Friday 28 March 2008

Home Inspiration-France





Chez Elizabeth Delacarte

People of style, of true, individual style exude effortless charm. I love individuality that is supported by a personality to match. It thus becomes fearless, self-self-confident, inspiring.





Look at that audacious orange, flirty and sensual like a juicy orange.

And that lovely servante.

I love aubergine. I used to stock a 3 seater sofa in the shop, upholstered in the same color.


I love the colours and the exquisite furniture in the Parisian apartment of galeriste Elizabeth Delacarte. You may read more about her and her trade in the Place de l' Opera, here.


(From Point de Vue)


Saturday 22 March 2008

A house of Style

Have a look at the new "Greek Home" I am posting for you today. Totally different from what I've shown before. This has been done by an interior designer, and it shows. The style is rather lavish, but I picked it for the warmth of its colors and the overall feeling of relaxation and charm.
The article has been published in "Inside", which is one of the most interesting Greek interiors magazines right now. The title reads "The Charm of Luxury" and it does the subject justice.


Alexandra Fotiadou is one of my favorite Greek interior designers. She has a sense of proportion and a style that is recognisable yet adaptable to the owner.

The house develops in five levels. It belongs to a Greek civil engineer and his socialite and philanthropist wife.
Having lived and studied on the other side of the Atlantic, Fotiadou's style is cosmopolitan and reminiscent of classic American design. Definable lines, sturdy furniture, exotic touches.


Here she adds a Greek touch to her design.

The dinning room table sits on two Greek columns. The floors are white marble.
The owner enjoying her rattan furnished sun room.

On the wall, the painting is by Fassianos.
I hope you enjoyed the tour. Have a lovely week end.

Monday 17 March 2008

Old houses

Hello and thank you lots for stopping by and commenting on my previous work post. To answer Claudia's question with regard to the hotel I wrote about in my last post, we worked on the decoration. We are not contractors and do not deal with structural work. We worked on the floor plans that the architect in charge of the project had made, made our proposal for the decoration, and as far as sales go, we provided the furniture, beds and mattresses, sofas, and bedlinen. Corine, there is no website yet, but Tanya you are welcome to visit Greece and why not stay at this hotel, any time.
Today I am posting some pictures from a magazine article on the houses of Galaxidion, a seaside town in central Greece.
Galaxidi, as it is usually called in our days, a merchant port built on a tiny fjord, flourished before the steam boats came to action.
Many old houses survive, witnesses of the town's former wealth. They are built in typical neoclassic style found in many old seaside towns in Greece.
The rooftop in this pictures shows some beautiful akrokerama.
Akrokeramo, meaning "the edge of a brick", is a typical architectural element, frequently used in neoclassical architecture. These forms from clay, in various sizes and motifs, have usually a naturalistic design.
However, they sometimes depict a woman's head. They are attached to the end of clay tile roofing, where the roof is connected with the house wall.
Today they are still produced by small manufacturers. They are used in renovations, and they are sold at gift shops as decorative wall decorations.


A lovely Easter week end to those of you in the Western Christian tradition. The Orthodox Easter is celebrated this year on April 27th.
I shall be visiting Athens over the week end, so if you have any special photo requests do let me know and I'll do my best to post the object of your desire. A bientot.
P.S. Does anyone know how to put accents on French lettering? Or do I have to change my Blogger fonds to do it?

Friday 14 March 2008

Our work in the press

The Greek edition of Casaviva, April issue, is publishing a four page spread of a hotel we furnished this past winter. I'll save you the trouble of trying to make out Greek lettering, so I am only posting the photos they published. I think they've done a great job, mixing nature, architecture and our work.

I loved what they wrote about our "combining tradition with luxury". This is exactly what we went for. I am glad we made it happen and that it shows through.
We relied on our company's all natural materials and earthy tones, taking inspiration from the surroundings of this 18th century building, bringing in the warmth of earthy tones, and the freshness of materials such as solid beech wood, linen and cotton.

The result is peaceful and welcoming, in tune with the surrounding countryside. What do you think?

Tuesday 4 March 2008

A dream all natural house

I have long been a fan of Karen Kingston. I was glad to discover Apartment Therapy, a blog that embraces her principles.
Featured is a Low Impact Woodland home, self constructed by Simon Dale and his family. Definitively worth visiting.
Look at that Hobbit-like house. Oh my Goodness!

It's just the perfect dream house. Obviously the family has worked hard, but the result is so harmonious and happy, that it was definitively worth the effort. Simon says:

"This kind of building is accessible to anyone. My main relevant skills were being able bodied, having self belief and perseverence and a mate or two to give a lift now and again".

Wow! I'd love to believe that!


Some of the eco features include:
a skylight to let in natural light
solar panels to fuel lights and electronics like a cd player and computer
a refrigerator cooled by air coming underground through the foundation
water supplied by gravity from a nearby spring
collection of roof water for use in the garden
a compost toilet

A lovely family, living in a beautiful, healthy house.

Monday 3 March 2008

Greek Interiors I

When I hosted my first giveaway in honor of the first Greek issue of House and Garden, all of my gracious participants have asked me to show more of Greek houses.
It is quite hard to do because to be honest with you, I do not like modern style which seems to be all the rage in Greece right now. On the other hand I do not like stuffy rooms which is the alternative.
So, when I find rooms that I like, I am going to post them here for you.
The most impressive part of the house I am going to show you today is the entrance which has a distinct Greek accent. The arrangement of furniture and objects as nature morte sets the tone for the large painting by Giannis Gaitis (1923-1984). The painting is called The Dancer. The male dancer wears "Western style" clothes, but the female dancer's costume is a mix of Ancient and Folk Greek female wear. They are dancing the "ballos", an island dance. The colors of the painting are an ode to Ancient Greek pottery, especially the black figure type (c. 500 B.C.)
The house was built in the 60s in a leafy suburb of Athens, and was refurbished by the young architect daughter of the owners.
The modern bathroom is baren but warms up with the use of browns and some wooden accents.



Cotton sheers are perfect for filtering the intense, hide nothing, Greek light.

The dining room table, and an aethereal detail of a paper lamp that echoes the dancer motif. From the Benaki Museum, one of my favorite places in Athens.

I hope you enjoyed the tour.

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