Travel is a major source of inspiration for me, so I was excited when a colleague invited me to speak about the Power of Colour to designers in Israel. Having never been to Israel before, it was a great opportunity to learn more about a place I had never visited but heard so much about.

In the three days I was there I was inspired by the beauty of Jaffa and the kindness of the mix of people I met. Here is a glimpse of my visit.

Jaffa

We stayed in the old city of Jaffa in a lovely boutique hotel called The Market House. It was the perfect spot to stay – right in the center of this buzzing community.

I was immediately drawn to the old architecture and especially the windows and doors.

The building exteriors are old and full of character while the shops housed in the buildings are an eclectic mix of old and new.

I was surprised to find some wonderful contemporary decor stores

Beautiful beaches are a 5 minute walk away and there is a thriving surfing community.

Tel Aviv – Bahaus Buildings

It is about a 20 minute walk along the beach promenade from Jaffa to Tel Aviv. Walking down and around Rothschild street you can’t miss the beautiful Bauhaus buildings.  What I didn’t know is that Tel Aviv is Home to around 4000 Bauhaus Buildings recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.

From the 1930s to 1950s these buildings were designed by more than 60 architects trained in Europe. Recognisable by the rounded balconies, flat roofs, simplicity and white walls.

Restoration of the Bauhaus buildings is ongoing and I was pleasantly surprised to find many of the buildings had colour.

Bauhaus design is a mix of simplicity and creativity and I loved this quirky one.

We found the people of Israel to be very kind, sociable and lively. The streets come alive at night with packed coffee shops and restaurants open all hours.

I was also lucky enough to also visit Jerusalem but I will leave that for another blog at a later date.

Travel Tips

Departing Israel is stressful if it is your first time and you definitely need to be at the airport at least two and a half hours before your flight.

Bags need to be security checked before you go to your airline counter and the queue for baggage security check is very long. There is a four step process.

• Bag check through security – your bags get tagged here.
• Then it’s to the checkin counter to drop your bags off and get your boarding card.
• Third step is going through the security scan station.
• Last step is passport control

We just made it to the flight just in time, so no time for coffee or a snack. In future I would get to the airport 3 hours before the flight departs.

Other than that a fantastic experience and great place to visit.

A big thank you to Tambour Paints and Mira from Sculla for inviting me.