How a detached house in the historic center of Athens was saved from abandonment

One of the oldest houses in Plaka it was renovated and acquired a new form combining the nobility of yesterday with the minimal philosophy of today and is now another residential masterpiece in Athens. Its new owner is the distinguished lawyer Mema Simonetatou-Agapinou, a woman with special taste who loves the city center and undertook to transform this historic building into a modern tasteful residence.

“The first time I saw it was when a realtor friend of mine wanted to show me a small Bauhaus house from 1931 in an alley near Saint Catherine’s Square in Plaka. It was love at first sight. Although abandoned to its fate, full of slogans on the external walls and too many objects and furniture inside that testified to its passage through time, it was a charming house”, says Mema Simonetatou-Agapinou.

“Its small terrace with its breathtaking view of the Acropolis made me turn the love I felt into an eagerness to bring it back to where it belonged in time, but with a strong touch of today.” The restoration was undertaken by the BNK Development company with the award-winning architect Thanasis Kalogiannis, while the interior was edited by Mema Simonetatou-Agapinou herself together with her friend Marialena Varotsis.

The fairy house is a three-level house total area 170 sq.m. where every last bit was used. The shell remained the same with absolute respect for its architectural rhythm. Some of its key building materials, such as the interior staircase with period mosaics, were preserved and regenerated.

The skylight’s black metal spiral staircase served as the matrix to create an identical new iron staircase. The old wooden ceiling beams were preserved and painted black. Marbles, metal and glass sometimes dived into the 1930s and sometimes into today. Three bedrooms, one of which is a master bedroom, offer the possibility of a comfortable stay, but also of hosting friends.

The interior decoration is dominated by the color black and old furniture that has acquired a modern form, while the setting is completed with special works of art, such as the engraving of Chrysa that stands out above a commode at the entrance.

All electrical appliances are cleverly hidden behind decorative cabinets, while the kitchen is state-of-the-art with hidden stoves and the sink turns into a counter when not in use. But there are other surprises, which prove that anything is possible when there is imagination and intelligent planning. Due to the limited area of ​​the property, a tiny garden was created in the area of ​​the skylight.

The plants also star in the spaces: from kumquat trees on the terrace with the magnificent view of the Acropolis walls to papyri on the rest of the balconies. In addition to the living room, there is also an energy fireplace on the roof so that the visitor can enjoy it even in the winter.

Without a doubt, the absolute respect for the architecture of yesterday with the modernization of today offered a new life to this little jewel in the most beautiful neighborhood of Athens, Plaka. A place that oozes royalty and with its old buildings transports visitors from all over the world to other eras.