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The ceilings have dark chestnut paneling.”
Ecological materials were also the basis for the design of furniture.
“A characteristic example is the wooden table in the sitting room,
the ORNOS model, the surface of which carries two marble ridges,
or the beds and the other pieces in the bedrooms which are also made
of bleached wood.” The angled sofa in the sitting room is a true piece
of sculpture whose organic form hides a constructional innovation.
“Wishing to avoid the usual type of built-in island sofa, we created a piece
of furniture, the NEW WAVE model, whose internal wooden skeleton affords
modern comfort. At the same time, it ties in with tradition since its exterior
is covered with plaster in the true spirit of Mykonian aesthetic.”

A sculptural dining table
The dining table is in the large sitting room, next to the French windows
that lead to the garden. “The table, an ELXIS model, is made of solid tilia
with a veneer of white ash and oak and a wax finish. Its special feature
is that the curved sides are differently shaped. The marquetry on the top
reproduces the geometric patterns of the base, which were inspired
by Bauhaus designs. The lighting fixture, white opaline for reflection-free
illumination, comes from Iguzzini.
Another focal point in the sitting room is the white marble and plaster
fireplace. It is accompanied by a sculptural work that is characteristic
of Nikos Zouboulis and Titsa Grekou’s artistic practice. “The sculpture
was studied in relation to the light that comes through the windows,
and the relief figure was made with plaster and white lacquer to imitate
the local whitewashed walls.”
In the open-plan kitchen, the bench/bar follows the motion of the sea
and the sun, while the color of the sea can be found on the cupboard doors.
A sculptural approach is found in the bedrooms as well, where the beds
and the other pieces carry a blend of civilizations (“memories from Cycladic art
but also references to a tropical style, as in the headboard of the bed,
a CUBA model, of woven cane and Indonesian rattan”).

Original creations
The outdoor constructions such as the bar, the dining table (VIGLES)
and the built settees (TENERIFE) incorporate sculptural forms and carefully
studied techniques. As with the furniture, these pieces were first built
as models, a process that helped finalize their sculptural form.
Inspiration for the outdoor spaces came from the same sources. “The motion
of the sea is reflected in the WAVES bar stools as well as the wooden panel
which holds the lighting fixtures.” All these are painted white to blend in
with the local style while still reflecting their original modern design and meeting
in an admirable way the needs of a holiday home that is ready to function
at all times of the year.

Tonia Makra

Athens, May 2005