Same Home, Different Rules: Design in Israel vs. the United States

Why Americans look for the bathroom switch while Israelis wonder what the washing machine is doing in the kitchen.

Americans who build in Israel are often surprised to discover a totally different rule set. Parts of our homes in the United States that we have never even thought about- are against building code in Israel and just not possible. I have listed some of these differences below, so you are less shocked when you get here.

Bathroom Lighting

In Israel, bathroom switches are generally placed outside the door because of strict electrical safety rules. In other words, the light switch is outside the bathroom and there is no light switch inside the bathroom door like we are used to in the US. Lighting around showers is also heavily regulated, so you can’t place a fixture wherever you want (for example in the shower ceiling).

Bathroom with Switch Outside

Entryway and Mud Room

Coat Closet

Storage is another adjustment. Many American homes have an enclosed coat closet near the entrance, sometimes large enough to walk into. Israeli apartments are more likely to have a built-in cabinet—if they have dedicated entrance storage at all. This leaves the designer with the important question of where the coats, shoes, backpacks and general evidence of family life are supposed to go.

Laundry Rooms

In Israel, the washing machine is usually hidden in a utility balcony, bathroom or laundry area. Put one under the kitchen counter, as you might see in some apartments abroad, and Israelis get very confused. I have heard this sentence so many times: "why would I wash my dirty underwear next to the fridge?"

Laundry Closet

So Israeli

Then there are the distinctly Israeli features: electric shutters, solar water heaters and the mamad. The water heater ("boiler") influences when people shower and you sometimes have to switch it on and wait for the water to boil before you shower, while the electric shutters ("trisim") affect windows, curtains, ceilings and electrical planning.

Even room counts require translation. In American we say "three bedroom" and in Israel they say "four room (three bedroom + living room)" and we mean the same amount of rooms.

None of these differences is random. Homes reflect local regulations, climate, available space and the way families live. American expectations can’t simply be copied and pasted into an Israeli apartment.

Designing a home in Israel means understanding both worlds, even the parts you don't actually understand. And knowing which rules can be challenged, which must be respected and which require a completely different solution.