Hotel Violet: A French love story in the center of Tel Aviv

Francophilia takes many forms. Some travel to Paris every chance they get, some take pictures, some give lectures, and there are people who wake up one day and decide to decorate their apartment like an 18th-century French palace. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the photo you see above was not taken in one of the Marais palaces or Versailles, but in an apartment somewhere in Tel Aviv.

how it all began?

It all started in New York. Ronen Sass, a graphic designer by training, spent several years there and became interested in the aesthetics of the Baroque and Rococo periods (it turns out that quite a few pieces of furniture and sometimes entire rooms of palaces were bought by wealthy Americans in Europe and brought to the US, where they can still be found in museums and antique furniture stores today).

Despite his keen interest in the field, Ronen first arrived in Paris at the age of 35, but from the moment he set foot in the City of Lights, it was clear that it was love at first sight and Francophilia ignited in him with all its might. Since then, Ronen has visited France about 20 times and visited quite a few palaces, including those that are only open to the public for two days a year during the “Heritage Days” (Jours de Patrimoine), which take place in September.

From visit to visit, Ronen's Francophilia grew and intensified, and a dream began to form for him: to build himself a house that would be a perfect replica of 18th-century French architecture. About two years ago, Ronen's grandmother, Violet, who was a staunch Francophile, passed away. FranceShe was a perfect match and loved French culture all her life. Because he was very attached to her, Ronen decided to immortalize her memory by designing his Tel Aviv apartment in the Rococo style and turning it into a kind of “hôtel particulier” (that’s what the aristocratic mansions in Paris are called) named after her.

A real French palace inside a Tel Aviv apartment

Over the course of nearly two years, Ronen renovated the apartment alone after work hours, and since it was his only apartment, he was forced to continue living there under difficult conditions. In order to redesign the apartment, Ronen used all of his talent and experience as a graphic designer. Every detail in the apartment, from the choice of pictures and furniture to the design of the decorations on the panels, is the fruit of his work and is based on years of in-depth research into the furniture, painting, and woodwork that were common during the reign of Louis XV. Ronen meticulously documented every step in the process of transforming the place from a Tel Aviv apartment to a “Hôtel Précis,” and you are invited to watch how the magic was created in the following video:

In 2014, the work was completed and Ronen invited me to see the apartment. When I entered the apartment, I was simply stunned. I felt as if I had moved from Tel Aviv to the Marais area in an instant. Every detail in this place felt authentic and you could just see the thought behind every element in the apartment. What was even more amazing about this apartment was that it was a place where people lived and not a museum piece, and therefore the furniture in the apartment was not only beautiful but also very comfortable. I noticed that the apartment was not only a pleasure for the eyes but also for the ears, thanks to the wonderful acoustics, which paid great respect to the Rameau music playing in the background.

After several hours of observation and conversation about Baroque music French, History, Art and Design I said goodbye to Ronen and set out into the Tel Aviv night. Since I started the blog in 2013, I have had the privilege of meeting quite a few special people and having experiences that I doubt I would have had without him. There is no doubt in my heart that the visit to “Hotel Violet” is without a doubt one of the highlights of my blogging life and I am very happy that I had the privilege of meeting such a special Francophile as Ronen.