Mamad Design: How to Turn Your Safe Room into a Room You Actually Use
A mamad is the reinforced safe room built into most newer Israeli apartments. It can work every day as a study, a walk-in closet or a pantry, as long as the design keeps the door, window and ventilation working and leaves the room quick to enter and easy to share in an emergency.
By Maya Sheinberger | 04.11.26
In many homes, the mamad becomes the room nobody planned: a place for suitcases, the ironing board and everything without a home. That's a waste of one of the most solid rooms in the apartment, especially in a smaller home, where every room counts (see how to plan a small apartment). In the projects below, the mamad got a daily job without forgetting what it was built for.
Key takeaways
Give the mamad a daily role: a study, a walk-in closet, a pantry or a guest room.
Never remove, cut or block the walls, blast door, steel window shutter or ventilation system.
Keep the door swing and the floor clear, so the whole family can get in fast.
Keep furniture light and movable where you can, check fixings against the Home Front Command guidance, and keep heavy items low.
Plan lighting, sockets and air conditioning for the mamad with the rest of the home.
Four ways to use a mamad
Daily use | Why it works | What to watch |
Home office or study | Quiet, solid walls and a door that closes | Keep the desk away from the door swing |
Walk-in closet | Works when it sits next to the main bedroom | Leave enough open floor for the family |
Pantry | Works when it opens off the kitchen | Keep shelves light and the door clear |
Guest room | A bed or sofa bed fits easily | Choose a sofa bed over a fixed bed |
What is a mamad?
A mamad (מרחב מוגן דירתי) is an apartment protected space: a room with reinforced concrete walls and ceiling, a heavy steel door, a steel window shutter and a ventilation and filtration system. These elements are what make it a shelter, so the design works around them, never against them. Before changing anything structural or technical in the room, check the current guidance of the Home Front Command (Pikud HaOref) on its official website.
The mamad as a home office
In the YL apartment, the mamad became a home office shared by both partners. In the DI apartment, the safe room doubles as a study, a quiet retreat for work or contemplation.
You can see more of the home on the DI apartment project page. A mamad is often the quietest room in the home, which makes it a natural place to concentrate. Place the desk so the door can open fully, and keep cables and screens neat so the room can empty in seconds if needed. For more on study spaces, see my guide to a kids' study space at home.
The mamad as a walk-in closet
In the B apartment, a holiday flat on the Tel Aviv seafront, and in the M apartment, the mamad serves as the walk-in closet. In B it is part of the main bedroom suite, and a window toward the back of the apartment fills it with light. A closet works well here because it sits next to the bedroom and doesn't need a large furniture piece in the middle of the room. Keep the center of the floor open, and use doors or curtains that don't block the entrance. The same closed-storage thinking helps everywhere, as I explain in my guide to reducing visual clutter at home. In the S apartment, the mamad stayed a regular room, and a new wall cabinet adds storage and hides an angled corner, so the room looks cleaner.
The mamad as a hidden pantry
In the RA apartment, the kitchen's long wall of tall cabinets, with the fridges, oven and microwave, also hides a door to the mamad, which works as a generous pantry. From the kitchen, you see one calm cabinet wall. Behind it, there's a full storage room. Hidden doors like this are a studio favorite, and I wrote more about them in my post on storytelling interior design and hidden technology.
Plan the systems with the rest of the home
The mamad needs the same planning as every other room. In the S apartment in Hod Hasharon, the whole home received a uniform lowered ceiling for air conditioning and recessed lighting, apart from the mamad, which got its own separate air-conditioning unit. Plan light, sockets and cooling for the mamad at the same time as the rest of the renovation, using only the openings and routes designed for the room. Never drill new openings through mamad walls without checking the Home Front Command guidance first. That way you don't end up with a lamp on a long extension cord and a room that's too hot to use.
What not to do in a mamad
Don't remove, cut into or weaken the walls or ceiling.
Don't replace or block the blast door, steel window shutter or ventilation system.
Don't build joinery that stops the door from opening or closing fully.
Don't fill the floor with fixed furniture. In an emergency, people need room.
Don't store heavy items high up, where they could fall.
Frequently asked questions
What is a mamad in Israel?
A mamad is an apartment protected space, a reinforced room with a steel door, a steel window shutter and a ventilation system, built into most newer Israeli homes.
Can I use my mamad as a bedroom or office?
Yes. A mamad can be a study, a guest room, a walk-in closet or a pantry, as long as the protective elements stay intact and the room stays easy to enter.
Can I renovate or change a mamad?
You can change furniture, paint and lighting, but not the walls, ceiling, door, window or ventilation. Check the Home Front Command guidance before any change, including wall cladding, a lowered ceiling or fixed joinery.
How do I make a mamad feel less like a bunker?
Give it a clear daily role, use warm materials and soft lighting, plan air conditioning, and keep the room tidy and uncluttered.
What furniture works best in a mamad?
Light, movable furniture, a sofa bed instead of a fixed bed, and storage that keeps heavy items low and the door swing clear.
Planning a renovation in Tel Aviv or central Israel, including the mamad? I'd love to hear about your project.
Maya Sheinberger is an interior designer with nearly 20 years of experience. She has run her independent studio since 2012, and it is based in Ramat Gan. She holds a B.Des with honors from the College of Management. Eight of her projects have won Archilovers Best Project awards, her work has appeared in more than 100 publications, and one of her Tel Aviv apartments features in the book The New Minimalist Style.
Photography @itaybenitphotographer · Styling @maya_livnat_harush
