Designist Dream

In case having Bush in the Holy Land isn’t enough, I thought I’d spotlight this new-to-Israel Americana country furniture and home design store, Backyard, located in Kfar Vitkin. With other mid-range stores copying French country to various degrees of authenticity and even respectability, Backyard is a breath of fresh air providing not only amazing furniture options and accessories, but also an American-style shopping experience in their store. Laid out like a garage sale meets an antique shop, accessories from lamps and tea kettles sit atop heavier pieces like end tables, side boards and full-on credenzas. As described, it feels like you’re shopping the US - “coast to coast”.

I love the color of the sideboard on top and the shape of the bench featured above. Although it’s obviously a church pew - which wouldn’t necessarily work in my home - it’s so hard to find American-country things here in Israel, meaning not too girly French and not too Israeli rustic. Nothing against those two, but as a former NJ girl, I like my country cottage as inspired by nearby New England, not as derived from some magazine’s interpretation of American kitsch.

Backyard owners Iris Erkin and Zvia Laor travel throughout the US monthly searching for objects to stock up their store. Their standard? Only what they would buy for their own home. There are Amish pieces, restaurant items, used and new glassware and tables, even old windows and doors refurbished as mirrors and frames. It’s an amazing addition to the heavily European-inspired furniture design here in Israel. Now what I really want to
know is, with such lovely furniture and decor like this in their store, what must their homes look like?