A Designer Transforms Her Grandmother’s 807-Square-Foot Penthouse in Athens
In the living room, the furniture designed by the studio alludes to ancient Greece. A hand-carved stone fireplace, inspired by Greco-Persian folk art, has been placed on a travertine base between two windows overlooking the Acropolis. Above it, white ceramic tiles handmade by Elena and Andreas Alexopoulos (her father) evoke archaeological fragments.
Custom furniture and 19th-century Greek craftsmanship
Custom furniture complements vintage Italian design lamps by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni. A Brumbury lamp by Guzzini sits on a 19th-century Greek trolley, while a Sirio lamp illuminates an Art Deco coffee table. A contemporary TGV aluminum lamp designed by Ionna Vautrin complements a Greek cipollino marble bookcase. Antique pieces, a 19th-century wooden cart, a handcrafted Greek mirror from the same period, a traditional chair from the island of Skyros, and jars from the Peloponnese introduce different dimensions of historical memory.
Inspiration from the islands
The kitchen is designed in the spirit of the Greek islands; specifically, numerous furnishings draw inspiration from the original pink marble floor, which was sourced in Skyros. Simple, locally made furniture further the traditional island aesthetics. Wood and rope chairs and a wood and marble table that highlights the colorful floor. Oak parquet flooring is laid in a herringbone pattern with black marble in the entrance hall (from Veria, Greece) while the original pink marble flooring from Skyros in the kitchen has been preserved.
The bathroom, too, pays homage to Greek marble quarries. White Kavala marble, widely used in Athens, is paired with cipollino green marble, whose veins evoke the iridescent reflections of the Aegean Sea.
Designers Elena Alexopoulos and Jonathan Stene discuss all the details of the renovation
The apartment once belonged to Elena’s grandmother-how much did this emotional connection influence your architectural choices?
Stene Alexopoulos: It was complicated. To help preserve the spirit of the place, we kept the original layout of the rooms and even the placement of the furniture: The dining table remained in the same spot, as did the sofa. The floors—pink in the kitchen, black in the entrance hall, and the period parquet—were preserved too, both because of their excellent condition and because they represent the soul of the apartment. Also helping to root the house in family history are several 19th-century pieces that belonged to Elena’s grandmother, along with the fireplace which is of great sentimental value. Since her father also lived there as a child, it was natural to involve him in the renovation: his paintings and a ceramic piece he made with a local workshop were placed above the fireplace. Finally, sculptures by Costas Coulentianos, the father of a close family friend, complete the family and cultural theme.
