On the other side of the room , we have our comfort nook, with two recliners we brought over from USA. They sit comfortably in front of our Italian wood burning stove. This stove is a marvel; it heats the stone wall to create radiant heat and uses the blower to circulate that warmth through the room. It's our favorite place to retreat during the winter months.
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Swivel chairs allow us to turn towards
Fire spin around to join in conversation a
At the Island |
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Fire is hypnotic
Walls are warm to the touch |
Pass from kitchen into dining room. Here the stone walls provide a rugged, beautiful
backdrop for our hand-crafted dining room Table made by "Vagelis. It's a solid, honest piece of furniture that anchors the space and invites you to sit just a little longer.
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| A place for slow meals & long conversations |
But the real magic is in the stone walls. Mitsoe, and his two sons, Elvis & Andreas
chiseled out the stone to create Built-in Nooks. They aren't just for storage, they are tiny galleries carved directly into mountain edge. They hold our collection of pottery, and pewter wine goblets. One nook holds our religious Icon. No Greek home is truly complete without one; it is a tradition that connects our home to the spirit of Island.
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"A Window into the Walls
Hand carved "Ikarian Alcoves"
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| Greek Icon "Mother Mary" |
As we move from the dining room and deeper into the house, through the hallway you're surrounded by the faces of our children, grandchildren, every morning my family greets me, it makes the house feel like a home.
There's a bench built by Vagelis to sit on to take off your shoes after working in the gardens. It rolls out and rolls back in, the top lifts for more storage to hold the abundance of shoes that we seem to have collected since we have arrived. Then you pass by the Guest bathroom that is tucked away in the hallway.
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| Our Memory Gallery |
Finally we arrive to our sanctuary, passing through a heavy hardwood door into our Master bedroom & Bath.
Built-in s were custom made by Vagelis. The headboard and footboard where hand wrought, made to fit the style of the home.
I am on a hunt for an antique chest to put at the foot of the bed, not only for its beauty but for functionality, to store bulky items like blankets and pillows.
is a true labor of love and research. Stepping through a beautifully repurposed door into a spa-like bathroom.The walls are finished in
an ancient "pressed " lime technique with roots that stretch back through Greek history and onto the ornate bathhouses of the Ottoman empire. It involves layering lime and marble dust create luminous surface that feels like and looks like solid marble. Very few know how to apply this technique, however, we found Christos through our Stone mason who seems to know everyone and everything on the Island.
The shower was designed for ultimate comfort, featuring a built-in sit down bench and beautiful handmade tiles from Italy. Christo carved out custom stone cubbies into the wall to hold our essential bath items keeping the space clutter free and serene.
Thanks to my daughter Holly we added a
Bidet-an addition that is absolutely priceless.
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| Serene Master bath |
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The End
Sorry I couldn't resist
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They say it takes a village to raise a child, but in our case, it took the finest craftsmen of the island to breath life back into these stones.. These are the heroes who turned our vision into the work of art we now call home:
Acknowledgements
Petro's & Vasiles: The two brothers who followed in their father's footsteps to craft our massive wooden entry doors and windows.Their work is the first thing our guest touch, and it sets the tone for everything inside.
The Master Carpenter : Vaggelis. who took my rough sketches and turned them into reality, The Island, rustic, and solid, a hand crafted dining room table, the built-ins, in our bedroom all created with artistic and mindful hands.
Roofers: Ari's & Panayotis: who built the roof laid the tile ( keramides). I watched them day after day, two stories up on the steep pitch of our roof. They worked with casual bravery that I will never quite understand-no harness, no safety lines. Watching them haul and lay those heavy tiles while perched at ledge gave me a near heart attack.
Elias: Who worked tirelessly and precisely building the stucco walls ( so-vas)
Elias: Dynamited the stone allowing us to build where stone stood- I vividly recall a day when I was showing my friend Peite around when we heard yelling, Peite said run, so I did , I asked what was that all about., She laughed in Greek he was saying take cover....
Tile: Legeris laid the tile throughout entire house, interior & exterior, showing attention to detail resulting in a beautifully finished flooring and Terraces .
Electrician: Mike Lenderos a true professional showed exceptional workmanship. When our house was struck by lightning we were in the dark, we called after hours, he was there within 20 minutes restoring our power, he wouldn't accept money for the call.
Heavy equipment operator : Nico performed almost impossible maneuvering and skills with his back-hoe in tight quarters, making our lot level and the land usable.
Plumber: Socrates and his brother were knowledgeable and caring professionals, who guided us through the maze and correct operation of our water system.
Concrete: Mouselas Managed Yards & yards of concrete needed to construct the house.
Architect: Kosta Spanos who took our vision and put it on paper.
Neighbors: Kiki & Dimetre and Stella&Periklis We are blessed to have wonderful neighbors who fed us almost daily, let us use their facilities and supported us through the building process. We couldn't have hand picked better neighbors.
Stone Masons: Mitsoe, Andreas, Elvis . While the wood and the finishes give the villa it's character, the stone is it's soul. The stone Masons were the heroes of this story. Over two years they showed up with their chisels and hammers. But they did so much more than stack rocks, they became an extension to our family every day they shared our table , our local wine and our food. Between bites and sips of wine, their expertise and quiet advice guided us through every challenge of restoration.
To see them standing by the walls they built with such pride is a reminder that this house wasn't just "constructed"- it was grown from 2 years of friendship, hard work, thousands of shared meals.
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My heroes
Andreas is missing in this photo |
Foreman: This story isn't complete without acknowledging my husband Teddy.
The true foreman of this long journey. He poured his heart and soul into our home. He managed the site, coordinated the crews, kept the project going. When it was done he painted every square inch of this home. This house is a reflection of his strength and love for our family for generations to come.
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| Teddy a man with a vision |
What is your favorite part of the house or story?
Stella's recipe: GEMISTA |
| Gemista ready to pop in the Oven |
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| Stella's recipe for Gemista |
Coming Next: The View from above
The second floor:
In my next post I will take you upstairs to guest suite-ready for family and friends. We will step out onto the expansive terrace with the most spectacular views
Vineyard, Sea, Mountains.
