The Woman Behind Minimal Home Décor Brand, Loop Living

For Loop Living owner, Elisheva (Eli) Manekin, a home should be full of things that define the people that live in it, and this is evident in her own home in a tiny village in the south of Israel. The space is warm and cozy, and constantly evolves to adapt to the needs of her growing family. She’s grown her home décor business by creating beautiful pieces that she would love to have in her own home and that fit in with many different styles. There are so many amazing aspects of Eli’s home, and we’re excited to showcase them in this home tour. Plus, Eli offers great advice for other women looking to start their own business, and so much more.

Tell us a bit about yourself!

I’m Elisheva, or Eli, Manekin. I live in a teeny tiny village in the south of Israel with my husband and our three children. I’m an industrial designer, maker and owner of Loop Living, a home décor studio.

How did Loop Living come to be?

Loop Living came out of my love of creating a space that feels like home. My childhood was a bit unconventional—we moved between cities and countries every other year. But I vividly remember each and every home we stayed in, even if it was just for the summer. My mother put a lot of effort into creating a homey feeling in every house and apartment and that really instilled in me the importance and effect that feeling can have on my sense of belonging and even self-esteem. I studied Industrial Design and always hoped that one day I could design home décor.

What do you want to accomplish with Loop Living?

I want to share my love and appreciation for creating a home that perfectly fits who you are as a person or a family. It’s not just about the finished look, it’s about the process of creating it. Just like you are constantly evolving and changing, your home does too, and having people include me in that process is something that excites me. Every order that comes in makes me so happy and honored that I get to do this.

What did you do before becoming an entrepreneur?

I worked for a large handbag chain in Israel. It was a very intensive course in mass production and working with tight deadlines, and I got to travel a lot. But once I had my son, it didn’t seem realistic to keep doing it. I always wanted to someday design home décor so I thought, why not now? I was very naive, which I think turned out to be a good thing.

How would you describe your home’s style?

Modern, bright and warm. My children make fun of me that we don’t have that much color, but I don’t see it like that at all. It’s a mix of DIY, secondhand finds, and store-bought items—along with a whole lot of plants.

If you had one extra hour in the day, how would you use it?

I should probably say something smart like read a book or spend more time in nature, but if I’m being honest, I’d probably just watch more TV when I should be sleeping.

What is something you can’t live without on a daily basis?

Conversation. I need to talk with people to understand how I feel and sort out my thoughts, and work from home can be pretty isolating. I try to make time to talk on the phone with my friends or family, and to sit with my husband at the end of the day to just talk.

How do you start your day?

Brush my teeth, get the coffee started and check my email to see how many orders came in at night. Even though I know I should put off the phone checking, the time difference means most of my sales happen when I’m sleeping, and I get really anxious about it.

What has been the best advice you have received?

I’ve received so much good advice over the years. The two best pieces of advice were from a professor in school who told me to always remember that I’m designing the first version of something. When you’re working on a product, it’s really hard to decide that it’s finished. There’s always something you can change or work on more. And that piece of advice takes the pressure off because you can tell yourself you can make corrections and changes the next time around. The second was from my husband who told me mistakes made with customers are just an opportunity to give amazing customer service. There will always be mistakes, but if you acknowledge them and really make it up to people, they’ll be even happier than if there were no problems to begin with.

What is the hardest part of running a handmade business?

Having to do everything yourself, and do it well before you can hire someone to help. I didn’t know the first thing about marketing or photography or anything, really, and had to learn it all myself, while still figuring out the design part of it all. The standards are so high today, with so many talented people out there, it’s just hard to keep up.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

My life as a mother and entrepreneur. I learned early on I should only design things I’d really like to have in my home, so I try to think about the little things in our home life that I’d like to fix, and design around that. In terms of aesthetic, I want my designs to blend into people’s home life and to support them. I use a lot of basic shapes and natural materials that work well with different styles. I think that just being thoughtful in that way makes a big difference.

Do you have any advice that you can share with other women who want to start a handmade business?

Don’t wait for things to be perfect, or even ready, because that rarely happens. Just start, and make friends in your industry—people who are at the same stage as you. The friends I’ve made have become so much more than colleagues, they understand exactly what I’m talking about and struggling with, and it helps you see work life the way it really is, not just what it’s portrayed on social media.