Domestic landscape

The redesign of this compact urban apartment emerged through close and meaningful collaboration with its users, aiming to create an environment that responds to contemporary needs for living, working, and everyday flexibility. The project is grounded in the idea that spatial quality is not determined by size, but by clarity of organization, the flow of natural light, and the conscious integration of functions.

 

Spatial Organization

The original layout was reconsidered through a process of spatial reprogramming, with the primary strategy focusing on the creation of a unified open-plan environment. The selective removal of walls allowed new visual connections and spatial relationships to emerge, enhancing both the penetration of natural light and the continuity of movement throughout the apartment.

A key element of the composition is the custom-designed opening between the entrance and the dining area. This architectural gesture functions simultaneously as a light filter, a transitional threshold, and a spatial organizer, introducing clarity to the spatial sequence while reinforcing the perception of depth within the interior.

Material Palette

The material identity of the project is defined through a restrained yet expressive palette of natural materials. Wood and marble are combined in specially designed built-in constructions that accommodate storage, work surfaces, and everyday functions.

Furniture is approached as an architectural component rather than as independent objects. In this way, it becomes organically integrated into the spatial composition, reinforcing the sense of coherence and visual clarity within the interior. These integrated solutions enable the efficient use of space without visually overwhelming the environment.

 

 

Custom Elements

Particular emphasis was placed on flexibility and multifunctionality. Office furniture, storage units, and adaptable surfaces are carefully integrated so that the space can easily transform to accommodate different scenarios of use – from working from home to everyday living and social gatherings.

The final result is a bright and balanced domestic environment, where the clarity of the design, the consistency of the material palette, and the careful detailing transform a small apartment into a flexible and contemporary living landscape. Through targeted architectural interventions, the project demonstrates how compact living can be reimagined as a refined and cohesive spatial experience.

 

Radical layout

The project involves the renovation and complete reconfiguration of a penthouse apartment, situated on the top floor within a recessed area. The 50m2 apartment is part of a 1960s Athenian polykatoikia and includes a 50m2 balcony.

 

Open-Plan Layout

Over the decades, changing needs and lifestyles have underscored the importance of radically redefining the apartment’s layout. A primary modification is the repositioning of the entrance, creating a welcoming “threshold” that invites residents to gradually explore the space. The existing kitchen is replaced by the entryway, where a built-in storage area on the right functions both as seating and a compartment for the washing machine.

An oversized storage room -previously disproportionate for the apartment’s size- has been converted into a combined kitchen and dining area, which now serves as the central axis of the apartment’s design. At the heart of the open floor plan is a custom-designed living room sofa, a versatile, multifunctional piece around which the layout revolves. This redesign integrates the kitchen with the living and dining areas, creating a flexible, multipurpose space tailored to the demands of modern life.

 

Design Gestures

Given the limited square footage, the apartment is designed to minimize visual clutter through a single cohesive spatial gesture: the kitchen cabinetry extends and clads the bathroom volume in a defining blue color, which also becomes definitive for the project’s name, ” Kyano”. This blue structure also serves a functional purpose, concealing the air conditioning unit, which is the primary source of heating and cooling, and discreetly integrating all electrical appliances.

In order to take advantage of the spacious balcony, the main living room opening is extended in both length and height, further merging the interior and exterior space. In parallel, the existing outdoor mosaic flooring is polished, preserving a touch of the apartment’s original character, while a water feature transforms the outdoor space into an urban garden.

 

Material & Color Pallet

The project’s material palette draws inspiration from the Kallimarmaro Stadium, a historic landmark in the Pagrati area. White Dionysos marble was selected for the kitchen counter, complemented by off-white lacquered wood for the cabinetry. Custom-designed furniture pieces -such as the bathroom vanity, bedside tables, and living room coffee table- are crafted from raw sheet metal, treated with anti-scaling varnish for durability.

The bathroom is clad with small tiles, while a glass block wall defines the shower area and allows additional light to flow in from the bright living room. The bedroom, designed as a private sanctuary, features soothing off-white tones that offer a respite from daily life. The original reinforced concrete load-bearing structure is also exposed, adding character and texture to the space.

Harmonic space

The project aim is the renovation of a 46m2 apartment situated on the 4th floor of a traditional Athenian polykatoikia built in the 1970s, with unobstructed views of the city and an abundance of natural light and ventilation.

 

Functional Organisation

The aim of the design is to create a fully equipped, modern apartment for Airbnb uses with an open plan concept that offers a coherent architectural effect, while at the same time maintaining a high level of privacy. This is achieved through the integration of the kitchen and living area and the demolition of the wall that separated the living room and the bedroom. The new layout allows a large amount of sun light to enter the space and enhances the natural ventilation of the apartment.

 

Balanced Material Palette

The material and colour selection follow the same open-plan concept. More specifically, wooden flooring is used throughout the space, seamlessly integrating with colourful geometric kitchen tiles, complemented by an array of custom furniture in beige and wooden tones, thus creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

 

Interior Lighting

The lighting design further enhances the idea of a unified, cohesive space. Elegant wall fixtures and distinct hanging ceiling lights are chosen for indirect and direct lighting, respectively. The lighting fixtures and decorative elements are painted in earthly tones -terracotta, golden, brown, and green- adding intensity to the space.

