Grecian Getaway: Historic House Renovation Preserves Character
A seventeenth-century home on the island of Nisyros in Greece retains its sense of history in this beautiful renovation by Greg Haji Joannides, integrating built-in furniture and smooth, glossy surfaces with the pre-existing rock for a seamless blend of past and present. The Sterna Residence is among a number of structures located within the medieval castle complex of Pantoniki in Emporeios on the ridge of the island, overlooking the Aegean Sea.
The entire castle collapsed in a devastating earthquake in 1933 and was painstakingly rebuilt based on a survey of photographic archives, as well as a few structural features found during excavation, recovering the authenticity of the building’s original architecture.
The renovation adds modern infrastructure to the two-level home, which features two spacious bedrooms with private balconies and is available for vacation rentals. A large outdoor living space, including a rooftop lounge area with sun beds, looks out onto the landscape.
The tradition of painting houses white to reflect the harsh sunlight in summer might be a centuries-old tradition in the Cycladic islands, but it still looks fresh and modern, giving these interiors an airy, wide-open feel.
