is also its beauty.

Bamboo is usually associated with far-east countries. This strong plant grows there, and the local people make good use of it. Indeed, I've seen over the years some beautiful bamboo furniture pieces  made in Vietnam, India, Philippines, China etc... 

The problem is that in my neck of the woods bamboo products are quite expensive, since they are imported and mostly hand made. Besides, there has been a rise in the number of environmental buyers;  and if that's not enough,  people that used to buy bamboo furniture for outdoors mainly , have discovered its charm for the indoors too. As the demand increases, and the supply is sometimes short, prices go up.

There is a little sign at the entrance/exit  of the store which says: 'Bamboo - the wood of the future'. Why of the future?  If you ask me, its' future as wood is already here and now.