Uninterrupted flows

The “One Athens” residential complex situated at the foot of Lycabettus hill, constitutes an iconic building for the city and its architecture. The modernist building was designed in 1957, by the prominent Greek architect Constantinos Doxiadis, and was fully completed in 1971.

 

Design Philosophy

The building served as the Doxiadis Associates headquarters till the late 1990s. In 2014, the listed office complex was transformed into a residential development, introducing a new building type and scale to the city, which is primarily dominated by the ‘polykatoikia’ typology. The complete renovation of the 5th-floor apartment aspires to accommodate the needs of contemporary living, while respecting the existing architecture.

 

Spatial Organization

The reorganization of the ‘L’-shaped plan is simple and explicit: an open public zone, includes the dining, living and kitchen area as well as an office extension that leads to a private zone, which includes a master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet as well as a secondary a guest bedroom. The intentional absence of walls enhances the idea of a fluid, flexible and continuous space. Scattered full-height, translucent sliding panels made of glass and timber divide the rooms offering enclosure and privacy. In parallel, the large terrazzo floor slabs delineate a seamless surface enhancing the space’s continuity.

 

Existing Facade

The building’s original, modular façade design used to serve corporate office needs by filling the space with abundant yet filtered Mediterranean natural light and controlled natural ventilation. Today, the new open plan organization connects the two glazed wings of the ’L’ shaped apartment: the one facing towards the central atrium and the other towards the street. As a result, the apartment enjoys the unobstructed immediacy to the eminent Athenian context and the lush Lycabettus hill as well as the southeast views of the Acropolis and the Saronic Gulf, visible through the polykatoikia rooftops.

Colorful functions

The project’s aim is the renovation of an apartment situated in an old 1980’s Athenian building, which faces a large park. The apartment’s linear organisation as well as its southwestern orientation, allows an abundance of natural light to enter the space.

 

Spatial Organization

The design objective is to create a multi-functional space that includes a kitchen, a dining and living area and an office, while maintaining an open central area. During the demolition works, the wall separating the kitchen and living room of the original layout is removed. Furthermore, the furniture is positioned along the edges of the reconfigured open space, becoming visually integrated with the walls, through similar colour tones.

 

Central Design Element

For the kitchen and office space, contrasting colour shades were carefully selected -deep red and dark green colours respectively- to distinguish between the two functions. The kitchen island is clad in black stone and birch wood and acts as the new divider in the living room as well as a versatile space for gathering, dining, meal prepping and office area.

 

Material Palette

The interior floor is clad with Ioannina marble and the exterior with Aliveri marble. The material’s high reflectivity, diffuses and enhances the natural light entering the apartment. In contrast, the wooden floors in the bedrooms exude a sense of warmth and relaxation. The use of pink marble tiles for the bathroom floor preserves the apartment’s material continuity, which, combined with grey metallic elements, gives the space a luxurious character.

Dark contrasts

This 260m² apartment is located in the city of Curitiba, in the State of Paraná. The project’s aim was to create an interior, versatile space that combined different functions for both work and leisure.

 

Design Philosophy

The inspiration behind the renovation was to select high quality materials and furniture elements that were in tune with the client’s design preferences. The design was complemented with bold, dark tones and the integration of contemporary furniture. The main space is organised as an open-plan layout, where the living room becomes harmoniously integrated with the kitchen, dining and barbeque area. The apartment also has four private bedrooms -one of which is flexibly tranformed into an entertainment room- as well as a private office.

 

Bespoke Elements

A series of bespoke elements were designed to complement the flexibility and versatility of the space. A custom sliding door that separates the kitchen from the rest of the living room as well as an elegant light fixture, which hangs above the dining table, become focal pieces, adding a layer of sophistication and exclusivity to the space.

 

Color Pallete

The overall aesthetic of the apartment disseminates a contemporary ambiance, complemented with dark shades of grey and black tones and lighter natural materials, such as the kitchen’s stone flooring. The material composition as well as furniture that serve as focal elements throughout the space, strike a careful balance between subtle tones and darker colours. Wood flooring and grey tapestry is used in the bedrooms to create a cozy and comfortable ambiance.

Contemporary Thresholds

Located in a quiet neighborhood in Kipseli, this 1970s apartment was renovated and converted into a contemporary residence. The project involves remodeling a space that holds sentimental value for the client, honoring the existing space while also embracing the opportunity for a modern reinvention.

 

Design philosophy & layout

The 65 m² apartment is organized in an open-plan layout, consisting of the kitchen, dining, and living areas, and is transformed into a unified place of gathering. Several walls were demolished in order to take advantage of the apartment’s eastern orientation and unify the adjacent spaces. A new, wide opening is created between the dining area and the kitchen, connected by a long solid, white countertop used for cooking, dining, and social interaction.

 

Multi-functional structures

A series of customized furniture were designed to address the need for storage, while becoming seamlessly integrated with the aesthetics of the space. Ribbed wooden cupboards, white skirting, the bedroom’s distinct headboard and the kitchen door’s white minimal metal frame with ribbed glass material composition, follow classical references that are reinterpreted into contemporary designs.

 

Material Palette

The material selection was based on the existing palette found in the apartment. Oak herringbone flooring, white marble tiling as well as pink and white terrazzo are used to give the space a cohesive, modern aesthetic. The material finishes were also used to restore the cracks and gaps following the extensive demolition of the walls. Alongside the natural materials, pale color accents used on furniture, lighting fixtures and wall edges highlight specific corners within the space.