Previously, the apartment featured a substantial balcony that David converted into additional living space. Cherner bar chairs pull up to the island. The dining table is surrounded by Wishbone chairs by Hans Wegner and Tom Dixon pendant lights.

In the kitchen, the custom cabinets contain special compartments that hide appliances from sight. The room draws in natural light from the balcony.

The renovation, which focused on the living-dining-kitchen area, strikes a balance between intimate and inviting, hence the project's name, the Open/Private apartment.

The residents use either the black steel staircase or a glassed-in elevator by Wittur to get around the house.

The fourth-floor kitchen features appliances by Miele, and Heracleum II pendants by Bertjan Pot for Moooi hang over both the kitchen island and the dining table.

Architect Ester Bruzkus of Bruzkus Batek redesigned a compact apartment in Berlin to serve as her home. The previous layout had two bedrooms and one bathroom, but Bruzkus created an open-plan arrangement with only one bedroom to free up space. A folding wall can be pulled out for privacy. Custom furniture joins pieces by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller and Gervasoni. The bathroom is enclosed within the black cube, which can be entered from either the bedroom side or the living room side. The paintings are by Berlin-based artist Niki Elbe.

Two smaller, adjacent structures house autonomous bedrooms, each equipped with a full bathroom.

Architect and designer Roy David was tasked with renovating a 1,184-square-foot apartment located in a luxury tower in Tel Aviv. The remodeled living room features a Gus* Modern sofa and an Eames lounge chair.

In the bedroom, black blinds and a headboard together form a single rectangular block that anchors the space. The pendant lamp is from Exclusive Lighting.

In the living and dining area, what appear to be walls are actually specially designed cabinets and black glass. The television is mounted on a central pole, allowing it to be swiveled around and viewed from all parts of the home—even the outside deck. “Everything is connected,” Zusman explains. “One can step into any room from the other.”

The main transformation involved removing all the interior walls, leaving behind an open-plan living, dining, and kitchen space. The flooring is white triple-layer parquet and the walls are also painted white. Reik purchased the chair, a Norwegian model from the 1950s, in Tel Aviv's Jaffa flea market; she then reupholstered it in blue cotton. The stools are from Tel Aviv shop Dolla, and the fan is from ElectroStar Fans.

Joaquin Altamirano and Silvia Martín worked with Daniel Bergman Vázquez of Estudio Untercio to create an open-plan oasis in an apartment building in central Madrid. Estudio Untercio designed the medium-density fiberboard cupboards, which are coated with lacquer paint matching the ceramic-porcelain countertops. The tubular hood above the island is by Teka.

The neutral color palette extends to the kitchen, which is overhung by several pendant globes.

The apartment's entryway features a hidden storage wall and media console.

The designers played with temperature in their selection of materials, contrasting glass with white-painted wood, and gray cement tiles with oak. They also mixed natural colors with bolder ones—black, yellow, turquoise, and even small pops of pink. “They create a luxurious look while opening up the space, providing a clean and fresh feel,” Zusman says. The living room couch is custom and the chairs are from Habitat.

On the other side of the apartment, a bedroom doubles as a workspace.

“Apartments in Tel Aviv are usually in old buildings with some history,” Zusman says. They chose to reveal some of that by leaving sections of brick exposed. By the window, an Elephant chair by Kristalia tucks into a custom desk.

Nakada works from an Alvar Aalto table in the living and dining area, adjacent to the kitchen. He saved on some elements, such as the plywood cabinetry, and splurged on others, such as the Finn Juhl chairs and Vilhelm Lauritzen lamp. A skylight beneath the angled roof allows in a sliver of constantly changing light.

The refrigerator is Sub-Zero, the cooktop and hood are Viking, and the oven is Miele.

The central living area features an open-plan kitchen, living space, and deck with views of Louttit Bay. To maximize energy savings, the house has a ducted reverse air cycle system from Fujitsu.

A linear layout allows for air and light to flow freely through the apartment, making it an a open haven in the center of the city. An IKEA pendant and chairs surround a table by Zone Maison.

Candy Sarvis loves feeling connected with dinner guests while she cooks. The African teak kitchen cabinetry is by Pedini, with Miele appliances. A Big Bang pendant by Foscarini illuminates the Montecarlo table by Cattelan Italia.

The decidedly modern dining and kitchen areas open to the backyard through a floor-to-ceiling steel-and-glass door, fabricated by Optimum Window. One of the owners’ favorite features of the home is the “ability to connect the inside to the outside seamlessly,” Bangia describes. The living area serves as “a place for the kids to dance or ride a skateboard, a casual space that reflects the way they live.”

Originally designed as two separate apartment buildings in 1925, The Norman hotel brings them together: one half features Renaissance and oriental influences, while the other is a clean-lined, modernist structure.

As part of the update, the two bedrooms were expanded, and a number of smart features were added: automated lighting and curtains, along with double glazed windows with an electric shading system.

Zames reconfigured the apartment to improve circulation and open some of the confined rooms. What was formerly a hallway is now integrated with the kitchen. A bank of floor-to-ceiling cabinets offers storage and an island covered in carrara marble offers space for working or dining. "We embraced dark colors in the kitchen to keep a contrast with the bright white of the surrounding living areas," Zames says of the constrasting finishes. The barstools are from CB2.

A custom media unit with hickory detailing features built-in shelves for displaying objects.

The architects describe the home as one that "emphasizes the difference and the tension between romantic historical design and an industrial approach."

In the bedroom, floor-to-ceiling cabinets with depressed handles serve as a de facto wall leading out to the main area. They contain spaces for hanging clothes and storage. Track lighting eliminates the need for floor lamps.

The raw industrial aesthetic gives way to a more livable space. The living area, featuring a B&B Italia Bend sofa and a Hans Wegner Shell Chair, flows into the open balcony that overlooks an adjacent courtyard.

While the lower floor was the site of more extensive work, the entire interior was redressed in a raw, industrial style, heightening the contast between old and new.

An outdoor courtyard is a classic touch from the original structure.

The new 860-square-foot basement contains a bathroom and additional living space. The designers chose to use pivoting glass doors so as to not cut into the space.

Pitsou Kedem's unique twist in the new basement is a two-part metal staircase with a gap in the middle. A slim Parentesi Floor Lamp illuminates the space.

The narrow balcony helps shade the residents while funneling the cool ocean breeze from the west.

From street level, the home maintains its historic facade. Keeping up with the neighbors is important when your neighborhood is a UNESCO World Heritage site.