When Point Supreme Architects started working on this colourful Athens apartment, the redesign of a private home on Ignatiou Street, they knew typical architectural challenges wouldn't be their biggest difficulty; this was all about working with the limited space provided.
Spanning only 22 sq m of internal space and an expansive 27 sq m veranda, the project saw Point Supreme Architects transform a humble apartment into a neatly defined living space that provides a welcome escape from the Athens bustle.
A colourful Athens apartment replicating island living
You'd think the obvious choice when working with small spaces would be to keep to a monochromatic colour palette, minimalist architecture, and simply have less furniture that might make the interior feel cluttered. Of course, Greece-born founders Marianna Rentzou and Konstantinos Pantazis, whose own home, Petralona House, is an exemplar of fun and artfully put-together collage, did the exact opposite.
The architects started by separating the floorspace into four distinct parts: kitchen and living room at the front, bedroom and bathroom at the back, with a small corridor leading to the outdoors. A seamless and flexible connection through all spaces is achieved by using an array of different floor materials, from peach and blue tiling to smooth concrete, delineating this way clearly each area, while adding a vibrancy.
The primary entrance was relocated, now leading directly into the central room to ensure easy access to all areas. Painted wood, curtains, and partitions also allow flexibility for the resident to tailor the area to their preference.
Walking through the internal living space, guests are greeted by an open veranda painted white to bring to mind Greek island dwellings. A seating area is built into the wall, and is overlooked by the open kitchenette, perfect for friendly dining with friends and family. On cooler days a sliding glass door is fixed to be adjustable, allowing access to a cool breeze on a warm summer's day.
This reflects the architectural Mediterranean island inspiration, with azure and lapis lazuli blues being the focal colours, capturing the island skies and surrounding Aegean sea in this tucked-away veranda suntrap.
Light yellow curtains hang across the veranda opening, with a denser red drape tucked away by the sofa. Earthy brown features surround the bedroom area allowing the space to be full of movement and design identity, without being overwhelming.
The main draw to this project is the variety of textures. From the brutalist architecture-inspired ceiling to the colourful metallic railing surrounding the veranda, everything adds a quirkiness and originality to the house.
The contrast of such a minimalist approach with its maximalist colour and material palette, allows for a much welcome way of living, centred on embracing a richly textured space through design.
-
Audemars Piguet and Kaws have created the Royal Oak Concept watch we didn't know we neededThe Audemars Piguet x Kaws Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon 'Companion' is slick wrist-worn art
-
A friendly rivalry coloured by kinship: Wendy Maruyama and Tom Loeser on their two-artist show'I wanted to make furniture, just not traditional furniture, but weird furniture,' says Wendy Maruyama on ‘Colorama’, a two-artist show presented at design gallery Superhouse (until 11 January 2025)
-
Tranquil and secluded, Lemaire’s new Tokyo flagship exudes a sense of homeIn Tokyo’s Ebisu neighbourhood, Lemaire’s tranquil new store sees the French brand take over a former 1960s home. Co-artistic directors Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran tell Wallpaper* more
-
A breezy Greek island retreat lets the outdoors inOpen to the elements, an island retreat in Corfu by Invisible Studio was designed to suit the local climate, using metal mesh screens rather than windows
-
A Corfu house balances local vernacular and 21st-century minimalismCorfu House, a sensitive and minimalist holiday home, has been recently completed on the Greek island as a collaboration between architects Tony Wynbourne, Georgios Apostolopoulos and engineer Makis Gisdakis
-
Piraeus Tower is a Greek high-rise icon revived through sustainable strategiesThe restoration of the Piraeus Tower is completed in Greece, revealing a revived façade by local architecture studio PILA
-
Remembering Alexandros Tombazis (1939-2024), and the Metabolist architecture of this 1970s eco-pioneerBack in September 2010 (W*138), we explored the legacy and history of Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis, who this month celebrates his 80th birthday.
-
Tour House D in Athens, where interiors are peachy keenDesigned by Cometa Architects, House D in Athens is full of curvy, colourful character
-
Three Object Apartment embraces raw concrete honesty in the heart of AthensThree Object Apartment by DeMachinas is a raw concrete home in Athens, which confidently celebrates its modernist bones
-
Residence in Dionysos was conceived as a minimalist ‘cave refuge’ outside AthensResidence in Dionysos by Desypri & Misiaris Architecture is a family home designed as a minimalist refuge among the surrounding nature's pine tree-filled slopes
-
This Greek villa's superyacht aesthetics conceal two self-contained family residencesA Greek villa in the upscale Athens suburb of Filothei, House Symbiosis is home for two sibling families, designed in white, sweeping volumes by Direction Architects
